DiscountCall Blog

It’s a question worth asking. Great leaders run great organizations. If you don’t want to be great at a certain task or job, it’s probably not the job or task for you. But what’s a great leader? How do they separate themselves from bad leaders? Or even good ones. And most importantly, how can we become great leaders?

There are no hard and fast answers to these questions, so I asked several people who have witnessed great leadership or who are great leaders themselves to get a variety of perspectives on the topic. My hope is that you see something in these answers that makes sense to you and/or something that you can put into practice in your own careers.

Randy Berlin, President, DiscountCall.com, Inc.- Randy has been the president of DiscountCall for 14 years and has seen growth in his company as well as dramatic change in the telecommunications industry. Prior to his work in telecommunications, he witnessed leadership in action as a minor league baseball player. Berlin said: “Great leaders are trusted because they are ethical and help others turn into great leaders. They hold people accountable and see a vision.  I once read that a leader knows how to pull people for a common goal and not push people.  It was demonstrated by putting a piece of cooked spaghetti on the table and asking someone to get it across the table.  If you try and push it, most of the strand lags behind. But if you pull it, the whole strand follows perfectly.”

Kevin Salwen, Co-author, The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back- “I think great leaders, more than anything else, are great listeners.  Employees, peers, teammates all come in with a desire to do well; it’s in the human spirit to want to succeed and be considered by others as a winner. So, a great leader will listen carefully to both what’s spoken and unspoken (actions, body-language, etc) to understand how to help others remain motivated and to determine what they need to achieve their best performance.  If others believe you are listening, they will tell you what they need.”

Haley Kilpatrick, Founder and Executive Director of Girl Talk- Girl Talk is a student-to-student mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. I asked Haley for her take on leadership because she has built an international non-profit organization before the age of 25. She’s someone with a maturity beyond her years and a fresh outlook on leadership. Haley said: ” There’s a significant difference between a good leader and a great leader.  Great leaders put others’ needs first and know that by doing so, their needs will always be met. Great leaders have great mentors and are great mentors.  Lastly, great leaders know their true worth is determined by how much more they give in value than they take in payment.

Jean Creech, Host & Executive Producer, Bold Ventures Radio- I’m privileged once a week to spend an hour with some of the country’s most insightful, successful and interesting business leaders, who have chosen the path of entrepreneurship.  Here’s what I’ve learned from them about how to be a leader:

1. Entrepreneurs have an aura about them; they’re optimistic. They tend to be wicked smart, never give up and instead of taking no, they’re always looking for ways to get to yes, so problem solving and creativity are key factors to great leadership.

2. When asked what’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced, the majority of my guests say HR.  To overcome this challenge, entrepreneurs tend to be thorough and make sure they’re hiring the right person for the position. The person who has the right personality to fit into the culture of the business.  The cultural fit of an employee is almost more important than skill set. So a great entrepreneurial leader assesses candidates on culture as well as skill set and then gets out of the way and lets them do their job.

Other Perspectives:

Here are a few comments people made on our Facebook pages:

Alicia Montgomery, Mother of three and one on the way- Patience, empathy, resolve, clarity in communication, intelligence, and hard work.

Calvin Cutz, Owner of Clubhouse Barbers- PERSISTENCE MAKES A GREAT LEADER…

George Jaramillo, President of JCI Atlanta- Constant improvement, passion, and character.

For the second straight year, the team at DiscountCall would like to share with you our goals for the coming year. As always, we strive to provide outstanding customer service to our customers, generate new customers and build mutually beneficial partnerships.

Randy Berlin- Implement a maintenance contract for non-Samsung phone systems. Currently, there is a high demand in the marketplace for us to handle them. Also:
- Add four new salespeople.
- Add 300 more Referral Partners
- Have 350 people at our Fall Soiree

Tony Miyares- Due to the still weak economy, my goal this year is to contact our existing customer base to plant the referral partner seed and strengthen our business relationship. I know 99 percent of our customers don’t mind a call from me just to say hello and to pitch them my suggestion to help generate some extra cash because of the likeability factor (and they’d better be nice to their phone guy anyway).

I want to build a strong group of guys that will help us generate well-qualified leads and help our company have a strong and prosperous 2010.

So, my main goal for 2010 is to generate sales from my end, support our sales team as much as I can and last, but not least, have no MUDA by eliminating unnecessary expenses.

Caroline Gregory- Establish new, strong relationships with a more diverse group of referral partners from multiple industries. 

