Since de-regulation of the local marketplace (1996 Telecom Reform Act), created an environment where your representative is highly unlikely to remain for 6 months after your commitment to a telecom company sales representative. Why? Beginning in late 1997, our sector experienced an explosion of opportunities within Telecommunications numbering over 100 choices per market in some cases. Then came adjustments to the rulings followed by confusion; bankruptcies brought uncertainty amongst the new breed of competitive carriers.
As the market adjusted and the strongest survived, we have seen in the past 3 years major mergers amongst the ranks such as Level3/Broadwing/Focal, SBC/ATT/BellSouth, and Verizon/MCI just to name a few. By securing eTeamTelecom as your resident Specialist, you can be sure that regardless of continued merger activity or bankruptcies, your Solution Specialist will continue to have the same contact information providing results on the options you desire with the support you need, bringing a clear informative understanding to an ever-confusing environment.
Regardless of whether your solution is a single service provider or a multi-telecom request, you will have a single contact with eTeamTelecom and a Solution Specialist who knows your account best. As an example during the pricing and evaluation process for a new provider, it is typical to request at least three proposals, have at least two appointments with each representative, and countless internal hours discussing the options made available to you. At the completion, you will have spent any number of days over a two-month period making a decision that is best for your organization. eTeamTelecom will not only streamline the time it takes to research the marketplace; we will develop relationships to last for many more years to come. Our long-term commitment to provide unsurpassed service with the most informative current pricing and trends saves you precious time and resources you do not have a consistent basis.
3. A Person Who Understands Your Company, How You Make Decisions, and Why
Our Solution Specialist acts as an assistant buyer as we understand your business expectations and preferences on a long-term basis. eTeamTelecom will get to know your organization, your goals and long-range needs, how you make decisions and why. Time is an invaluable commodity; why repeat this process every renewal or growth period with multiple individuals?
Perhaps this should be the number 1 reason to choose eTeamTelecom. When you use an experienced Solution Specialist like ours, you tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience of someone who has been in the field for many years working on all aspects of telecommunications with many providers. Our experience and association with multiple carriers on a daily basis can tell you how they perform. Not just the rosy picture they all want to portray. Who has the most reliable network today? Who has billing inconsistencies? Who is going bankrupt or up for takeover? Who can meet the desired install dates consistently? With eTeamTelecom you do not listen to “The Company Story” each time, you get to hear the truth backed by facts... every time.
Based on where your business is heading, whether that be expanding, streamlining, or contracting; eTeamTelecom can put you in the right situation. As buying into a hardware solution that cannot grow with you, creating the need for upgrades sooner than expected, or stuck with a carrier that cannot meet your future expectations can be detrimental to a companies operation. Since Carriers operate with term agreements, it’s key to position a carrier that can move with those needs. eTeamTelecom knows the industry intimately, delivering on tailored results in the right solutions for your company.
This is an incredibly important concept to understand when choosing eTeamTelecom. When you work with direct sales representatives, one that may be here and gone tomorrow (rep or company), they are paid only to bring in the sale. As we all know in the world of corporate sales, comp plans drive behavior, and are expressed to the sales team, “If the customer has a problem, send them to the Help Desk. Do not get involved. You are paid ONLY to bring in new business”.There is absolutely no motivation, despite their best intentions, to speak with you again once you sign the dotted line. It is sad but very true. On the other hand, Solution Providers are compensated on a residual basis, earning a small percentage of the monthly invoice, and required by the various telecom companies to manage front line customer care. If we do not perform as described, we lose your revenue before we turn a profit and that directly affects our bottom line. It only makes sense for us to maintain our result oriented relationship for the long term. eTeamTelecom is not just another business associate; we become part of your team.
One of the biggest challenges with the local Bell Operators is that when you call into a call center to order new service, you will “only be told” what THEY want to sell you; not what is best solution for your company. Everyone LOVES to sell bundled products and features, however allow me to ask, do you need Centrex calling features or voice mail on your alarm, fax, or elevator line? Do you really need call transfer or remote access to call forward every line in your hunt group? How about your fax alarm, or modem lines? Do you have unidentifiable items on invoices such as web hosting or other items you are unsure you actually use? It is very common for our Specialist to uncover up to 20% of pure fluff on your bill during the auditing process. Why does this happen? Simple- The direct representatives you buy from has a quota to make and will often sell you what is good for them, not for you. Direct Sales Representatives receive incentives to sell what is profitable for the carrier that writes their check. On the other hand, eTeamTelecom is 100% unbiased as to which providers insuring the right offering provided to you, the customer.
The Telecom Industry is moving increasingly towards the Independent Agent Channel. In fact, over the past 3 years, Telecom companies have reported that Agent channels have gained more new business through their programs than their Direct sales channels consistently. There are several reasons for this. Agents are typically more knowledgeable, better trained, and set proper expectations with clients. Their clients tend to remain customers longer; making it is easier for the carriers to work with Independents. Carrier’s overhead reduces dramatically due to no salaries or comp plans, brick and mortar locations, or additional sales commissions. We become their greatest asset and profit center. Strangely enough, where I have seen this benefit the customer most is in the form of special incentives and promotional offerings only through the Agent Channel.
It is common for agents to compete head to head with a direct representative for one of the carriers they are presenting. It is also common for the Agent Channel to have promotions or incentives that Direct Representatives have not offered the customer. The Agent will typically win the customer because of that fact alone. When Direct Representatives have promotions available, often they are compensated extra if they do not use them. eTeamTelecom however will pull out any available promotions in an effort to gain your business for the long haul. We want long term relationships not short term financial rewards.
The exact same standard pricing tools used for Service Providers are applied in the Direct Channel from every Carrier. In spite of all of the additional knowledge you can tap into with eTeamTelecom, you can be sure you are receiving the same standard pricing regulated by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). For large projects, special pricing is available to both Agent and Direct channels at the same percentage values. It is an incredible model that helps the customer and Solution Providers win, while insuring all clients are treated equally. We choose to initiate the process the first time, Direct sales channels are encouraged not to.
Our Solution Specialist are typically better versed in MPLS, IP-VPN, VoIP, Hosted Data Solutions, Call Center applications, and SIP technologies. We must understand multiple carriers’ offerings and have attended their trainings and ongoing certifications to offer their services. Direct representatives will know a few tweaks to their individual product line, but they will not have the overall understanding of all that is available with these new technologies. No “single carrier” can master all technologies and master all the niches; it is business impossibility. Most Direct representatives have no more understanding than their initial sales orientations. Business is fiercely competitive, and implementation of technologies correctly can literally save larger companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. These technologies implemented properly can edge your company to gain a competitive advantage. Likewise, implementing a bleeding edge technology that is not ready for prime time may cost you the same. Allow eTeamTelecom’s expertise to guide you through the maze while looking out for your best interests makes all the difference in the results your company demands.
For more information about eTeamTelecom offerings, or open discussions about your telecom needs contact us by visiting our web presence at, www.eTeamTelecom.com today.