TruNorth Dynamics CEO To MSPs: Start Referring Or Risk Losing Clients

‘If you say ‘no’ too many times, your client stops coming to you,’ says TruNorth Dynamics CEO Ole Gjerde. ‘That doesn’t mean you need to do everything. But you better have someone to refer them to, or someone else will.’

As SMBs continue to evolve, MSPs are urged to reconsider their role, and their responses, when clients ask for solutions beyond servers and firewalls.

That was the call to action MSPs received from TruNorth Dynamics CEO Ole Gjerde this week at CRN parent company The Channel Company’s XChange August event in Denver.

“If you say ‘no’ too many times, your client stops coming to you,” Gjerde said. “That doesn’t mean you need to do everything. But you better have someone to refer them to, or someone else will.”

Gjerde stressed software platform Microsoft Dynamics and how MSPs can fit it into their client’s digital strategies, but the message extended beyond software. The CEO made a pointed call for MSPs to embrace their role as central hubs for business solutions, not just technology fixers.

“Clients aren’t asking for AI or software just for the sake of it,” he said. “They want to solve business problems. And Dynamics can be one of those tools, but only if someone helps them see how.”

He said that while many consultants focus solely on technical implementation, his firm takes a more hands-on approach, “We’re business-first, not software-first. Training, integrations, even customizations, it’s not about just installing software. It’s about improving the business.”

Gjerde told MSPs that if they can’t offer a solution, then guide the client to someone who can. Referrals can keep MSPs embedded in their clients’ decision-making process. If MSPs don’t do this, clients could go elsewhere.

“You don’t have to say, ‘They’re amazing, use them,’” he said. “Just say, ‘They’re good people, I’ve heard good things. Talk to them and see if it fits.’ You can still stay the trusted advisor.”

And it’s important to keep clients in the loop about AI as well, explaining that clients don’t want AI, they want to solve problems with AI. Still, he encouraged MSPs to focus less on selling tools and more on shifting the conversation.

“Begin with discovery, what is the problem the client’s trying to solve? That’s the entry point,” he said. “Don’t say no. Say, ‘Let’s talk about it.’ That’s how you keep clients for life.”

TruNorth partner Chelsea Skinner, president and CEO of Lewisville, Texas-based Oversee My IT, said Gjerde’s message was a reminder of how big their platform is and how many different options that provides.

“It was nice to get a refresher on what TruNorth can actually help us with and what we can offer to our clients,” she said.