As the old saying goes, “Be mindful of the company that you keep,” which was told to many of us as children, is very applicable to the modern channel partner (CP).
It is vital for today’s CP to understand the value that its provider brings to the relationship and, by extension, the customer base. Service accessibility and viability are the barometers by which the channel partner is judged. Without access to top-tier products, support and customizable options, the customer will struggle to connect with its clients and conduct commerce effectively, thus ultimately impacting the overall effectiveness and reputation of the channel partner.
For this reason, the selection of one’s carrier allies is critical. Just as in life, bad decisions in the business world can have permanently altering effects.
Mistake #1: Failing to Conduct Due Diligence Regarding Availability and Reliability
The best advice for channel partners is they should approach relationships from the lens of their customers. Is the telecom services provider known for the strength, range and dependability of the services that it offers?
The ultimate selection needs to promote business growth, provide maximum efficiency and
guarantee optimal uptime. By being well tuned in to network data, reviews and feedback, the CP is in a position to choose the partner that delivers the best value.
Mistake #2: Not Digging Deeper
In a similar vein, channel partners need to adequately weigh complex considerations such as the scale, strength, capacity and stability of the partner provider’s network. The telco’s pure numbers and reputation are ultimately what the end buyer will remember.
Along the same lines, CPs should consider the operator’s ownership of its fiber optic assets; this can indicate its own ability to control network performance and guarantee necessary support.
Mistake #3: Overlooking Support Options
CP provider partnerships should be based on the carrier’s ability to promote maximum business growth, efficiency and uptime. For this reason, one should be well-versed in the levels of support that the provider offers.
By focusing on allies that promote individualized, 24/7 support, outage tracking resources and other uptime-maintenance options, the CP can lend direct access to an investment that caters specifically to customer needs. In many cases, customers may prioritize personalized support over other critical elements such as network signal strength. This can translate to a streamlined, improved customer experience that bolsters the channel partner’s bottom-line reputation.
Mistake #4: Foregoing the Personal Touch
Sometimes, that personal approach means the most. A provider’s dedication to tendering
individualized attention – whether through custom-catered services, face-to-face interactions or one-on-one support – can go a long way for the customer. Personalization can include access to client-specific queries, documents and service needs and a willingness to go the extra mile. Providing access to dedicated, expert care and options for gaining access to service-level agreements (SLAs) on demand is key.
Obviously, not all high-end carriers offer such levels of service satisfaction. However, the
provider’s ability to do so should certainly be considered a determining factor if all else is the same.
Mistake #5: Failing to Confirm Tailored Options
While many service providers DO offer dedicated services curated to the end-users need,
others are more set in their ways. However, by supporting provisioning for new products,
services, and upgrade options, the carrier provides that flexibility that the customer tends to crave.
Along those lines, many prefer on-demand offerings based on a pay-per-use model; this limits investment to the necessary resources and capacity while also bolstering versatility. CPs should, whenever possible, select provider partners that embrace this flexibility.
Bicom Systems, of course, is no stranger to flexibility. By unifying the best of open standards telephony with its proprietary software, Bicom Systems provides SMBs, enterprises and government agencies with turnkey solutions that account for the client’s exact needs in a cost-effective framework. For more information, visit www.bicomsystems.com.
