Posted in Business by iwellbc |
When choosing your small business VOIP phone system in Tampa, you should definitely consider the services of Digital South Communications.
It offers maintenance of existing phone systems; local and long distance phone service; IP/VoIP telecommunications solutions; digital phone systems with IP/VoIP potential; SIP trunking; Voice T1; ISDN PRI T1; used phone systems and voice mail with warranty; computer networking; internet access; recording of phone calls, emails, screen shots and instant messaging; promotions on hold; loudspeaker paging and music for offices or plants; and voice and data cabling.
Digital South Communications can provide your business with the NEC phone system, BCM phone system or Vertical phone system. Since Norstar/Nortel has already been sold, Digital South Communications extends the discounted upgrading offer of the NEC phone system to Norstar/Nortel customers who may be experiencing problems with the turnover.
A VoIP phone system means Voice over Internet Protocol. This phone system delivers voice communications over the internet and other IP networks instead of the public switched telephone network or PSTN. This is why it is also referred to as IP Telephony or IP Telephone System. This is considered as a digital phone system because the analog voice signal is converted to digital format and translated into internet protocol packets in order to be transmitted through the internet.
SIP / VOIP phones are required for the VoIP phone system. The various types of SIP / VOIP phones are software based SIP / VOIP phones, USB SIP / VOIP phones and hardware SIP / VOIP phones.
Software based SIP / VOIP phones, also called soft phones, are actually not physical phones but programs. The program is installed on the computer and it allows the user to make calls through the computer’s microphone and its speakers or a headset.
USB SIP / VOIP phones look physically like the regular telephones. They are plugged into the computer through the USB port. They also need the soft phone software to work, though.
Hardware SIP / VOIP phones not only look like regular telephones but also function just like them. They contain an integrated mini hub and are directly connected to the data network of the computer, thereby sharing the network conection. There are several popular brands to choose from.
Voice and data cabling should be installed properly for the telecommunications and information technology systems of a company to perform properly. Digital South Communications does voice and data cabling from single locations to thousands of locations; voice and data cabling in existing or newly constructed offices; complete data center installation including wall and floor racks and cabinets; coax and video cabling; Cat 3, Cat 5e, and Cat 6 data cabling; fiber optic cabling; underground cabling between buildings; aerial cabling such as the setting up of telephone poles; installation of cabling for office and warehouse paging systems; testing, labeling, and certification of cabling; installation of cables and jacks for phones and computer networks; and building entrance protection.
As a member of the Building Industry Consulting Service International, Inc. (BICSI), Digital South Communications complies with the BICSI Code of Ethics and the BICSI Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) Standards of Conduct. That includes primarily working according to the regulations of the National Electrical Code as well as all local regulations and the highest standards of the low voltage voice & data cabling industry.
Digital South Communications has efficiently provided over 3,000 clients with small business VOIP phone systems and other services since 1991. The company’s main client base is in Tampa but it also serves the entire state of Florida and the rest of the country through its affiliated network of dealers.
Posted in Business by iwellbc |
Copyright (c) 2008 Paul Flood Marketing, LLC
What is consistently rated as one of the most effective small business target marketing strategies? Without a doubt it is the Joint Venture (JV), also known as a strategic alliance. Target, or niche marketing means that you are marketing directly to the prospect most likely to buy your product or service. Your JV strategy can be the ultimate form of target marketing since you are using the targeted customer and prospect list of another business owner.
The JV and strategic alliance are so popular and profitable because they leverage the assets (customer list, goodwill, relationship, etc.) your partner has developed with their client and prospect base. Nearly all potential buyers (business and consumer) prefer to do business with a company, firm or practice for which they have a degree of trust.
Marketing legend Dan Kennedy likes to say that we are all walking around holding an umbilical cord saying “plug me in and tell me what to do.” Whether you are looking for a place to buy a hot dog,tobuy a yacht, or looking for a brain surgeon or a new church in your community, you are looking for someone to recommend where you should go to obtain the product, service or advice.
Don’t confuse the JV with referrals. Referrals are great for new business and are an effective small business target marketing strategy but generally are given only one or two at a time. Referrals can also dry up if you are not diligent about keeping in touch with your clients and letting them know how much you appreciate and value their business.
JV’s can be as simple as selecting a retail partner and issuing a joint coupon to one another’s client base. They can also be very complex, multi-million dollar deals between large companies. American Express is an example of a very large and sophisticated company that partners with several other large businesses to leverage the client lists of both firms. If you have one of their cards, you have received numerous calls and mailers from them endorsing their JV partners. The partners get the implied endorsement of a blue chip company like Amex and Amex gets increased card purchases as you use the card to buy the recommended partners products.
Now that you’ve decided to add the JV to your small business marketing tools, where do you start? You start by profiling the characteristics of your ideal client. What else do they buy and where do they buy it? For example, Paul Flood Marketing, which is my company, implements a unique and non-traditional marketing system in small businesses and I guarantee profit increases of 25% or more in as little as 90 days. As the old saying goes, “Fish where the fish are,” so I have partnered with other small business consultants, primarily CPA’s and small business attorneys, who have endorsed my services to their clients.
If I had tried to contact many of these business owners cold, I would have probably been turned away but the endorsement of my trusted partners established trust. This trust is what you will leverage with your alliance partners.
Armed with the list of potential partners, you formulate your contact strategy. You could try writing letters but I am a strong believer in just picking up the phone and saying to the owner, “Hi, I am a local business owner and I have an idea that could help us both dramatically increase our sales and profits and I’d like to talk with you about it. Do you have a minute so I can explain the concept?
Great, if makes sense for us to talk in more depth, we can arrange a time to get together.” The thing I like about the phone is that I can immediately get a feel about the business and the person in just a couple of minutes.
When you first meet, you will most likely need to explain how the Joint Venture small business target marketing strategy works and how it will benefit both of your businesses. Most small business owners are only familiar with traditional marketing or networking so it may take a bit of explaining to get the concept across.
The most common objection you will encounter is the trust factor so bring testimonials and samples of your product, service, practice or whatever you are selling to the meeting. You need to show why the other business owner person know they can trust you and your business? People are naturally wary (as they should be) about referring others to their clients because their reputation is on the line, as is yours.
Always conduct due diligence. Be sure you speak with some of their clients to confirm their claims about quality products and service. If you feel uncomfortable at the beginning, bow out of the relationship gracefully. Ther’s no sense in adding aggragvation to your life!
The other objection is the confidentiality of av client list, but that is easily overcome by offering to mail your endorsement of your partner to your list and they mail their endorsement of you to their list. What if you don’t have a list? You pay to mail your letter to their client list and you may also want to pay them commissions for sales you get as a result of the mailing. There are some professions that are prevented from paying or receiving finder’s fees so if this applies to you, you need to investigate alternatives.
What is the simplest JV strategy? Each partner mails an endorsement of the other’s business to their list with a description of the benefits of doing business with them and why they are recommending one another. It’s that simple. The key to success of the JV as your small business target marketing strategy is that you and your partners must be proactive in promoting one another and in managing the relationship. As the person who originated the partnership, take control and action to make it happen. If you have a partner who isn’t committed, drop them and find another.
When you are actively using the JV as a small business marketing tool, you will be amazed at the results you can achieve in a relatively short period of time. Of course, as with any other business strategy, there are experts like myself who can be delivering profits while you are attempting to find your first partner. The key is to make the decision to make it happen, to leverage your contacts and your list and get started!
