Telecom Agents~ Confusion About Integra Telecom Fiber Lit Buildings

Integra Telecom would like to clear up some confusion concerning the expression, “lit building”. Integra has its own fiber in that building. Agents may be under the impression that, because a building is ‘lit’, you can automatically sell access via that fiber without further ado.

 That is not always the case. Just because a building is lit, does not mean they can provide the service to sell. Sometimes gear can be added to accommodate other tenants, but that change requires a Build Cost Justification (iCert) and it is a significant cost. The iCert can take days or weeks to gather information.

 When you inquire whether a building has Integra fiber in it, Integra can give you a yes or a no. They will not investigate which equipment it has. Because Integra gets several requests with the question (‘is it lit?’), it can take a lot of time to do checks on each building. So, the moral of the story here is you don’t sell fiber access the way you sell DSL. If you have a serious lead in a building, and you want to know if they can provide services via Integra fiber, you must provide following details;

  • How much bandwidth is being requested?
  • Is the hand-off electrical or optical?
  • Does the circuit need any form of ‘protection’?
  • Is the customer willing to cover the cost of the demark extension (this is frequently needed, and Integra does not cover it)?

*A capacity check can take a day or so and ask for ICB price (all fiber builds/augments are ICBs – there is no ‘standard’ price to augment a fiber install). Thank you in advance to all our Agents.

If you have further questions, please contact us: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

NWMAP Telecom Brokers Feature Copper

NWMAP is partnering with Copper Conferencing to bring small to medium sized businesses audio and web conferencing services. If you want to try copper, the service offers and promotions are generous and the technology may be exactly what you are looking for: get an edge on competitors, reduce overall costs, increase productivity, and connect!

Copper Conferencing provides a complete portfolio of audio and web conferencing services to meet your company’s business needs. From simple phone meetings to large structured teleconference events with operator interaction. There is a program to be designed specifically for your goals. You will truly maximize your cost saving objectives. Services also include an online account management system, training, and automated call technology to ensure your success.

Audio conferencing services enable remote participants to be involved on work projects, handle sales issues and attend trainings. From phone meetings to more formal conference calls with an operator, audio conferencing  is a way for businesses to take the lead in their industry.

Web conferencing, webinar and webcast options meet a company’s Internet needs and demands. With web conferencing, you can interact with people as if they were in the same room. Use web conferencing to help remote employees participate in meetings, trainings, or hold remote sales calls. Webinars engage the marketplace so companies learn more about your products and help you generate more leads and sales.

Sources: http://www.copperconferencing.com/

Selecting a Hosted VoIP Provider

For businesses considering Hosted VoIP service, a few things must be done prior to selecting one. You’ll need to do some research, but we’ve provided a quick guide to assist you and make this initial step easier.

  • When doing your research, find service providers who have ample experience- 10+ years is sufficient.
  • Find out what is important to the provider/ Agents. If you go directly through a provider/carrier, then everything will be biased, often the sales agents don’t have much experience, and they are out to sell you (mostly what is good for them). A Telecom Broker/Agency such as NWMAP believes customer service is most important.
  • Access and network: Does your Agent or provider have access to multiple Hosted VoIP providers? And networks? This will enable them to have an unbiased professional opinion about the best Telecom technology for your business. This is a huge advantage that a single carrier can not provide.
  • What kind of support does the Agent have from the providers or extend to end-users? Obviously the benefit of Hosted VoIP is to not pay a phone repair guy $100/ hour. You want great support, from installation to training to solutions.
  •  Look for guarantees, disaster recovery, QoS (quality of service) and auto-failover protection. 

If you have additional questions that need to be answered, contact us: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

If you missed the first 2 parts of this informational multi-part blogs series on Hosted VoIP, click here:  https://nwmap.com/how-hosted-voip-works (part1) and https://nwmap.com/selling-hosted-voip (part 2)

More info on selecting VoIP: http://www.voipforbusiness.biz/business-voip-articles/office-telephone-systems-help-picking-out-the-ideal-system-to-your-requirements.html

Selling Hosted VoIP

Part 2 of a Hosted VoIP informative series: Hosted VoIP is a hot and efficient service for businesses in 2011 and the future (read more: https://nwmap.com/how-hosted-voip-works). On the flip-side, NWMAP wants to also benefit Telecom Agents with selling this useful Telecom technology. When Agents know how to sell the best services for each individual client, then everybody is happy. Let’s get started…

Getting to know your product is key. The link noted above will assist you with some basics. In addition, we’ll explain some of the many features Hosted VoIP provides: 911 support, Auto attendant, call forwarding, call logs, Click-to-dial from Outlook, browser toolbar, and web pages, Conferencing, Custom holds, custom rings, free on-net calling, Group directory, Hunt groups, Remote call control, Selective call acceptance, 3-way calling, Toll-free numbers, voicemail to email, and much more.

Steps for selling Telecom:

  1. Learn about the products you are selling any way you can. NWMAP Master Agents give you the tools, as well as newsletters and updates on our facebook page.
  2. Identify target clientele
  3. use your time with customers to explain how Hosted VoIP fits their business needs, help solve problems for them, and contribute to productivity and bottom line improvements.
  4. Have a Hosted VoIP carrier on hand for demonstrations
  5. Create a proposal with assistance from your VoIP carrier
  6. Meet an additional time with your prospected client for any questions
  7. Close the deal
  8. Be involved as much as you’d like 
  9. Encourage your clients to take advantage of carrier’s end-user training.
  10. Hope this helps and good luck

To learn about becoming a NWMAP Telecom Agent click here: http://www.nwmap.com/contact-forms/how-to-become-an-agent.php