12 Must-Read Books Every MSP Should Own

A person in business attire climbs a staircase of check-marked blocks like chapters in a must-read book, holding a flag. A briefcase is in their other hand. The background is light with cloud and padlock icons, suggesting progress and security.

Key takeaways

  • Cybersecurity Sales for MSPs: Simplified Cybersecurity Sales for MSPs focuses on cybersecurity sales skills and customer psychology to help MSPs close more deals.
  • MSP Pricing and Packaging: Package, Price, Profit covers service packaging, pricing strategies, and managing complex client relationships.
  • Operational and Business Growth: The Pumpkin Plan, Managed Services in a Month, and The E-Myth Revisited explain scaling MSP businesses, improving operations, and building sustainable systems.
  • Marketing and Client Management: The MSP Growth Funnel, The MSP Owner’s Handbook, and Never Split the Difference address customer acquisition, QBR delivery, retention, and negotiation techniques.
  • Co-Managed IT and Industry Insights: The MSP’s Survival Guide To Co-Managed IT Services and Phoenix Project explore collaboration with internal IT teams and operational challenges in IT organizations.

We’ve compiled a list of 12 essential books to help you master the art of selling, how to negotiate deals better, a deep dive into various IT technologies, winning at customer success, and what it takes to thrive as an MSP in 2024 and beyond. Grab a good cappuccino, espresso, or Earl Grey tea, and get your bookmarks ready! 

Here’s the list

  1. Simplified Cybersecurity Sales For MSPs 
  2. The Pumpkin Plan
  3. Package, Price, Profit: The Essential Guide to Packaging and Pricing Your MSP Plans
  4. Phoenix Project
  5. The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide
  6. Managed Services in a Month
  7. The MSP Growth Funnel
  8. The MSP Owner’s Handbook: QBR Edition 
  9. MSP Secrets Revealed
  10. The E-Myth Revisited
  11. Never Split the Difference
  12. The MSP’s Survival Guide To Co-Managed IT Services

Coffee Table MSP Book Collection: 12 Essential Reads for MSPs and IT Professionals

  1. Simplified Cybersecurity Sales For MSPs: The Secret Formula For Closing Cybersecurity Deals Without Feeling SlimyJennifer Bleam

Simplified Cybersecurity Sales for MSPs will show you how to sell cybersecurity successfully and get into the mind of a successful salesperson. Win more clients over with this must-have book for MSPs. 

  1. The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field – Mike Michalowicz

Mike Michalowicz tells it like it is. Plenty of relatable analogies and witty humor to keep your interest going from cover to cover. The Pumpkin Plan gives you the tools to harvest and plant your business seeds. Discover who the winning customers are and unlock opportunities for long-term sustained growth. 

  1. Package, Price, Profit: The Essential Guide to Packaging and Pricing Your MSP Plans – Nigel Moore

Ever wondered how to package your MSP business? Nigel Moore can lend a hand. You’ll learn about what to include and exclude in your plans, various pricing strategies, and how to deal with complex clients. Nigel offers practical tips that you can implement immediately to futureproof your business. 

  1. Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, And Helping Your Business Win – Gene Kim & Kevin Behr

Kevin Behr and Gene Kim dive into the story of Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited, who has been tasked with the project of his career, The Phoenix Project. Bill has 90 days to fix the mess that is behind schedule and way over budget. Will he succeed or will his entire department get outsourced? Find out. 

  1. The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide: How to save time, avoid stress and build a successful IT business – Richard Tubb

Richard Tubb is one of the most recognizable names in the MSP industry – bar none. The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide provides you with all the tools to handle the stressful daily grind. Learn how to put your social media on autopilot and when you should part ways with clients.

  1. Managed Services in a Month: Build a Successful, Modern Computer Consulting Business in 30 Days, 3rd Edition – Karl W. Palachuk

30 days. That’s all the time you’ll need to grow a successful MSP business. Karl W. Palachuk will teach you how to create service agreements and service offerings that scale. Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned professional, you’ll gain a ton of insights from this book. 

  1. The MSP Growth Funnel: A Complete Guide To Marketing & Selling Managed Services – Kevin Clune

Want to get to know your audience better? Kevin Clune will take you on a buyer’s journey through the four stages of the customer acquisition funnel. From choosing the right content topics to crafting your pitch and ultimately closing the deal, it’s all here.

  1. The MSP Owner’s Handbook: QBR Edition – Marnie Stockman Ed.D. & Juan Fernandez

Increasing client revenue. Delivering QBRs. Scaling your MSP business to the next level. Sound good? The MSP Owner’s Handbook will show you how to achieve it all. Marnie “literally” authored the book on Customer Success for MSPs, while Juan scaled an MSP to $20M in six years. Learn from two of the best in the game. 

  1. MSP Secrets Revealed: 101 gems of inspiration, stories & practical advice for managed service provider owners – Mark Copeman

Shh, don’t tell anyone you have the marketing and lead generation secrets. Mark Copeman will show you how to treat customers as if you’re going on dates (seriously). You’ll also get the scoop on how to recruit and build the right onboarding program, spread revenue dependency, and become a numbers wizard.

  1.  The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It Michael E. Gerber

This is one book every MSP and small business owner entrepreneur should own. Michael E. Gerber will guide you through a variety of strategies that encompass people, marketing, management, organizational, and systems. Discover what the Turn-Key Revolution is all about and how it can take your business to the next level.

  1. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It – Chris Voss & Tahl Raz

Valuable lessons from a former FBI international hostage negotiator that you can apply the same principles to your MSP business. Gain the upper hand when it comes to negotiating client contracts and service agreements. Leverage tactical empathy to understand your clients’ needs and master the art of mirroring and labeling to build trust.  

