Monthly Archives: November 2011

Establishing and Expanding a Telecom Agent Brand that Sells

Posted on by
4

Telecom Brand that Sells

A well established brand makes new clients feel like they are in safe hands while existing clients are excited to refer peers to their latest great find. Branding is an important part of growing a business, many companies attempt to go about it without a plan. Don’t be the telecom industry’s best kept secret.

Know what makes you different

Why should clients choose you over another telecom agent? If you don’t know, you better find out before a potential client asks. Consider your target market, your company values, and what you want your brand to mean to clients. Review your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Take note of compliments you have received from clients. What stands out?

Have a consistent message, no matter what the media

Consistency is key. Once you know what makes you distinct from competitors, make sure it is represented in everything you do – from your advertising campaign down to your daily interactions. This includes your web site, email signature, the articles you publish, conversations with clients – everything. If your advertising claims you have top customer service, but clients are left disappointed, your brand will never succeed. Focus on what you do well and emphasize that.

Be a consultant, not a salesman

In Telecom, success is determined by repeat business. To develop relationships, become a problem solver for your clients – a consultant rather than a salesman. Once they realize you’re interested in their success rather than meeting quotas, they’ll value your suggestions and recommend your services to others.

Present yourself as an expert

Represent the technology you sell. Many providers offer demo accounts to their channel partners at a discount or, if you ask nicely enough, for free. That way, when someone calls your company for recommendations on phone services, you’re using high definition voice rather than cutting out.

Don’t forget to schedule time for social media. Join telecom-related forums on LinkedIn and share your opinions on your peers’ posts. Answer telecom questions on your Facebook. Write about client issues in your blog. Make it obvious that you’re offering your expertise at no cost.

Keep them coming back

Does your web site serve as merely a billboard or as a valuable resource? Keep visitors coming back by offering them things like white papers, case studies, and testimonials. Adding a blog or forum to your site allows your clients to stay informed and creates an interactive aspect.  If you don’t have a blog, add an RSS feed to your page or at least keep your press releases current.

It will take time to create a recognized brand, but if you are strategic, you can avoid wasted time, mixed messages, and confused clients. Any tips you would like to share? Leave them in the comments below.

 

How to Use LinkedIn for Prospecting

Posted on by
2

LindedIn Prospecting

LinkedIn is a great way to keep in touch with former coworkers and peers from the same alma mater, but how are you using it to improve your company? This business-focused social media site is a great research tool for prospecting. Whether you know exactly who you need to contact or you’re creating the first draft of a prospect list, here are a few tips.

Finding

Having trouble with gatekeepers? LinkedIn may be able to help. First, take a look at the existing companies you are trying to contact. Using the Companies search option, find the prospective client company page. There, you will typically find the key players of the company listed under the Employees section. Browse through the employees to see if you have a 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connection with them. If so, simply ask a mutual connection to introduce you.

In the case that you do not have a mutual connection with any of the employees at the prospective company, it is time to do a little more research. Join the groups that your prospects are in and become visible to them by participating in discussions. Eventually, you may be able to offer the prospect help in a forum or your name may become familiar enough to them to accept your call.

LinkedIn can also be a great resource for broader prospecting. By selecting the Advanced Search option, rather than just utilizing the search bar, you will find that you can search for people by industry, title, location, relationship to you, and more. Plug in your target demographic to help you create a prospecting list that you know you already have mutual connections with.

Connecting

Adding connections on LinkedIn can help you progress with prospective relationships, however requesting a connection prematurely can work against you. The days of Myspace have passed. Spamming people with connection requests will lessen your chances for an in-person introduction in the future.

Once you have made contact with a prospect, whether in person or over the phone, it is safe to send them a connection request. This adds a sense of personal interaction to a business relationship. Your profile will also lend credibility to your value when your prospect sees your recommendations, list of honors and awards, and past experience.

Maintaining

You’ve successfully made connections with clients and prospects, but there is still work to be done! Now, your job is to maintain your status as an industry leader and as a go-to resource. To do so, use your status to post relevant articles, participate in forums to help answer questions, and it wouldn’t hurt to post referrals for connections you respect.

By following these tips, you’ll have warmed up those cold leads and shortened your sales cycle. How have you used social media for prospecting? Share your tips below.