Times have certainly been rough the past few years with companies wanting to spend less money and cut expenses. Further exasperating this trend is the fact that most new IP PBX sales processes do not take a consultative approach to sales and instead treat a phone system as a commodity like a printer or a desk chair. A sales engagement which emphasizes improved business processes and increased productivity will win out over the traditional “here are the features, here is the price, can we do business today” approach. In this article we are going to look at several ways to improve your sales process with a more service oriented approach as well as additional products and services you can offer to close more business.
Phone System Consulting
In order to really be successful in selling business phone systems, you have to start with understanding the business processes and call flow that the company currently uses. This process should start with mapping out their current phone system and creating a flowchart of how their current system works. Once you have the existing call flow mapped out, you then need to spend some time with key individuals such as managers and the receptionist to better understand how they are currently using their system. The next phase is to present the client with improved call flows and processes which demonstrate optimized workflow and a better caller experience. We cover some of this in more detail in our previous article Are You Being Effective Selling IP PBX systems. As well as our How to Sell a VoIP Phone System series:
- How to Sell a VoIP Phone System Part 1 – The Meeting
- How to Sell a VoIP Phone System – Part 2 – Designing the Call Flow
- How to Sell a VoIP Phone System – Part 3 – The Quote
What to Sell the Customer
The second part of successful phone system sales is deciding what you are actually going to sell to the customer. Solutions begin with the IP PBX software and the phones but rarely do they end there.
Let’s start with the IP PBX platform itself and work our way out from there. Most business phone system platforms have tiered option packages from a basic system to advanced call center functionality. Best sales practices dictate that you propose the most complete feature package available and only remove feature options based on cost objections from the customer. We do this because in most cases, if you start by proposing a more basic package and later during the sales process they decide they want one of the higher end features, you now need to increase the cost which the customer may take objection to. This becomes a bigger problem post-installation, not only is there the additional cost of the upgrade, but you also need to add the additional labor cost to do the upgrade which would have been included in the original installation.
This sales approach gives you a means to balance features with cost saving if price becomes the deciding factor in the purchase decision, which it usually does not.
The second most important component is the phones. IP phone handsets range from low-cost, entry level phones to high-end executive models. Recognizable brand names will carry a higher price tag and usually generate less margin for you. Low cost phones may not offer the same audio quality or feature set, and with the low prices typically comes less profit. There are excellent mid-range phones that offer a good middle-ground between features, call quality, cost, and margins. Spend some time with your 888VoIP sales rep discussing the different options available.
Along with the phones comes the networking infrastructure. While all phones allow you to purchase a power supply so they can run off a standard outlet, you should always propose PoE-ready phones which will future-proof your customer’s purchase and provide an opportunity for you to upgrade the network infrastructure with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switches now or in the future. Going with PoE switches not only makes deploying the phones easier and results in less wiring, it also allows you to have battery backup systems that can not only keep the IP PBX running, but also keep all of the phones powered up if there is a power outage.
The Add-Ons
So far we have covered the most basic aspects of a phone system. If your sales process stops here, you are doing your customers as well as your own company a disservice. A true solution can include many other components, some of which we will elaborate on below.
Headsets
Headsets are one of the most common add-ons after a system is installed so it certainly should be a consideration when proposing a new system. Determine which users in the office would benefit from having a headset. headset. Next, which of these users require mobility in the office which would dictate the need for a wireless headset versus a less expensive wired model. When including headsets to your proposal, be sure to determine compatibility with the phones you are proposing.
Another consideration is the utilization of old-style lifters to answer and hang up calls versus phones that support EHS (electronic hook switch). Almost every company will have at least a few people who want headsets so this is a very easy item to add onto your sales. Be sure to consult with your 888VoIP sales representative to help determine the best models to include in your proposals.
Paging and Intercom Devices
Probably the single most overlooked add-on to a business phone system is paging and intercom devices. In traditional legacy systems, paging devices often account for up to 25% of the installed end points. So if you are not currently proposing paging and intercom devices than you are missing out on a huge opportunity and potentially leaving your customer with an incomplete solution.
Go into most offices and you will find overhead speakers, door intercoms, bullhorn speakers in warehouses, loud ring bells, emergency buttons, notification systems, and remote entry devices. Further, in order to be compliant with government regulations, such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, visual ring notification devices may also need to be installed to ensure compliance.
These devices are all easily implemented with IP-based paging and intercom devices. For those customers with existing analog paging systems that do not want to incur the cost of completely replacing their existing hardware, there are products to interface the IP PBX to these analog paging systems.
Video Surveillance
While IP cameras and video surveillance systems are not generally part of a business phone system proposal, they are an excellent opportunity for you to add additional services and functionality to your customers, while increasing the value of that customer to your business. The latest generation of IP-based video surveillance cameras are extremely easy to setup, most come with free management and recording software, offer excellent quality, and are quite affordable. Additionally, some of these devices can be configured as an extension to the IPX PBX, allowing for video and audio monitoring directly from compatible phones.
Where IP PBX systems allowed “the computer guy” to also become the “the phone guy”, IP video surveillance systems allow you to also become “the security guy”. This gives you an entire range of products and services that you can sell to your existing customer base as well as offer to new prospects.
Summary
The team here at 888VoIP is sincerely committed to helping our resellers grow their businesses and be as successful as possible.We hope that the information presented in this article will help you offer a broader range of solutions to your customers and help grow your business.
