For most businesses, a boost in revenue often comes with an increase in operating costs. Yet in the reseller market, things are a little different. Revenue can be substantially increased simply by choosing the right products to sell. Operational costs can remain relatively stable while business growth is facilitated by adding new services and products with the right margins.
As IT infrastructure becomes more complex, IT resellers need to make sure they’re providing the right solutions. A huge part of this includes cloud-based telephony. Yet adding a new service doesn’t necessarily require huge capital outlay, risk, or higher ongoing operational costs. Here are some ways IT resellers already have an advantage when it comes to adding telephony to their portfolio.
Leverage existing relationships
As a reseller, you already have a thorough understanding of your customer’s operational priorities. Tap into these relationships to gauge how customers would benefit from cloud-based telephony. Understanding existing demand will substantially reduce the risk of adding a new product to your portfolio, and save you time and effort in developing a new client base.
Furthermore, cloud-based telephony complements the existing services IT resellers provide (such as WAN and LAN), meaning resellers can focus on upselling and cross-selling. Customers will value the fact that their IT and telephony solutions come from one provider, and resellers will benefit from being able to provide a complete solution.
Upskill existing staff
Great customer service lies at the heart of every successful reseller business. Naturally, providing a new service or product will require new skills for sales and support teams. And while the easiest route would be to hire staff with the right expertise, this can prove expensive and time consuming.
Instead, resellers can keep operational costs down by bridging any skill gaps through upskilling. Giving existing staff the training they need not only improves the effectiveness of employees, but also boosts morale and improves productivity. Adding a new product or service can also motivate employees in other ways. Novelty can drive motivation, meaning adding a new and exciting product such as cloud-based telephony can reinvigorate tired sellers and support staff with the challenge of working with something new.
Build on your brand
For IT resellers known for their “trusted advisor” status, adding cloud-based telephony alongside IT solutions is an obvious choice. The existing long-term relationships are already in place. Customers trust their resellers to provide them with the best solution, especially when it comes to new technology. But part of retaining a status is ensuring that any new product or service provided is of the highest quality.
By choosing the right partner, IT resellers can ensure their move to becoming a telecoms providers is seamless. Reputable partners will provide accreditation programmes which can give resellers the training they need to better understand billing processes, marketing strategy and customer service goals. For Gamma partners, it only takes one day to become fully accredited, meaning diversifying into telephony is a simple process.
IT resellers are in the prime position to provide modern day telephony services. Risks can be mitigated by looking for existing customer demand, and the costs kept down by making the most of existing engineering assets. As many businesses look to digitalise their infrastructure, cloud-based telephony can be the ideal product for resellers to ensure they remain competitive. The added benefit is that the existing framework for telephony is already there.
