Thank you for the feedback on last month’s article. I thought it may be useful to address some of your questions in this month’s broadband update.
How do I get my existing customers to migrate their broadband to me?
This is a common question. Many of your customers may be using a general purpose home connection for their business, due to their limited usage of web browsing and email. Variable quality and high contention do not cause many problems, consequently they may not perceive a need to move and it is up to you to create a sense of urgency. Explain that you are offering a business-grade product, which they will certainly need if they intend to use broadband more heavily in the future or for real-time applications like voice. Sell the benefits of having one supplier for all of their communication needs, such as faster resolution times and better rates.
In your experience what offers work when trying to create a sense of urgency?
Our successful partners make it easy for existing customers to accept their offers by removing as many barriers to acceptance as possible. Many offer a rent-free period of up to three months and money-back guarantees in exchange for 12, 24 or 36 month contracts. Most customers already have broadband and a router, however free routers work well for new start ups along with free activation. Rotate your offers and be sure to add an end date to secure the deal within a time frame.
My salespeople have large targets and a broad portfolio of products to sell, how do I get them interested in broadband?
Salespeople are looking for the path of least resistance. They will gravitate towards products that are easy to sell and give them the most value towards their target. If they are encountering objections they cannot handle for a product they need to sell a lot of to make the target they will lose interest. Our most successful partners have dedicated broadband sales teams, but this may not be practical for all businesses so why not try a broadband telethon supported by your managed broadband supplier? Make sure your broadband supplier is geared up and qualified to deliver skills and product training and ongoing coaching.
Match your channel cost with your opportunity. It doesn't make sense to send field sales staff out to sell single lines; they should be concentrating on multi-sited VPNs supported by a bid team provided by your supplier.
Do product bundles work with broadband?
Yes, absolutely. Many of you will already have experience in bundling calls and lines so why not add in broadband? Bundles remove individual product objections and make the sale easier for the salesperson. Some of our partners report churn reducing 50% when adding broadband to packages, so factor this into your cost benefit analysis.
Feel free to contact me at marketing@griffin.com with any questions or comments relating to this article. I look forward to hearing from you.
Source: Comms Dealer February.
Cherie Everett
