Read the accompanying article on the Fox & Crow group blog here. (https://foxcrowgroup.com/insights/matt-tomlinson-msps-using-ai/)
Matt Tomlinson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matttomlinsonsales/) has spent years on both sides of the MSP world, first inside it, now helping MSPs deploy AI at Fixify (https://fixify.com) , and he's watched this exact hesitation play out before with cloud, MDR, EDR, SIEM, and SOC. In this episode, he and Carrie dig into why AI adoption in the MSP channel is following the same slow-then-sudden pattern, and why the real barrier isn't the technology itself.
Matt explains the stigma MSPs are up against: the fear that using AI contradicts the personal-touch pitch they've built their businesses on, even though most customers just want their ticket solved quickly. He shares a story about spending twenty minutes on the phone with a hotel chatbot he thought was human, and explains why guardrails, not capability, are what separate a useful AI deployment from a viral horror story.
Carrie and Matt also cover sentiment analysis and CSAT, the difference between selling AI and selling automation, why private-equity-backed platforms are positioned to move first on pricing, and what Matt expects to happen when homegrown AI builds start hitting their maintenance ceiling around 2027.
They close with concrete advice on what MSPs should actually be publishing if they want to compete for the AI-advisory conversation instead of sitting it out.
Matt Tomlinson, Senior Director of MSP Partnerships, Fixify
Fixify is an AI solution built to resolve tier-one MSP tickets start to finish. Before joining Fixify, Matt spent years working inside the MSP world himself. Find him at IT Nation this year, or learn more at fixify.com, where an AI assistant named Fiona can answer questions about fit.
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome and Introductions
1:10 – Why MSPs Hesitate on AI
2:18 – Stigma and Guardrails
4:25 – Sentiment Analysis and CSAT Insights
6:41 – Adoption Barriers and the Content Gap
8:55 – AI vs. Automation: Two Different Sales Motions
11:18 – The Coming Messaging Shift
14:54 – Future Trends and Homegrown AI Risks
16:44 – Risk Mitigation and Token Costs
18:42 – Content Ideas for MSPs
21:15 – Where to Learn More
Carrie (https://linkedin.com/in/carrielynnrichardson) Richardson and Ian (https://linkedin.com/in/ianalexanderrichardson) Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?
They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.
Learn more at:
Fox & Crow Group (https://foxcrowgroup.com/) - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution
Fox & Crow Instinct (https://facinstinct.com/) - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors
Fox & Crow Jackdaw (https://facjackdaw.com) - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses
Book time with Carrie here! (https://randr.membrain.com/Meet/carrie@croocial.com)
Be a guest on WIN! (https://randr.membrain.com/Beacon/Form/4de426f6-c941-4583-9127-62dba3d00fc9) We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.