Approaching the Topic of Sales Approaches

Businesses know more than ever today, thanks to the Internet. They know what their problems are and often times the solutions as well. Then the right sales agent comes to the rescue, but is this the only way to sell? Shouldn’t you be one step ahead of your clients with your sales approach. Most businesses are learning to be- with new services, innovative products, businesses are trying to anticipate their customers’ needs before it comes to their attention. Bet you didn’t know you needed an iPad, but now you can’t imagine not using it. How about mobile access to the Internet? As consumers, we had no idea we needed these products and services and now they’re practically a necessity.

Elite sales professionals report they don’t just sell more effectively—they sell differently. Perhaps one step ahead. There’s the thought that improving one’s sales strategies boost sales, but changing the way they sell altogether is often the key to higher performance.

  • Engage customers much earlier, well before customers fully understand their own needs. Sometimes this requires finding their problems before they can define it.
  • Discover a personal outcome for the buyer as well.  People still buy based on personal decisions.
  • More creativity is needed for solutions- get creative and think of things your customer hasn’t.  This also involves knowing your product well and asking questions.

NW MAP has the tools to help you be a successful Telecommunications Agent. Contact us today: https://nwmap.com/contact-us/become-an-agent

 

BYOD; The Good, The Bad, and The Divided

Almost as dramatic as the 1966 Clint Eastwood western (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) is the talk and opinions about the BYOD (Bring your own device) revolution. I think the lesson learned, as in the western, is to be ahead of the game… at least 10 steps ahead. As a business leader (perhaps CIO, entrepreneur, and otherwise), certainly knowing the benefits and risks of BYOD is key. For Telecom Agents, being knowledgeable is always profitable.

With the Smartphone/ iPhones, tablets, and laptops, people can do business any time, from anywhere. In fact tablets outsold PC’s or desktops last year. Website visits are coming from mobile users.

Similar to the Cloud, a business really needs to have a strategy in place before adopting BYOD practices, evaluating the pros and cons to determine (and deal with) security risks. Basically, the benefits must outweigh the risks.

The debates continue:

  • Employee
    chooses device versus controlling the types of devices and uses.
  • Going mobile versus chained to a desk.
  • More productive versus more risk.
  • Effectiveness versus costs of networks and other cost for usage.
  • Employee empowerment and choices versus lack of IT support

How to decide:

  1. First question is…’Is it doable?” Find out from a Telecom Agent at NW MAP if BYOD is manageable and appropriate for your business (type of business and/or size).
  2. Employee surveys- finding out who would use them and what they think about it. Some research has shown employees would accept a lower paying job if able to use their own devices.

How to do it:

  1. Talk to your Telecom Broker or Agent.
  2. The current thought and what many businesses are allowing is BYOD but with limited support. Issues with this is of course security but also employee satisfaction with limited support. Allowed with full IT support is optimal, but your choices are not allowing it, allowing with minimal support, allowing with full support, and allowing with no support.
  3. Check and evaluate network capacity. Most people using BYOD have 2-3 devices.
  4. Money! Realize BYOD will not eliminate costs, but rather place them in areas of support functions rather than devices.

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. Employers are equally on the fence as about 40% of companies allow it.

Contact a NW MAP Telecom Agent: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

 

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. We’ll see how it all unfolds.

What is Innovation and Why is Everyone Talking about it?

From CIO’s to entrepreneurs to tech gurus, the new word of the hour (or millisecond in Internet land) is Innovation. Why is it suddenly popular? For some of us who remember “it” words of the past like synergy (wasn’t that a cool sounding word…rolls right off the toungue), innovation may mean nothing more to you than a passing buzz word. Who starts these fads anyway? What is innovation and why is it important to you? We want to take the time to answer this…we were curious as well.

Let’s just go straight to the facts on why you should care about innovation or innovative. The simple answer is, well it’s a catch word right now. Jumping to the numbers game- this word is highly searched on search engines, but if you’ve got better things to do than play the numbers game on Google (SEO optimization), say running your business, then we’ll explain more specifically why innovation is important.

The back story: Literally, innovation differs from invention in that innovation refers to the use of a better and/or novel idea or method, whereas invention refers more directly to the creation of the idea or method itself. Innovation differs from improvement in that innovation refers to the notion of doing something different rather than just better. Now you know the basics. When I first learned about innovation, it was used in reference to Steve Jobs who didn’t necessarily invent new products, he just made them different and exciting…and innovative. Now that Steve is gone, his innovative legend is thriving. This really is the day and age for innovative because the wheel can’t be re-invented, not many people are inventing absolutely new things, but re-creating is where it’s at.

In the land of social media and cyberspace catch words mean a lot to your business and reputation. This is one way clients and consumers know you are on top of things…even if it is a fad. Things change in an instant online, and it’s important your customers believe you are riding the wave as well. You put that word, innovative, included in a tag line about your products or services and you’ve got people interested. Innovation has a lot to do with technology and technology isn’t going anywhere soon.

**If you want to be more innovative, you’d better get in touch with your creative side- turns out that’s where innovation lies within us.

Elle Izett, Contributing Blogger at NW MAP Telecom

On the topic of innovation, NW MAP Telecom is searching for agents; innovative ones! The opportunity to work for yourself in a rewarding field is right here. Please contact us about becoming a Telecom Agent: https://nwmap.com/contact-us/become-an-agent