Eine Kooperation für die Zukunft von Glasfasernetzen – PSI ist jetzt Mitglied des VATM
Im Jahr 1998 wurde der Markt für Festnetztelekommunikation in Deutschland entmonopolisiert. Mit der Liberalisierung des Telekommunikationsmarkts hatten nun auch andere Organisationen die Möglichkeit, in diesen hochdynamischen Markt einzutreten.
Zu dieser Zeit bildete sich der VATM – der Verband für Telekommunikation und Mehrwertdienste. Der VATM setzt sich seit der Marktöffnung für Chancengleichheit auf dem Markt ein.
Die bis heute erzielten Fortschritte mögen zwar groß sein – die Schaffung und Aufrechterhaltung fairer Wettbewerbsbedingungen bleibt allerdings eine anhaltende Herausforderung von vergleichbarer Relevanz wie im Jahr 1998. Die Hürden haben heute zudem neue Dimensionen angenommen, insbesondere aufgrund des Übergangs von der Kupfer- zur Vollfaserinfrastruktur in Deutschland.
PSI ist nun Teil des VATM. Wir sprachen mit Dr. Frederic Ufer, Geschäftsführer des VATM, um zu erfahren, warum die Umstellung auf Glasfaser in der Branche an erster Stelle steht, inwiefern die Situation in Deutschland einzigartig ist und wie wir künftig eine gemeinsame Richtung einschlagen können.
Effektive Zusammenarbeit wird für den Wettbewerb entscheidend sein
„VATM bringt eine große Bandbreite von Akteuren der Branche zusammen“, so Ufer. „Das sind Unternehmen, die Glasfaserleitungen ausbauen, sowie Investoren, Mobilfunknetzbetreiber, TowerCos, Dienstleister und Zulieferer.“
Der Verband ist bestrebt, eine konstruktive Zusammenarbeit zwischen diesen Unternehmen zu fördern – mit dem zentralen Ziel, ein florierendes, wettbewerbsfähiges, nicht-monopolistisches Telekommunikationsumfeld zu gewährleisten, das Verbraucher:innen und Unternehmen gleichermaßen zugutekommt.
Deutschland weist die höchste Wachstumsrate für FTTP (Fibre-to-the-Premises) in Europa auf. Der Ausgangspunkt stellt allerdings die kleinste Installationsbasis dar, wofür es mehrere Gründe gibt. Einer davon ist der Mangel an offenem Zugang, der es mehreren Dienstleistern ermöglichen würde, gleichzeitig auf dieselbe Netzinfrastruktur zuzugreifen. So könnte Kund:innen eine größere Auswahl geboten werden.
„Der offene Zugriff ist entscheidend. Deshalb fördern wir Vereinbarungen zwischen Anbietern und Verbrauchern“, erklärt Ufer. „Für einen effizienten Ausbau der 5G- und Glasfaserinfrastruktur ist Zusammenarbeit unerlässlich.“
Drei Herausforderungen für Deutschland in Sachen Glasfasertechnik
Der deutsche Telekommunikationsmarkt habe eine bemerkenswerte Entwicklung durchlaufen, so Ufer. Er nennt drei Hürden, die seiner Ansicht nach zwischen der Gegenwart und der Zukunft der Telekommunikation in Deutschland liegen.
1. Übergang von Kupfer zu Glas
„Deutschland verfügt seit Jahrzehnten über ein gut etabliertes, kupferbasiertes Telekommunikationsnetz“, so Ufer. „Daher bestand lange Zeit nicht der Bedarf im Land, auf neuere Technologien umzusteigen.“
Das Kupfernetz ist seit Jahren eine Stärke Deutschlands. Es ist robust und effektiver als die Infrastruktur anderer Länder. Dieser historische Vorteil hat jedoch auch dazu beigetragen, dass Verbraucher:innen der Vorteil eines Umstiegs auf Glasfaser nicht eingängig war.
„Die Telekommunikationsunternehmen müssen den allmählichen Ausstieg aus der traditionellen Infrastruktur behutsam angehen“, stellt Ufer fest. „Deshalb beteiligt sich der VATM aktiv an Gesprächen über den Übergang von Kupfer zu Glas.“
2. Geografische Hindernisse
Im Vergleich zu kleineren europäischen Ländern ist die Bevölkerung in Deutschland breiter über eine größere Fläche verteilt, die Gebirgszüge und große Waldflächen umfasst.
„Der Aufbau einer breiten Infrastruktur wird in Deutschland also durch das Terrain erschwert“, so Ufer weiter. „Sowohl die Größe des Landes als auch die variablen Geländebedingungen machen den Ausbau von 5G- und Glasfasernetzen zu einem höchst komplexen Bestreben.“
3. Die Geschwindigkeit politischer Entwicklungen
Schließlich steht Deutschland vor einer für viele bekannten Herausforderung: die Sicherung von Investitionen. Landesweit müssen Unternehmen Strategien entwickeln, um die erforderlichen Mittel für eine umfassende Umsetzung zu sichern.
