Sept/Oct 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

channel management Up until this point, explained Mag- gie Quinn, Frontier director of sales operations and support, Frontier part- ners have had to go through numer- ous departments for processes such as small business quotes, complex quotes, installation and trouble tick- ets. This fragmented process made it difficult to move projects along. Now, though, this is changing thanks to a revamped process that’s centered around automation. Frontier is beta testing a flexible new platform and hopes to have a full rollout by October. “This sales automation process that we’re rolling out will allow the partner – if they want – to go into the system and put in an order themselves,” Quinn said. “They can get their own quotes and contracts, put the contracts into the system and get the ball rolling.” What’s more, the platform will mini- mize confusion when trying to resolve issues across various teams. Partners will be able to enter an account number, access Salesforce and chat directly with a project manager inside of the platform. At the same time, partners can use the new system to locate important informa- tion without having to track down multiple team members throughout the day. The system also will make it easy to share important updates when they arise, said Quinn. “When there is an announcement on something like a SPIFF, it can be an exercise in futility to make sure that everybody’s informed,” Quinn contin- ued. “Our new platform will make it much easier to see important changes. All updates will live right on the main landing page of the system.” Frontier Embraces SalesAutomation D uring the years, Frontier has developed a reputation as a partner-centric organization. The company is known for taking feedback it into consideration and using it to improve its overall program. So when agents started asking Frontier for more of a “do-it-yourself” approach to the sales process, the company decided to act. By Gerald Baldino One of the most exciting features, meanwhile, is a built-in qualification tool. Partners will be able to enter an address to find out what Frontier services that building is eligible to receive. This way, they’ll be able to qualify very quickly. “This tool will give partners access to both small business and circuit information,” Quinn continued. “For instance, one address might have copper available for analogue lines or DSL. In addition, that address might have fiber for Fios, or Ethernet. It might have access to one, but not the other. We do have buildings that are qualified for Ethernet but not for Fios and vice versa.” Another way that Frontier’s platform will save precious time during the sales pro- cess is by streamlining the quote process. “Presently, if someone requests a quote, our team will take one to two days to respond back,” explained Quinn. “Granted, we’re really good with our SLAs. But if a partner really needs a quote, they can now go in and create it themselves. So they don’t have to request anything. They will gain a day or two.” In the fast-moving channel, extra time can make all the difference in closing a deal, so it should come as no surprise that Quinn and the rest of the Frontier team are excited about the launch. What’s more, it’s due out right before the big year-end sales push, and should provide a boost. “You asked, and we listened,” Quinn concluded. “My hope is that when part- ners walk into the office in the morning, the first thing they will do is log into our system and stay logged in all day.” o Platform helps agents move at their own pace but close deals faster 24 Channel Vision | September - October, 2019