Andrew Gambini- Have a positive attitude because that affects every aspect of work and life. Empower referral partners to be great endorsers of our brand.

Johnny Crosskey- Build more relationships with media, business influencers, referral partners and customers. In a tough economy, it’s relationships that can separate you from your competition.

Winnie Berlin- Ruff! (Loosely translated, it means “I’m already perfect and have no use for resolutions. I’m going to continue to greet guests in the normal, gregarious way that you all have come to love.”)

Ron Raitz, president of Strategic Real Estate Investment Solutions, Inc. (SREIS), owns an office building in Marietta, Ga. While his primary business helps community banks maximize their return on non-performing commercial real estate loans or REO assets in the greater Atlanta area, it’s important that he makes the most out of his investment property. This includes equipping his tenants with the tools necessary to make their companies successful. “It’s my experience that businesses that have processes in place to help other businesses, not just themselves, are the ones that are the most successful. We have that process and we look for that in the companies we work with,” said Raitz. This philosophy makes a partnership with DiscountCall a natural choice.

Ron’s relationship with DiscountCall began while NuVox was providing phone service for his office. Caroline Gregory, Major Account Executive for DiscountCall, took over this account for a colleague while working at NuVox. Ron was so impressed with Caroline that when a new tenant moved into his building, he tapped her and the team at DiscountCall to get them set up. 650 Capital Management occupies office space in Ron’s building but needs to coordinate communications with offices in New York and California. Caroline came in, assessed their business needs and provided them with a telecommunications solution, which included a Samsung OfficeServ 7100 as well as cabling. They also needed their office to be functional in a hurry and through DiscountCall’s relationship with NuVox, their service was up well ahead of schedule (service functional in 19 days instead of the customary 30 days.)

“I was impressed with the level of attention we received. I know very little about telecommunications but they explained everything in layman’s terms and made great suggestions,” said Robin Baker of 650 Capital Management. 

“Anytime you can use trusted resources, it helps. It builds trust in the customer to know that their move will go well,” said Raitz.

Do you need trusted resources to enhance your business? Contact a DiscountCall representative at 404-844-6800 or email us at referral@discountcall.com.

About Strategic Real Estate Investment Solutions
Strategic Real Estate Investment Solutions helps community banks maximize their return on non-performing commercial real estate loans or REO assets in the greater Atlanta area. We specialize in assets worth less than $5 million by providing a turnkey solution that includes securing, managing and disposing of properties in a manner that maximizes their value for the bank. We can work with your balance sheet concerns and have a flexible compensation structure. In summary, we provide a third-party workout solution that produces superior results. For more information, contact Ron Raitz at rraitz@ade1031.com.

As sales people, we are all too familiar with the classic “follow up with me after the first of the year” objection we often hear from customers as we attempt to move forward with the sales process during the holiday season. Have you considered what your prospects may really be telling you? If they won’t buy now, will they actually buy in January? Or February?

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be a frustrating obstacle to overcome year in and year out, but rather an opportunity to re-qualify your prospects and learn ways to improve your own sales skills.

Five reasons customers may be saying “come back after New Year’s” and how you can prevent it:

1. They aren’t going to buy the product or service and don’t want to tell you. Odds are, if you’ve been persistent and have given a decent sales presentation, the customer has good reason to believe that you aren’t going to just give up after being told “no.” Bottom line, the customer is avoiding the conversation because they know it won’t be brief and easy.

Solution: Close early. A good sales person tries their hardest to get the sale no matter what. A really good sales person knows when to walk away. A great sales person qualifies early on and only meets with buyers. Asking the right questions from the very beginning will set the tone for the entire sales process - be straightforward and thorough and customers will reciprocate.

2. They are going to buy the product or service but they aren’t buying it from you. It’s one thing to tell someone you’re never going to buy, but it’s quite another to say you’re going to buy, but from someone else. Ouch. Bottom line, they don’t want to hurt your feelings - especially if there isn’t a tangible difference between your offering and that of your competition.

Solution: Build Relationships. Partnerships add tremendous value and can protect you from this.

Sell yourself and your company. Differentiate yourself and your product from the very beginning. Get creative. Be clear and direct about what YOU bring to the table. Avoid focusing on the competition - it’s irrelevant. Pride and confidence is contagious and customers will respect it and be drawn to you for it.

Basic qualifying applies - what made you choose to buy from your current vendor and what motivated you to meet with me? What’s the process? The responses they provide you with could be priceless.

