Let’s set the stage: you’re in a meeting with your IT provider, and immediately the jargon starts flying: "leveraging synergistic platforms," "robust threat vectors," "virtualized infrastructure."
You nod along, pretending to understand, but a nagging feeling creeps in. Am I paying for things I don't need? Am I getting real value, or just a bill?
It's time to cut through the noise and take back control of the conversation.
Why Do So Many IT Experts Hide Behind Jargon?
There’s a dirty little secret in the IT services game: complexity can be used as a smokescreen. Some providers, frankly, rely on the fact that you’re not a technical expert. They use confusing language to justify their fees without ever connecting their work to what really matters: your business' health and profitability.
They brag about their fast response times and smart technicians, but as we see it at CoreTech, that’s just the bare minimum. That’s not a strategy; it’s just table stakes.
A true technology partner wants you to be informed. They should be able to explain their value in the language you speak—the language of business risk, growth, and your bottom line. It’s not about what your keyboard is plugged into; it’s about the impact your technology has on your ability to serve your customers.
Here are three questions designed to pierce that smokescreen. A great partner will welcome them. A mere vendor will start to sweat.
The Litmus Test: 3 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider
Question #1: "Beyond keeping the lights on, how does your service directly contribute to my company's profitability or growth?"
This is the killer question. It immediately elevates the conversation from cost to value. You’re not just paying them to fix things when they break; you’re investing in a service that should be a catalyst for your business.
The Red Flag Answer:
"Well, we provide 24/7 monitoring to prevent downtime. Downtime is very expensive, so by keeping you online, we're saving you money… and we make sure your computers run fast so your employees can work."
While this answer seems passable at first glance, it is actually a very lazy response. It defines their value by the absence of a negative (downtime). This is the kindergarten-level service our competitors brag about. It's purely reactive and shows a complete lack of strategic thinking.
The Green Flag Answer:
"That's the most important question. Last quarter, we identified a bottleneck in your sales process and implemented a CRM integration that our data shows has cut proposal generation time by 30%. Looking ahead, we’re analyzing a cloud-based accounting solution that could reduce your monthly software spend and improve your finance team's efficiency. We measure our success by your key business metrics, not just by the number of tickets we close."
Comparatively, this answer is far superior, as it provides contextual evidence on how the provider currently assists you and outlines their strategies moving forward. That’s the key… There is strategy involved and it isn’t a nebulous, one-size-fits-all promise.
Question #2: "Can you walk me through the exact, step-by-step plan to get us operational tomorrow, and confirm when it was last tested?"
This question cuts through vague promises about "backups." Having a backup is useless if you don't have a tested, proven plan to restore from it. This separates the planners from the pretenders.
The Red Flag Answer:
"Oh yeah, don't worry, we back everything up to the cloud every night. Your data is safe."
This is a non-answer. It doesn't tell you how you’d get that data back into a usable state. How long would it take? What hardware would you use? Who would your employees call? An untested backup is just a hope and a prayer.
The Green Flag Answer:
"Absolutely. We have a documented Business Continuity Plan, which we can send you. In short: if the office is a total loss, your data would failover to a virtual server in our data center, a process that takes about 30 minutes. Your phone numbers would be instantly rerouted to your employees' cell phones via our VoIP system. They can log in from any internet connection and be fully operational. We last ran a full simulation of this plan on May 16th, and the team was 100% operational in 55 minutes. The after-action report showed two minor issues that we've since resolved."
The difference between this answer and the previous example is aggressively apparent. The key is the level of detail that the answer provides. You want a provider that is forthcoming and comprehensive in both their actions and their communications of such, simply because that is where trust comes from.
Question #3: "How are you preparing my business for threats that don't exist yet, like new strains of AI-powered phishing attacks?"
The world has changed. Hackers are using AI to launch sophisticated, highly personalized attacks. A simple antivirus and firewall from 2015 won't cut it anymore. This question assesses whether your IT provider is stuck in the past or preparing you for the future of cyber warfare.
The Red Flag Answer:
"We've got you covered. You have a top-of-the-line firewall and the best antivirus software on the market. Your network is secure."
This answer shows a dangerous level of complacency. It's a purely defensive, outdated strategy that ignores the most significant vulnerability in any organization: your people.
The Green Flag Answer:
"The game has completely changed, and we've shifted our strategy from defense to resilience. We're implementing a 'Zero Trust' security model, which means we verify every user and device trying to access resources, limiting the damage an attacker could do. More importantly, we're building a 'human firewall.' We run ongoing, AI-powered phishing simulations and training for your staff to teach them how to spot these advanced threats. It's no longer just about the wall; it's about making your team the strongest line of defense."
A response like this demonstrates a respect for modern security realities and acknowledges how the provider is actively addressing them. You want your provider to acknowledge that every business is liable to be attacked and address your business’ needs as such… especially by recognizing that the issue largely involves your human staff and their inherent vulnerability as they work to correct it.
The Answer Isn't in the Tech, It's in the Partnership
The answers to these questions reveal everything. Does your provider get defensive, or do they lean in with excitement? Do they retreat to jargon, or do they speak your language?
At CoreTech, we aren't just a vendor you call when you're in trouble. We position ourselves as your virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO). We expect these tough questions because our success is fundamentally tied to yours. We work with businesses in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, to build strategies that protect them and help them grow, not just plug in widgets.
Are you getting the answers you deserve from your current IT provider? If you’re ready for a conversation about profitability, resilience, and a genuine competitive edge, it's time we talked so we can provide you with the kinds of answers you’d hope to hear.
Sign up for a free, no-obligation IT Consultation or call CoreTech LLC today at (270) 282-4926.
