Read the article on the Fox & Crow blog: https://foxcrowgroup.com/insights/matt-tomlinson-msps-using-ai/
Matt spent years on the revenue side of the IT channel, including a run as CRO of a managed service provider, before joining Fixify to help MSPs deploy AI for tier-one ticket resolution. In this episode, he and Carrie break down why AI adoption in the MSP space is following the same slow-then-sudden pattern the channel saw with cloud, MDR, EDR, SIEM, and SOC, and why the real holdup isn't the technology itself.
You'll hear Matt explain the stigma driving MSPs to hide AI use even when customers don't mind it, a story about mistaking a hotel AI chatbot for a human for twenty minutes straight, why guardrails matter more than raw AI capability, and how sentiment analysis is changing the way MSPs measure customer satisfaction. Carrie and Matt also get into the difference between selling AI and selling automation, why private-equity-backed MSP platforms are positioned to win the AI pricing argument first, what happens to homegrown AI builds around 2027, and exactly what MSPs should be publishing if they want to compete for the AI-advisory conversation instead of sitting it out.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why most MSPs already use AI but won't say so in public
The real reason AI adoption feels risky to MSP owners
How guardrails prevent AI from becoming a liability
What sentiment analysis reveals about ticket satisfaction before CSAT does
Why AI and automation require two different sales conversations
Why PE-backed MSP platforms may set AI pricing first
What to publish instead of another generic AI explainer
Timestamps: 0:00 Welcome and Introductions 0:17 Travel Plans and IT Nation 0:41 What Fixify Does 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
Guest: Matt Tomlinson, Senior Director of MSP Partnerships, Fixify Learn more about Fixify: https://fixify.com Listen to more WIN episodes: https://youritpodcasts.com/win
If your MSP needs help with sales process, content, or positioning, Fox & Crow Group can help: https://foxcrowgroup.com/solutions/