3. They don’t see the value in having your product or service NOW. The customer probably agrees that it makes sense and would be beneficial, but not to the degree needed to motivate them to move now. Bottom line, if they are a truly qualified prospect with real needs and you have shown them the value in having your solution, they won’t put it off another day, much less an entire month.

Solution: Don’t just uncover a few wants - you must uncover real pain. Pain that can be healed with your solution and can be associated with a price tag. There’s nothing more motivating than seeing the dollar amount EARNED by fixing it now instead of later. Ask the tough questions, get a calculator out and show them the ROI. Let the math do the talking.

4. They are going to buy, but they aren’t done shopping yet. Bottom line, you have more homework to do and need to start over.

Solution: Set proper expectations and don’t be afraid to simply ask if they are shopping. If they say yes, then you haven’t convinced them that you and your solution are the best out there. Go back and re-qualify to figure out what you missed. When a customer shops this late in the game of the sales cycle, something was clearly missed.

5. They have a 100% legit reason to wait until after the first of the year. In some cases there is a specific and legit reason to wait. A common word you will hear in this scenario will be “budget,” but this is a key factor that you will likely know about in the beginning - given that you qualified properly.

Solution: Ask about the process, timeframe, and possible obstacles from the beginning. Even if they don’t reveal all the details initially, deep down you will see it potentially happening. No biggie, these customers will buy. The difficult part is identifying what is truly legit and what’s not…

At the end of the day, or year, sales people will always be faced with objections and obstacles they must learn to overcome; whether it’s from a customer or themselves. Opportunities are plentiful given a positive attitude and willingness to take an honest look at what’s really happening around you. Of course, there’s no one definitive method of guaranteeing things always going your way in sales, but there will always be ways of improving your skills. So take ownership of YOUR sales process by setting the tone of the relationship with prospects from the start, always ask the tough questions despite the anticipation of hearing some bad news and enjoy the confidence that comes along with knowing where things stand.

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” –Henry Ford

I usually ask business owners and decision-makers two simple questions:

1. Do you have remote workers?

2. Do you have multiple locations?

If I don’t get a Yes to either question, then VoIP is probably not a good fit for that business at this stage of the game. Of course, there’s much more to consider but it’s important to differentiate between a VoIP Phone System and a VoIP service like Skype, Vonage, Unlimited Free Calls, etc.

As a disclaimer, I must admit that I make my living selling Samsung VoIP phone systems. These systems are essentially a hybrid of traditional TDM and VoIP services, connecting locations, individual VoIP phones or licensed soft phones(usually on a laptop). We have grown to be a major player in the
Southeast, selling Samsung VoIP phone systems and combining them with remote support and T1 access. So it’s fair to say I choose not to sell hosted VoIP systems or other VoIP services that bill a permanent monthly rate. Not to knock these products, but our customers see the value in our equipment and service and would rather own it than rent it. To put it another way, I rather sell you the car than lease it to you for the rest of your life.

With our products, remote workers can be connected to their office location from anywhere in the world. Four-digit dialing between users is also a very popular benefit and worth mentioning since I get asked about it often. Also, multiple locations can be linked together without the need for VoIP Phones. For this reason and many others, including long distance savings (not my favorite reason and overrated), smooth transfer of calls between locations or the need for an additional phone line, businesses should consider a VoIP solution. Another reason we’re installing VoIP in client locations is the need for a live person to answer calls from multiple numbers without having them physically present or using an auto-attendant at the smaller location.

After learning how a prospect’s business is run and hearing about their future goals, we introduce our VoIP phone system solution, demonstrating how it can achieve better results, help them grow and help them run more efficiently. People are in business to make money, not save money. A VoIP system from Samsung can achieve that for many businesses.

To learn how to achieve better results for your company contact a DiscountCall representative today. To purchase a cheap phone system, please call the “other” guys.

The DiscountCall Referral Partner Program rewards our Referral Partners for introducing clients that, in turn, purchase a Phone System or Voice & Data Cabling from us. Our partner, Samsung, offers an elite line of telephony-based customer premise equipment to accommodate a variety of customers from 5-500 phones, anywhere in the United States. DiscountCall also provides certified low-voltage cabling project management and a staff of data & voice cabling specialists nationwide.