„Der kapitalintensive Charakter des Ausbaus von 5G- und Glasfaserinfrastrukturen erfordert erhebliche finanzielle Mittel“, betont Ufer . „Gleichzeitig schafft die Föderalisierung angesichts der diversen Genehmigungsverfahren bürokratische Hürden.“
Technologie als Teil der Lösung
Während einige dieser Herausforderungen durch politische und partnerschaftliche Lösungen bewältigt werden müssen, wird die Finanzierung neuer Infrastrukturen einfacher sein, wenn die Akzeptanz hoch ist. Dabei wird die Technologie eine wesentliche Rolle spielen.
„Technologien sind zu einem zentralen Bestandteil des Vertriebsmanagements geworden“, so Ufer. „Sie ermöglichen es Unternehmen, mit der dynamischen Natur des Marktes Schritt zu halten, die Vertriebseffizienz zu fördern und Kund:innen bessere Dienstleistungen zu bieten.“
Es sei aber nicht nur eine Frage der Effizienz, sagt Ufer – sondern auch eine der Reichweite. Oft bedarf es eines Multichannel-Ansatzes, bevor potenzielle Kund:innen von einem für sie relevanten Angebot erfahren.
„Die weit verbreitete Nutzung digitaler Vertriebskanäle wie Onlineplattformen, mobile Apps und E-Commerce-Portale ermöglicht Telekommunikationsunternehmen, ein breiteres Publikum zu erreichen“, unterstreicht Ufer. „Angesichts der Tatsache, dass 75 % der Fasernetzverträge im Rahmen des Haustürgeschäfts abgeschlossen werden, können Kundenmanagementsysteme wie die Plattform von PSI, die auch einen Offline-Modus bieten, ein bequemeres und nahtloseres Einkaufserlebnis schaffen.“
Das ist einer der Gründe für die Partnerschaft zwischen VATM und PSI
„Unternehmen wie PSI haben auf anderen Telekommunikationsmärkten in ganz Europa Erfolge vorzuweisen und ihre Technologie auf der Grundlage dieser Erfahrungen auf die spezifischen Bedürfnisse von Telekommunikationsanbietern zugeschnitten“, betont Ufer. „Diese Partnerschaft verfolgt das Ziel, die FTTP-Einführung zu beschleunigen, indem wir den Zugang zu potenziellen Kund:innen in städtischen und ländlichen Gebieten erleichtern.“
Wir bei PSI wissen, dass der Aufbau von Vertrauen in die Branche von entscheidender Bedeutung sein wird. PSI legt den Fokus auf ethische Verkaufsprozesse, so auch im Rahmen der Kooperation mit dem VATM. Unsere Technologie ist so konzipiert, dass sie die Einhaltung des vom VATM vorgelegten Verhaltenskodex sicherstellt.
„Die PSI-Lösung fördert das Wachstum der Vertriebskanäle durch einen zuverlässigen Branchenexperten“, so Ufer. „So können Anbieter Vertrauen schaffen und vermitteln, die Dinge richtig anzugehen.“
Weitere Informationen zur Software von PSI finden Sie in unserem Artikel über den Mehrwert der Vertriebssoftware von PSI für Kundenerfahrungen oder werfen Sie einen Blick in unseren Leitfaden von PSI für Käufer:innen.
Fighting for collaboration and the future of fibre – PSI joins VATM
In 1998, Germany's fixed-line telecommunications market opened up. Until then, the country’s telecom infrastructure had been run by a monopoly, but now the telecommunications market is is being liberalised, giving many more organisations a chance to be a part of this fast evolving sector.
To ensure, that the shift really creates a balanced market, a new organisation was founded: the VATM, or Association of Telecommunications and Value-Added Service Providers.
Though we’ve come far, creating a fair and balanced competitive market is just as much a relevant challenge today as it was in 1998. The terms of that challenge, however, are new – dominated by Germany’s transition from copper to full-fibre infrastructure.
PSI has just become a member of the VATM. We spoke to Dr. Frederic Ufer, Managing Director at VATM to hear why the transition to fibre is at the forefront of the industry’s attention, why the situation is unique in Germany, and how we can move forward together.
Collaboration will be essential for competition
“The VATM brings together a diverse range of industry players,” says Frederic . “These are companies rolling out fibre optics, investors, mobile network operators, TowerCos, service providers and suppliers.”
The association is keen to enable collaborative efforts between these companies. That’s ultimately what they need to do to ensure there’s a thriving, competitive, non-monopolistic telecommunications environment. One that ultimately benefits consumers and businesses alike.
Germany has the highest growth rate for FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) in Europe. However, they’re also starting from the smallest install base, and there are several reasons for this. One is a lack of open access – which enables several service providers to use the same access network infrastructure simultaneously, giving customers more choice.
“Open access is a crucial focus, so we’re advocating for agreements between providers and consumers,” says Frederic . “If we’re going to ensure a quick and efficient expansion of 5G and fibre optics infrastructure, collaboration will be essential.”
Three challenges Germany faces with fibre optics
Germany's telecommunications market has taken a distinctive trajectory, Frederic says. He names three hurdles that lie between the country’s telecom present and its future.
