Mobile Manifesto: giving channel partners the edge

In any modern marketplace, the value of differentiation is huge. Being able to stand out from the crowd with a unique product offering, or a specific area of expertise, is a marketing win that can give any company an untouchable competitive advantage. And when a marketplace becomes busier, the need to extend these points of difference becomes all the more important.

That’s the current state of play in mobile telecommunications reselling, where more channel partners than ever before are working to acquire the same set of customers. That’s not to mention IT specialists entering the reseller market to take advantage of lucrative opportunities to sell new mobile solutions.

Channel partners that want their mobile solutions to stand out need to review and renew to ensure that they are taking advantage of new products and are offering the best service.

Look back

It’s always good to know how well a product or solution is working for long-standing customers and new ones alike. Especially in the tech business, where things move fast and don’t wait for stragglers. The first part of getting the edge on competitor channel partners is knowing where your successes are and what can be improved.The best course of action is to work with your sales team and your provider to understand what customers want, what you’re selling and how to fill the gap between the two.

 

Move forward

Whatever your new mobile product need is, the likelihood is that it can be met by offering customers a more comprehensive, converged telecommunications solution.However, convergence is not always clear. Some providers think of it as supplying more than one service, others as providing solutions only, with no back end elements such as billing and support. The result is that the end user struggles to understand the product they are being pitched, and will more than likely not buy it.

That’s where channel partners can get ahead of their competitors.

Find the edge

By working with providers who prioritise a clear convergence offer, channel partners can benefit from gains on both the customer and supply sides of the deal.

Customer clarity

For the customer, clear convergence means a holistic product offering and absolute understanding of what they are getting, from handsets to easy billing and a single helpdesk. Today, new solutions on the market give channel partners the opportunity to offer convergence in two ways: structured and unstructured. The former is a simple package catering to prospects who want to take a full suite of telecommunications products from one organisation. The latter works for prospects who, because of existing contracts, take selected parts of the suite until they are in a position to fully converge their systems. Either way, it removes the ambiguity from convergence, which up until now has been a barrier to purchase.

Supplier commitment

Meanwhile, for channel partners, clear convergence brings about huge opportunities for added sales. When prospects are confident that solutions meet their needs and can boost their business, they are more likely to buy more. As such, the door opens for product bundles and more committed customers over a longer period of time.

***

The telecommunications channel marketplace is busy – and getting busier. To push in front of competitors and find that crucial edge, channel partners need products that set them apart from the crowd. By providing unparalleled clarity in their convergence offering, channel partners can grow their customer base, boost their profit margins, and ensure that they are always ahead of the game.