Web Sites for Telecom Agents

Posted on by Cameron Bell

Here’s some good news to kick off the new year: According to a report published by Insight Research Corp, the global telecommunications industry is expected to grow by as much as 5.1 percent between 2012 and 2017. Even in the current unstable economy, businesses are increasingly turning to telecom agents to integrate or streamline phone, IT and internet functionality, saving their company money and resources in the process.

Of course, a rise in potential revenue also promises a rise in competition for those telecom dollars, both in the channel and outside of it.

Your state-of-the-art technology knowledge and superior customer service skills are a great foundation. But your marketing and promotional efforts need to match your business model if you want to capture eyes and pique interest in your offerings. That’s where a sharp web design comes in.

Your website is the first impression of your company. The homepage, especially, needs to work on many levels: it must engage, inform, and invite more exploration. That’s a tall order – but you’re not alone in taking on the challenge.

Partnering with a trusted, proven web design provider can spell the difference between an average site and one that pops. The right site can position you and your services in exactly the image you wish to project – whether that’s cutting-edge, highly personal, locally focused, or global-reaching.

The right perspective

As an independent telecom agent, you have the opportunity to stand out in your market. It all begins with a serious self-assessment. What telecom products, platforms or services distinguish you? Where do you see your business over the next decade? How do you want people to see you – as a vendor, a partner or a consultant?

The right approach

Just as important as knowing yourself is knowing your customers – both the current ones and the ones you wish to acquire. Assess your customers and you may notice trends that could affect your web design.

• A small retail business may feel intimidated by a web presence that overwhelms with “tech talk.” They may prefer the low-key “homey” approach.

• If they’re more in line with high technology, they may appreciate a depth of information on your platforms, processes and systems, with complementary design elements

• Most importantly, talk about the benefits of using your company, not just the features you offer. How will you make their lives better by using your telecom services?

The right design

A good telecom web presence begins with good design. Everyone has his own idea of what constitutes “good design.” Unlike technology platforms and algorithms, design is judged by most people according to their personal, subjective standards.

In other words, you may love the look of green text against a black background, but that doesn’t mean your customers will. Overly “busy” flashing graphics and wild colors may stereotype you as “stuck in the 1990s”; while an overly minimalist look can be off-putting. Good design is an art!

Look at the sites that you consider most effective – including those of your competitors. What makes them stand out? Is it the color palette, the flow of images, the key messaging? Will a similar strategy work for your site?

The right partner

Every question you asked yourself above is one to share with your web designer. Make no mistake; if you want a sharp web presence – and your core competency is telecom, not design – then a professional designer is your best option.

Your ideal designer has familiarity in your field and a track record of success. You should be able to exchange ideas freely, and be able to give (and receive) constructive criticism.

And once you have some sharp web designs to choose from, don’t hesitate to ask others for their opinions. Customers, especially, may enjoy providing feedback, helping strengthen your relationships with them.

Under the Radar – Social Proof for Telecom Agents

Posted on by Cameron Bell

Let’s be honest: to many of your potential clients, telecom services are a commodity product. Some just think that, for instance, VoIP is VoIP. It’s YOUR job to show that your company and service is different and better than the rest. Sounds easy, right?

Well, we both know it’s NOT. We know that human psychology is a riddle, wrapped in mystery, surrounded by an enigma. It takes more than brute force to communicate to today’s information overloaded decision-maker.

It can be extremely difficult, then, to convince a small business owner, or senior level manager, one that has a tight grip on their finances, that your telecom products and services are superior to all the others out there. Especially if you’re being undercut by other agents or even carriers.

However, one of the best tools for dealing with a situation like this is to harness the power of social proof.

What is social proof? Basically, it means the tendency of people to trust what other people are doing. If a person is trying to make a decision about something they know little about, their instinct is to “follow the herd” and do as others do. That’s why social proof can be an extremely powerful marketing tool for parity products – properly harnessed, it gives you a way to make your product stand out and seem like a more attractive choice.

Testimonials Still Work

The simplest and most common way to harness social proof for you and your telecom business is through product reviews and testimonials. If a business owner hears a testimonial from someone in a similar line of work praising your service, that will generally be more likely to sway him than a pure sales pitch.

Several such testimonials, especially ones that emphasize how your products solved their problems when others did not, are even better. If it’s not overplayed, a slight suggestion that other products will be a waste of money, can be an effective nudge for a wavering customer.

Endorsements also fall into this category, although celebrity endorsements usually will not have as much effect on businessmen as on the general public. However, it could be useful to do some research into this. Finding out that a major company or well-known business figure uses the same products you do (telephone model, router, etc) can also be turned into an effective piece of social proof.

Get Buzzed

Building “buzz” is another great way to add social proof to your telecom marketing. Any numbers you can throw out suggesting that large numbers of people are interested in your product are usually effective. For example, you could start an email list and then brag about how many people signed up for it in the last week or month. Or you could talk about the number of hits your website gets. Something like a free product expo \ demonstration \ giveaway to a local “connector” could also be leveraged for this – anything that makes it seem that many people want to know about you.