  1. The MSP’S Survival Guide To Co-Managed IT Services: A Crotchety Old Geek’s Road Map on Marketing, Selling and Providing Managed Services to Organizations with Existing IT Staff (CoMITs) – Bob Coppedge

What exactly is CoMITs and why does it matter for you? Bob Coppedge will show you how to market to organizations that have IT departments by bridging the gap between IT employees and MSPs. Learn how to adapt your existing business and tools with CoMITs to simplify your internal IT and foster stronger relationships.

Make these 12 insightful books part of your collection. 

But that’s not all. 

We’ve also curated 11 Valuable MSP YouTube Channels to subscribe to and 14 Essential Podcasts for MSP Success

Follow Guardz to stay up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity findings and research to transform your MSP business at any level.

Categories:

Jordan is a Cybersecurity Content Creator and community builder. He has written for many cybersecurity companies and knows more stats about a data breach than IBM.

Frequently Asked Questions

The right books help MSPs sharpen sales, pricing, operations, customer success, and cybersecurity strategies needed to grow sustainably in a highly competitive market.

  • Books written by experienced MSP operators provide practical frameworks that can be implemented immediately.
  • Learning negotiation, packaging, and client retention strategies helps MSPs improve profitability and reduce churn.
  • Technical leadership books strengthen operational maturity around IT delivery, DevOps, and managed services scaling.
  • Continuous learning helps MSPs adapt faster to evolving cybersecurity threats and changing client expectations.

Explore MSP growth and business strategies.

Books focused on cybersecurity sales and negotiation help MSPs communicate risk effectively, build trust, and close higher-value security deals without relying on fear-based tactics.

  • “Simplified Cybersecurity Sales for MSPs” teaches MSPs how to position cybersecurity as a business enabler instead of a technical expense.
  • “Never Split the Difference” improves negotiation outcomes using tactical empathy and trust-building communication techniques.
  • Learning consultative selling helps MSPs overcome client resistance to cybersecurity investments.
  • Stronger sales conversations increase recurring revenue opportunities and long-term customer retention.

Learn more about selling cybersecurity services.

Books focused on packaging, pricing, and operational structure help MSPs create scalable service offerings while protecting margins and reducing complexity.

  • “Package, Price, Profit” teaches MSPs how to structure service plans that align with customer expectations and operational efficiency.
  • “The Pumpkin Plan” helps MSPs identify ideal clients and eliminate unprofitable relationships that slow growth.
  • “The E-Myth Revisited” emphasizes systemization and repeatable business processes that support long-term scalability.
  • Effective pricing strategies prevent undercharging and reduce operational strain caused by overly customized services.

Explore MSP profitability and growth strategies.

Operational leadership books help MSPs improve service delivery, streamline workflows, and manage complex IT environments more effectively.

  • “The Phoenix Project” introduces DevOps principles and operational bottleneck management through a relatable IT narrative.
  • “Managed Services in a Month” provides practical guidance for building scalable service agreements and recurring revenue models.
  • “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” focuses on reducing operational stress through automation and process discipline.
  • Operational maturity becomes increasingly important as MSPs expand cybersecurity and compliance responsibilities.

Discover our complete MSP guide to client onboarding.

Customer success and marketing books help MSPs improve client retention, generate predictable leads, and create stronger long-term business relationships.

  • “The MSP Growth Funnel” explains how to guide prospects through the entire managed services buying journey.
  • “The MSP Owner’s Handbook: QBR Edition” helps MSPs use Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to increase client trust and revenue expansion.
  • “MSP Secrets Revealed” provides actionable advice on onboarding, recruitment, lead generation, and customer communication.
  • Strong customer success programs improve retention while creating upsell opportunities for cybersecurity services.

Explore MSP client retention strategies.

Guardz helps MSPs operationalize cybersecurity growth strategies by combining AI-driven protection, automated detection, and unified security management into a scalable platform.

  • MSPs can bundle advanced cybersecurity services into recurring revenue offerings without managing fragmented point solutions.
  • Unified visibility across identities, endpoints, email, and cloud environments simplifies operations and improves response efficiency.
  • AI-assisted detection and remediation reduce alert fatigue while helping MSPs scale security operations more effectively.
  • Guardz enables MSPs to strengthen customer trust by delivering enterprise-grade cybersecurity outcomes for SMB clients.

Explore Guardz’s MSP-focused cybersecurity platform.

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter.

Abstract image of two overlapping shield shapes, one dark blue and one green, with a soft glowing effect on a light background—perfect for enhancing your single post template with a modern, secure aesthetic.
Abstract image with a large dark blue, semi-circular shape overlapping a bright green, glowing circular shape on a light gray background. Perfect for enhancing your single post template, the green circle appears partially blurred and luminous.

Keep your clients secure.

A stylized, dark blue shield icon with a green gradient glow on the right side, set against a light gray background—ideal for enhancing your single post template design.

Continue Reading

RMM built-in security isn't enough for MSPs

Why RMM Built-In Security Isn’t Enough and What MSPs Need Instead

how to generate security reports for MSP clients

How to Generate Security Reports for MSP Clients

How MSPs Can Stop Business Email Compromise Across Client M365 Tenants

A person in a futuristic chair sits at a high-tech control panel, looking out at a starry space scene with planets and mountains. The dashboard glows with colorful buttons and screens, like the perfect single post template for exploring new worlds.

Guardz, Your Cybersecurity
Co-Pilot for MSPs

Demonstrate the value you bring to the table as an MSP and gain visibility into your clients’ external postures.

Holistic Protection.
Hassle-Free.
Cost-Effective.
Slack
Slack
Chat with us No Slack account needed.