If you are delivering exceptional service, growing your business with existing customers is a lot easier than prospecting for new ones. And if the majority of your business is under “managed” contracts, meaning service levels and revenues are predictable, there is no reason you should limit yourself to one or the other. So how do you do both?
One way is by profiling your customers effectively. This brings you closer to them and allows you to quickly identify good prospects with a simple comparison to your existing business. To provide some actionable insights on profiling your customers and identifying prospects, we asked Nitel’s new EVP of Sales and Marketing, Jason Dishon for some pointers. He offered up a few ways to get it done and here they are:
- By Market. Identify the industry or industries your customer works within and get to know the landscape including unique compliance and security requirements. Vertical markets such as banking, healthcare, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and retail are guided by strict regulation. Knowing the ins and outs around the market(s) your customers play in will make you more valuable and open up new opportunities for growth as requirements change.
- By Decision Drivers. Identify what’s driving the decision-making process for your customers. Is it cost-savings, improved performance, ease-of-use and, or the desire to have the best technology available? When you know which of these factors are driving your customer’s business decisions, you will be better positioned to recommend the right products and services.
- By Solution. You have access to a wide range of products and services through your provider partners. Establish a list of all the services and solutions you are able to provide. Then, assess what solutions your customer is already taking advantage of, clearly identifying which ones you provide to date. Then, identify those solutions in play that you don’t manage today, but could if the opportunity arises. Last, note the gaps and prioritize these to align with your customer’s goals.
- By Feedback. Inquiring about your customer’s business goals is a must. Consistently surveying their satisfaction and assessing their interests is also a best practice Agents and MSPs should adopt. This can be done via Survey Monkey or even in person. The takeaway is to understand more about what your customers value and why, and what their interests are when it comes to new services, technologies and programs.
As a leading nationwide managed telecom services provider, Nitel is here to help guide you through these steps. To learn more about our partner enablement programs, reach out to Chris Shubert, Nitel’s Director of Business Development today at cshubert@nitelusa.com.