At Solcomm, we’ve got the track record to prove that telecom services are some of the best direct sales products out there.
But what exactly makes Telecom such a great fit for direct sales? What does it have over other types of industries and products? Why do we sell phone and internet services and not, say, encyclopedias or kitchen appliances?
Let’s talk about why Telecom has such great value as a direct sales product:
Almost Everyone Uses Telecom Services
You would be hard pressed to find many households in the US that don’t use some manner of telecommunication service.
Cable TV. Phone service. Internet. You may run into folks who forgo one, or perhaps two of these services… but very seldom do you find people who don’t have all three.
In this way, Telecom service almost behaves like a commodity good… like energy service, or basic agricultural goods. It’s a product with almost universal appeal and need.
If you’re going to go straight to the consumer, it’s a great idea to come to them with a commodity they want, need, and most likely spend money on anyway.
It means you have an unlimited customer market for your service.
Telecom Service Has Nuance
Where telecom service departs from the idea of a commodity good is that it has nuance.
Most commodities are considered interchangeable. If you buy industrial chemicals or pork bellies or gasoline, there isn’t any real variation between suppliers.
Gas is gas. So the main differentiator when you’re out looking for gas for your car isn’t the brand, or the features or benefits of the product… it’s the price. Since most gas is indistinguishable, you go for the cheapest.
Telecom service, however, is far more nuanced than a commodity good. There are plenty of differentiating features and benefits between telecom providers and products, which means there are plenty of reasons for customers to switch services and buy from you if you know the do’s and don’ts of the industry.
Telecom Solutions Require Research
Those differentiating factors aren’t self-evident, either. It takes research to know what telecom solutions are the best fit… usually 2-4 hours of research, if customers try and tackle it themselves.
And usually that research brings a customer to the two or three very important questions that they need answered before they can make a buying decision. If they don’t get answered, it leads the customer to a hesitation point.
Direct sales fits in so well here because, in dealing directly with a consumer, a successful direct sales rep can bring that education and research right to their prospect’s door… with laser focus.
A customer saves the hours of research and gets their questions answered right away. A 20 minute direct sales presentation ends up being much more convenient than hours of navigating websites or sitting on hold with apathetic customer service agents.
Telecom Products Need A Consultant’s Touch
Here’s where direct sales is strongest: a direct sales rep is a personal force in a customer’s life that can actually guide them painlessly through the buying process.
Telecom doesn’t sell well with impersonal sales methods.
People don’t pay attention to direct mail.
Telemarketing feels pushy and robotic… it’s a good way to end up with a huge number of potential clients on your ‘do not call’ list.
And let’s be real: nobody wants to call in to a telecom provider’s customer service line to find out about activation. Most people have had terrible experiences with those call centers.
Instead, send them a personal guide.
It’s important to note here that real, effective direct sales agents aren’t pushy. They come in as a professional telecom consultant.
Great direct sales reps don’t push one particular solution down a customer’s throat. They listen. They educate. And they help guide the customer to the solution that makes the most sense for their needs.
An effective direct sales agent in the telecom space knows their product. They know the area’s infrastructure and know what areas have the best service. And they take the time to learn their customer and bring all those elements together.
Telecom Products Are Profitable
If you’re going to sell encyclopedias door to door, you’re setting yourself up for a painful experience.
For one, nobody needs encyclopedias anymore. We have Google. So there’s no need.
But even if there was a need, you sell one set and you won’t be able to sell another for years. You’d run into the same problem with appliances, or knives.
Telecom products, on the other hand, are not only in demand: they are a recurring need. It’s an ongoing service that customers sign up to pay for, usually hundreds of dollars, month after month.
That means that Telecom products are profitable, and easy to build a good living off of. Whether you’re a telecom provider, the leader of a Telecom sales team, or a commission-driven direct sales rep.
At Solcomm, we are dedicated to providing quality Telecom products to the people who need them, and we do it by raising up sales leaders and training great sales agents to deliver them.
If you’re looking to take the Telecom industry by storm, we’d love to hear from you.