The majority of our new clients come from Referral Partners like you. Instead of using advertising or cold calling as our primary sources of new business, we decided to pay large commissions to professionals who introduced us to their clients. Our appreciation for the time saved in building trust with new clients is shown in the form of competitive pricing and outstanding customer service, all while paying you for your assistance.

This entry is the first in a 10-part series designed to show professionals from a variety of industries how and why partnering with DiscountCall can be lucrative to their business. First up in the series, IT Consultants.

IT Consultants are some of our most successful Referral Partners, enjoying high commissions, an easy to work with staff with access to “behind the scenes” carrier support and a technical staff that knows how to rule out issues with phone system equipment and T1 service.

Do your clients ever contact you about:

• Relocating their office?
• Problems with their telephone equipment or Internet connection? *most frequent*
• Recommendations on which telecom carrier is best for their company?

If you said yes to one of the above, you’re a strong candidate to earn high commissions while getting rid of the headaches that we are equipped to handle. By utilizing DiscountCall, we can help manage your client needs, increase your customer retention rates and help pinpoint technical issues while providing you with an alternate revenue stream. All this and we answer the phone within two rings, every time!

Benefits:

• Our technicians will troubleshoot the phone system or T1 service during IT service-related calls.
• We sell T1 service through hand-picked carriers, making it more affordable for your services.
• We sell phone systems and T1 service nationwide; extending your network of opportunities.
• We don’t sell IT services.

We have extended the Referral Partner Contest until Nov. 30!!

• When you refer a customer that becomes a $6,000+ Phone System sale by Nov. 30, 2009, you will receive a $100 Buckhead Life Ultimate Card.
• When you refer a customer that becomes a $5,000+ Cable job by Nov. 30, 2009, you will also receive a $100 Buckhead Life Ultimate Card.
• When you refer a customer that becomes a $40,000+ Phone System sale by Nov. 30, 2009, you will receive a 32″ Samsung Flat Panel TV.

To qualify for one of the prizes, DiscountCall must collect 50 percent of the total amount of the product purchase by Nov. 30, 2009.  Referral Partners cannot collect the prize until the customer installs their system or cable job and pays in full, which may be after Nov. 30, 2009.

For more information or to participate in the Referral Partner Contest, contact a DiscountCall representative at 404-844-6800 or email us at referral@discountcall.com.

Situation:

The Atlanta Ballet was founded in 1929 when dance visionary Dorothy Alexander began a small dance group with the intent of bringing quality ballet to the Atlanta community. Over the years, the Atlanta Ballet’s eclectic repertoire has spanned the history of ballet, featuring the most beloved classics as well as inventive original works. Along with yearly productions of the Nutcracker, the Atlanta Ballet has performed on the stages of Taipei in Taiwan, at the Presidential Palace and the Sejong Cultural Arts Center in Seoul, Korea as well as debuted in London, performing John McFall’s enchanting Peter Pan as the centerpiece of Royal Festival Hall’s millennium celebration. They have also collaborated with artists in a variety of genres, including Big Boi of OutKast, the Indigo Girls, The Red Clay Ramblers, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Choir, and the Michael O’Neal singers.

Now in its 80^th year, the Atlanta Ballet continues to be a vital part of the arts community, both in Atlanta and nationally. Also highly regarded is the Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education, located in Midtown Atlanta, and its satellite schools in North Atlanta and Marietta, GA. Each school is dedicated to nurturing young dancers while providing an outlet for adults to express their creativity through its courses.

Challenge:

With a main office, containing administrative offices, practice space and a box office, and two satellite locations, communications is critical for ensuring that all three locations run smoothly, work as a united team and successfully promote the Atlanta Ballet and its educational programs to customers. Previously, the three locations were not connected. It caused problems when customers mistakenly called one location to speak with a person in another location. It became even more difficult when people called one of the satellite locations to purchase tickets to an Atlanta Ballet production. “Our box office resides in our main location; because of our proprietary software, customers can only call there for tickets,” said David Tatu, director of operations for the Atlanta Ballet. “So when customers called one of our satellite locations looking for the box office or someone located in the main office, we would have to give the caller the correct number. In the case of voice mails, we take the message and email it to the correct person.”

