Carriers offer from 10 to 30 plans. The popular plans with bundled minutes are usually in the $39.95 to $49.95 range. When your salespeople know your offers and what your competition offers, you gain a serious advantage. When they also understand your offers well enough to show how a recommended plan might best fit the needs of your customers, you will win more business.
 
You can tap wireless data to keep churn low and add profits to the bottom line. Third party bolt-on applications are also a potential source of new business, increasing the monthly airtime usage and reoccurring revenue. Once used, many applications, such as gaming, commerce, email, location, wireless Internet access, and SMS/MMS, become automatic. And once subscribers learn to use wireless data applications, communications, exchange of information, transactions, and entertainment, they become a normal part of their everyday life. These acquired patterns of behavior then equate to increased ARPU – and now you’re talking the language of the carrier again.
 
Let’s say a wireless retailer trains its salespeople to ask the questions that project actual usage needs. The same retailer reinforces this desired needs analysis activity. Finally, the company’s sales people then complete their sales by recommending both service plans and enhanced features that meet their customers’ expressed needs. What is the payoff to the retailer?

When customers get exactly what they need and feel good about their purchases, they’re happy and tend to refer new business to you. This keeps you in business and increases the predictability of your financial success.  That’s a powerful payoff, so what might prevent a retailer from doing this?

The price of performance is that it takes effort; it demands that each member of your sales team elevates his or her game; and it requires management’s active reinforcement of defined selling criteria. This is not for everyone. Sorry to say, to sustain the comfort of mediocrity some forego the challenge of accelerating productivity.
 
SELF ANALYSIS A. Out of 100 new customers, who most recently bought wireless service in your store(s), how many might fall into each of the following categories?

[ ] Bought the cheapest plan with no enhanced services
[ ] Bought a mid-tier plan with 1 or 2 enhanced services
[ ] Bought a high-tier plan with 3+ enhanced services

Look at your numbers and ask yourself, ‘Does this represent the comfort of mediocrity or the accelerated productivity of a team of top wireless retail salespeople?’

SELF ANALYSIS B. Is it possible that confident, competent, and motivated salespeople might influence the buying decisions of your customers? If yes, rethink these categories. Out of 100 new customers, who might buy wireless service in your store(s) from top wireless retail salespeople, how many might fall into each of the following categories?

[ ] Might still buy the cheapest plan & no enhanced services
[ ] Might buy a mid-tier plan with 1 or 2 enhanced services
[ ] Might buy a high-tier plan with 3+ enhanced services

Compare a. with b. If you see an incremental gain in productivity, take appropriate action to define new selling criteria & reinforce desired performance in your stores.

For more insight into"New Profits in Wireless Retailing" visit www.hownet.com
©2005 by The Edmond-Howard Network