DiscountCall Blog

This entry is the second 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. This time we are featuring Telecommunications Consultants.

Telecommunications Consultants enjoy working with DiscountCall for many reasons. Some are tasked to save money for their clients and get paid a percentage of overall savings while others charge by the hour and may not be able to accept payment from DiscountCall. Either way, we can be a good fit for your business based on your needs.

-Have you ever lost a sale because your prospect was shopping for a new telephone system while they were evaluating your service proposal?

-Have you ever faced an objection to your service proposal due to limitations of your prospect’s telephone equipment?

-Have your clients started to ask about newer technologies like VoIP or SIP Trunking?

If you said yes to any of these questions, 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 perceived value while providing you with an alternate revenue stream.

Benefits:

-We act as single point of contact for telecom services, telephone equipment and cabling.

-We represent multiple carriers in the marketplace for quoting and technical comparison.

-Our impressive track record and extensive client list.

-We can guard or help sell your services during the sales process.

-We sell and support locations throughout United States.

-Major revenue stream

Once the confetti of New Year’s Eve has been cleaned up and we’ve taken all our annual leave, it becomes time to get to work- to shed the issues of 2009’s disastrous economic climate and to develop methods for ensuring that 2010 will have more positive results. Below are ten things to consider when taking that next step. These aren’t resolutions as much as they are action items. As we have all heard before, the definition of insanity is doing the same things while expecting different results. If we want 2010 to be different than 2009, we have to be different.

1) Create a plan that begins with the end- We want business to be better. We want to make more money. We want to have more customers. We know that a plan is an essential part of goal achievement, but I want to take it one step further in examining the environment that surrounds your company when you enter 2011. Think about where you want your company to be, what you want your company to be doing, think about what will result from having more customers, revenues, etc. and work backwards to your current situation. Build your plan from there. I would also encourage you to include employees in planning 2010 since they are the ones that will carry out this vision. They can give great insight on ground-level constraints and will take ownership in your plan, if they helped develop it.

2) Clear out last year’s clutter- Not only do you need to physically clear out any stuff from the previous year, but mentally you must get pass the fact that 2009 was less than stellar. As in baseball, it’s a new season; we all have a chance to win.

3) Brainstorm five people who can help you reach your goals in 2010- Determine five people, whether its journalists, prospects, influencers or whoever, that can help you reach your goals. Then strategize methods for getting in front of them. Then do it!

4) Take a stand on social media- My opinion is that all companies should have a voice in all places where they could possibly be discussed. However, to this point, B2C companies, non-profits and events have had greater success using social media as a marketing tool than B2B companies. That doesn’t mean that B2B’s can’t find their niche in social media, they just have to work harder. And that’s my point, if you don’t feel that social media is working for your company, stop doing it. If you want to make it work, put in the extra time and resources. Whatever you do, don’t make a poor, uninspired effort in this arena because it will look worse than making no effort at all.

5) Become a Subject Matter Expert- Take the time to learn the ins and outs of your field. This will not only help you to provide a better product but will create much more credibility when in front of the customers, especially if your knowledge can be displayed via the media. Also learn as much as you can about the customer’s experience with your products and the competition. The knowledge can be invaluable in all facets of your business.

6) Dedicate yourself to customer marketing- While many companies can cut their prices, few can enhance their quality. Make sure that the experience that customers have with your products is unsurpassed and empower them to tell others. If customers see the experience with your company as a “must have” they will find a way to afford it and will recommend it. Find ways to encourage them to recommend your products more often. The customer is always the most powerful endorser of your products.

7) Investigate how new technologies can help your company- If a new technology can streamline work processes, help you communicate better or simply make someone’s job easier, it’s a worthy investment. The time you save down the line because of technology investments can save money in the years to come.

8) Always extenuate the positive- Times are tough, we all know this. However, if you are reading this, you’re blessed. When people talk about past recessions, listen to them. Take comfort in knowing that tough times are temporary. Make sure this message permeates your entire company. It may not sound like much, but a positive, confident attitude will be projected to prospects and will give you a much better shot at turning them into customers.

9) Stay the course- Don’t get desperate and change your business model, plan or the way you do business. In football, smart coaches may make adjustments at halftime, but they always believe in their offensive and defensive philosophies as well as the players who carry them out.

10) Be Courageous- Deep down we all know that the most successful people in the world had to make a bold move from time to time. To turn the tide from last year, you may have to do the same. While your core philosophy should remain, it’s important to continuously keep your eyes open for new opportunities and ways to enhance your business processes. Beyond that, being courageous means taking charge of your economic recovery. Creating plans, seeking out people who can help your company, utilizing social media, being creative and, essentially, doing all the things that made you successful in the first place. In a phrase, “play to win!”

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.”)