DiscountCall Solution:

Tatu’s relationship with DiscountCall started when he approached Andrew Gambini, director of technology for DiscountCall, while he was a sales engineer at NuVox (formerly FDN.) Tatu needed a phone vendor to support an aging phone system. Gambini recommended Randy Berlin, president of DiscountCall, who through outstanding customer service and consultation, was selected to be the phone vendor for the Atlanta Ballet as they opened schools and offices in Marietta and North Atlanta. DiscountCall installed a Samsung OfficeServ 100 in the Marietta location. They also provided consultation to the Atlanta Ballet on the best way to connect the three locations. DiscountCall’s custom configuration included the installation of a Samsung OfficeServ 7400 at the Atlanta Ballet’s main location. The system’s VoIP capabilities allow the main office to connect with the satellite offices, which both have IP phones. The IP phones are used for inter-office communications among locations. The locations also utilize traditional telephony for outside calls. In addition, DiscountCall designed the system to allow the Atlanta Ballet to transfer voice mails between locations and to cell phones, as needed.

Results:

Communications among the Atlanta Ballet’s three locations is seamless. All three locations now exist as one. When an employee in the main office wants to contact someone in the Marietta office, they can dial their extension and not need an outside line to connect the call. When people call any location, they are easily transferred to desired person. Callers are also transferred to any voice mailbox in the Atlanta Ballet system as well as to the box office. “This makes it easier for customers to be buy tickets and subscriptions. It’s one less step in the buying process,” said Tatu. “Also, with our old system, we would have to email the content of voice mail messages to the right people. Sending the actual voice mail to the correct person allows for a more accurate message.”

DiscountCall will also assist the Atlanta Ballet as they relocate their main office to a new location in the western part of the Atlanta area.

If you are interested in learning how we can create a custom solution for your company, contact a DiscountCall representative.

Directions to DiscountCall Corporate offices:

From I-85 - Exit on Lenox Rd. If you are on 85 heading south, take exit 88. If you are heading north on 85, take exit 86 - Buford Highway to Lenox Road. Precede east on Lenox/Cheshire Bridge Road for ½ mile to LaVista Road. Turn left on LaVista, go one mile to Briarcliff Road. Turn right onto Briarcliff and Precede .9 mile to Zonolite Road. Turn right on Zonolite and go to the end of the road. DiscountCall is located in building 1075 in Suite 2 with plenty of free parking in the back of the building at our main entrance.

From I-75 north of Atlanta - Drive south on I-75 to the merger with I-85, stay to the left and follow signs to I-85 north, exit at the next exit, #86, Buford Highway to Lenox Road. Precede east on Lenox/Cheshire Bridge Road for ½ mile to LaVista Road. Turn left on LaVista and go one mile to Briarcliff Road. Turn right onto Briarcliff and Precede .9 mile to Zonolite Road. Turn right on Zonolite and go to the end of the road. DiscountCall is located in building 1075 in Suite 2 with plenty of free parking in the back of the building at our main entrance.

From I-20 - Exit at Moreland Avenue (Exit # 60), east of downtown Atlanta. Turn north on Moreland Ave., which will change names to Briarcliff Rd. when you cross over Ponce de Leon Ave. Drive a total of 4.1 miles and turn left at the traffic light at Zonolite Rd./Johnson Rd./Sage Hill Shopping Center. Drive to the end of Zonolite Rd; DiscountCall is at 1075 Zonolite in Suite 2 with plenty of free parking in the back of the building at our main entrance.

From I-75/85 south of Atlanta - Exit at Freedom Parkway (Exit # 248C). Follow Freedom Parkway approx. 1.8 miles and then take the fork to the right toward the Carter Center. Follow this road until it ends at Moreland Avenue. Turn left on Moreland Ave., which will change names to Briarcliff Rd. when you cross over Ponce de Leon Ave. Drive a total of 4.1 miles and turn left at the traffic light at Zonolite Rd./ Johnson Rd./Sage Hill Shopping Center. Drive to the end of Zonolite Rd; DiscountCall is at 1075 Zonolite in Suite 2 with plenty of free parking in the back of the building at our main entrance.

From Downtown Atlanta - Go east on Ellis Street and follow the sign for Freedom Parkway. Follow Freedom Parkway approx. 1.8 miles and then take the fork to the right toward the Carter Center. Fol­low this road until it ends at Moreland Avenue. Turn left on Moreland Ave., which will change names to Briarcliff Rd. when you cross over Ponce de Leon Ave. Drive a total of 4.1 miles and turn left at the traffic light at Zonolite Rd./Johnson Rd./Sage Hill Shopping Center. Drive to the end of Zonolite Rd; DiscountCall is at 1075 Zonolite in Suite 2 with plenty of free parking in the back of the building at our main entrance.