Free VoIP for the local Chamber of Commerce? Not a bad investment for the number of people they’re connected to.

Social Media & Web 2.0

Getting involved in social media and online content marketing is another good strategy. Make accounts for yourself on Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, and YouTube. Posting useful and interesting information to them can drive people to investigate your telecom services and create another avenue for social proof.

Even if only a few of them actually purchase anything, just the fact that thousands of people reading your blog posts or watching your YouTube videos makes for a good sales tool. Opening up your website to user comments and reviews could also help, although that is a double-edged sword: negative reviews create their own social proof and can drive people away.

In short, the key to using social proof in your telecom marketing is to look for whatever you can to make yourself look popular. In this case, the perception of popularity can absolutely result in it becoming reality.

Web Design Tips for Telecom Agents

Posted on by Cameron Bell

Here’s some good news to kick off the new year: According to a report published by Insight Research Corp, the global telecommunications industry is expected to grow by as much as 5.1 percent between 2012 and 2017. Even in the current unstable economy, businesses are increasingly turning to telecom agents to integrate or streamline phone, IT and internet functionality, saving their company money and resources in the process.

Of course, a rise in potential revenue also promises a rise in competition for those telecom dollars. Your state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service are a great foundation. But your marketing and promotional efforts need to match your business model if you want to capture eyes and pique interest in your offerings. That’s where a sharp web design comes in.

The right perspective
As an independent telecom agent, you have the opportunity to stand out in your market. It all begins with a serious self-assessment. What telecom products, platforms or services distinguish you? Where do you see your business over the next decade? How do you want people to see you – as a vendor, a partner or a consultant?

The right approach
Just as important as knowing yourself is knowing your customers – both the current ones and the ones you wish to acquire. Assess your customers and you may notice trends that could affect your web design.

A small retail business may feel intimidated by a web presence that overwhelms with “tech talk.” They may prefer the low-key “homey” approach.
If they’re more in line with high technology, they may appreciate a depth of information on your platforms, processes and systems, with complementary design elements

The right design
A good telecom web presence begins with good design. Everyone has his own idea of what constitutes “good design.” Unlike technology platforms and algorithms, design is judged by most people according to their personal, subjective standards.

The right partner
Every question you asked yourself above is one to share with your web designer. Make no mistake; if you want a sharp web presence – and your core competency is telecom, not design – then a professional designer is your best option.

Your ideal designer has familiarity in your field and a track record of success. You should be able to exchange ideas freely, and be able to give (and receive) constructive criticism.

What Telecom Agents Can Learn from the Verizon $2 Fee

Posted on by Cameron Bell

Verizon is truly one of the great success stories in the Telecom industry. With the introduction of the iPhone in 2011, some consider it the current king of wireless. However, recently Verizon had to do some back-pedaling after they wanted to introduce a $2 fee for first-time online payments, which many customers considered a “shameless money grab” and unnecessary for online bill payments. Instead of going ahead with the fee, and the consistent barrage of unhappy customers, Verizon dropped the fee altogether.

What can telecom agents learn from Verizon’s mistake? Here are the top five lessons you can learn for your telecom business from Verizon’s actions.

1.) Your customers are your priority

While profits and revenue are important, the customer should always be a top priority because they are what is driving that profit and revenue. Verizon decided to push a new cost onto their customers which was viewed as unnecessary (almost insulting). The customers responded passionately. Instead of ignoring them outright, or even worse, trying to justify their decision, Verizon listened. How important is $2 per customer anyways?

2.) The Internet changes everything

Online PR spreads far and wide. When a customer is unsatisfied, they have the entire Internet to take their concerns and start up a media backlash. Much like Verizon learned, one little discrepancy can go far and ruin a company’s reputation quite quickly. Instead of spreading annoyance, focus on keeping customers spreading good news.

3.) Communicate your price increases effectively

No one is really sure why Verizon charged this online fee. Verizon has an extremely sharp and talented management team, so there probably was a good, justifiable, operational cost that could be justified internally, to pass on to the customer. But it sure wasn’t explained well externally. It would SEEM to the average Joe or Jane that online processing should cost LESS than the alternative.

Combine this with the fact that it is much harder to take something away, after its been granted for free in the past. If your company must pass on a new cost to your customer in order for you to maintain your profitability goals, make sure to communicate it VERY effectively to the customer.

4.) Customers will notice a change in their invoice (at least SOME will)

Another obvious one is the lesson that customers can’t be so easily convinced to pay more, regardless of how lengthy the invoice might look. Passing off new costs without saying a word and having customers catch it is far worse.

5.) Even large companies can make mistakes

Companies like Verizon and AT&T can make mistakes, which means even small and medium-sized businesses can too. Admitting to mistakes and apologizing, as well as fixing the issue, is what separates good businesses from bad ones.

Verizon took only 24 hours to change their mind on the fee, because the backlash spread that far and quickly. Agents and businesses should remember these six lessons from Verizon’s own problems and adhere them to their own business. Your business depends on customers, why not try to at least make them somewhat happy and listen to them?

Owning up to your mistakes, even if it’s a perceived mistake, goes a long way with customers.