This post was sponsored by Bicom Systems, a leading provider of VoIP phone systems and cloud services.
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.” – Henry Ford
Are they ready? Are they willing? Are they able?
These are some questions you should ask yourself when choosing a provider to partner with. In today’s post, we will outline five boxes that should be checked to ensure a perfect partnership. Check back next week when we will go over another five. Between the two parts of this blog post, you will have 10 points to review before you choose your future telecom partner.
Let’s get started!
1. Reputation and Reliability
Not only will you be trusting this provider, so will your customers. You must ensure the provider understands the industry and will deliver on their promises. But how can you find out if they are reliable?
- Review their Website
- On the provider’s website, you will find information like customer testimonials, the number of years in business, and current partners.
- Review their Social Accounts
- Customers will leave reviews and you will get a sense of the company’s culture.
- Contact Them
- Reach out to the provider directly and ask for more information on products, demos, or what trade show you can find them at next. Meeting the provider at a trade show or networking event is the perfect way to get to them.
- Ask Questions
- Ask questions like: How do they handle technical problems? What is their solution for hacking?
- Do Your Research
- Ask around
- Do a Google Search
- Read Reviews
2. The Offering
Different features will set you apart from the competition. It is essential to ensure their technology is up to date, and they are staying up to date with current trends in the industry. Based on their current product offerings, it will give you an idea of where they stand on technological advancements against other providers. You can ask what is coming next on their roadmap to ensure you are partnering with the right company.
Examples of crucial features to look for:
- Mobile UC Solutions
- Hosted/Cloud-based Solutions
- Integration Abilities
- BYOD Friendly
Remember, the features that your provider offers is what you will be selling to your customers.
3. They Will Work With Anyone
Reseller.Telecommunications Agent. MSP. ISP. ITSP. However you identify your company, ensure your provider will work with you. Some businesses or agents are happy only to sell products and nothing else. They may not want to offer support or be exclusive to one provider.
If that sounds like you, you must ensure the provider is okay with that. You don’t want to fall in love with a provider’s solutions and waste your time only to find out they won’t work with you.
4. They Do Not have Minimums
Not only should you find out if the provider will work with your business, but also ask about sales requirements. Some providers insist you reach specific sales goals to keep your partnership. That kind of pressure can be detrimental to a company’s success.
A company should be able to sell as much or as little as they want. External factors happen outside the company’s control every day. However, that does not mean you should lose the support of your “partner.”
5. They Offer White Label Solutions
The last thing you will want as a new company trying to establish yourself in the market is another company plastered over your website. To ensure you sell your products with your name, your logo, and your brand colors, you should work with a provider who offers white-label solutions. This way, when a customer finds you, they will have no idea that you are not the original manufacturer.
To summarize these 5 points, make sure you do your research on potential providers. A perfect partnership will have a good reputation, new features, work with anyone, and offer white-label solutions. They will not have sales minimums.
Check out Bicom Systems partnership programs by visiting our website or contacting our sales team at sales@bicomsystems.com.
Laura Kyle is a marketing assistant for Bicom Systems (www.bicomsystems.com).