1) Transitioning from copper to glass
“Germany has a well-established copper-based telecommunications network that has served the country for decades,” says Frederic, “and this has delayed the country’s need to transition to newer technologies.”
For years, the copper network has been a strength of Germany. It’s been robust, it’s been more effective than other nations’ infrastructure, but this historic advantage has also meant that not every consumer has been clear on why they should switch to fibre.
“Telecom companies will need to delicately manage the gradual phasing out of traditional infrastructure,” says Frederic . “So VATM is actively engaging in discussions about the transition from copper to glass.”
2) A matter of geography
Compared to smaller European nations, Germany’s population is more broadly dispersed over an even wider landscape – one that includes mountain ranges and vast forests.
“This makes Germany a more challenging terrain for extensive infrastructure deployment,” says Frederic . “The geographical expanse and diverse topography combine to make the deployment of 5G and fibre optics networks a logistical puzzle.”
3) The speed of politics
Finally, Germany faces the challenge that often faces us all: ensuring security for investment. Companies across the country need to find a way to secure the necessary funds for widespread implementation.
“The capital-intensive nature of the deployment of 5G and fibre optics infrastructure demands significant financial resources,” says Frederic . “Federalisation, though, with its varying authorisation procedures, is creating bureaucratic hurdles.”
Technology will be a part of the solution
While a number of these challenges will need to be overcome by political and partnership-based solutions, finding the funding for new infrastructure will be made easier when take-up is strong. Technology will play a significant role here.
“Technology has become an integral part of sales management,” says Frederic . “It enables companies to adapt to market dynamics, improve sales efficiency, and deliver enhanced services to their customers.”
It’s not only a matter of efficiency though, Frederic says, it’s also one of reach. Some potential customers simply won’t hear of an offer unless a company starts using a multichannel approach.
“The widespread adoption of digital channels for sales, such as online platforms, mobile apps, and e-commerce portals, allows telecom companies to reach a broader audience,” says Frederic . “Considering that 75 % percent of the fiber contracts are achieved by door to door salesmen, customer management systems like PSI’s platform, that also supply an offline mode, can create a more convenient and seamless purchasing experience.”
This is one of the reasons why VATM is partnering with PSI
“Companies like PSI have demonstrated success in other telco markets across Europe and have designed their technology to fit the specific needs of telecom providers based on this experience,” says Frederic. “The partnership should help accelerate the FTTP rollout by making it easier for providers to access potential customers whether that be in urban or rural areas.”
At PSI we know that building trust in the industry will be essential. So enabling ethical sales is a priority for PSI, and our technology is designed to reinforce the code of conduct presented by VATM.
“By working with a solution like PSI’s, companies can be confident that they’re growing their sales channels with an industry expert,” says Frederic. “They’ll be seen as a trusted provider that does things 'the right way'.”
For more on PSI’s software see our article on how PSI’s sales software raises the game for customer experience or see our buyer’s guide to PSI.
1995, 2030 and the next step for fibre – PSI joins ISPA
Innovation
“Organisations such as PSI can be a vital tool to ensure that this much needed (fibre broadband) take-up happens in a positive timescale,” says Krystian. “Services that can drive customer acquisition and revenue growth, like PSI, can help the UK fibre networks, especially as many of them are now shifting their primary focus from FTTP deployment.”
Krystian Heald, Head of Partnerships, ISPA
It’s 1995. The internet has been commercially alive and kicking for a matter of months. Social media and e-commerce as we know it is a decade away – barely a twinkle in the eyes of entrepreneurs. Here ISPA, The Internet Service Providers Association, was founded, ready to steer a course to the new millennium.
The internet was a new market, and someone needed to bring together the UK industry to develop standards and self regulation. As a voice to the UK government, and a hub for the sector’s most pertinent conversations, ISPA was a vital part of creating the connected UK we know today – and it’ll be a vital part of its future.
PSI has just become a member of ISPA, and to mark the occasion we spoke with Krystian Heald, Head of Partnerships at ISPA. Here he gives us his thoughts on why ISPA matters and where connectivity in the UK is going next.
Fibre: a once in a lifetime transformation
In recent years, ISPA has been focused on uniting the UK’s efforts to create a fibre-based future.
“The UK internet sector is undergoing a once in a lifetime transformation through nationwide deployment of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP),” says Krystian. “Our members are investing more than £30bn of mostly private funding to upgrade the UK, with nearly two-thirds of the UK now able to access full fibre broadband and 85% gigabit capable speeds.”
Even though we face a difficult economic landscape where costs of capital are on the rise, the pace of change has been go, go, go.
“This investment has seen both established market brands and a burgeoning altnet community rapidly and successfully deploying these improved fibre services to over 60% of the UK,” says Krystian. “The final 40% is expected to be complete by 2030 – well within schedule.“
“As a result, it is fair to say that industry’s drive to deploy FTTP is the one of the UKs largest successful major infrastructure projects.”
The next phase for the UK’s infrastructure
The infrastructure deployment of FTTP has not been without challenges, however. The final 40% of the fibre-to-the-premises infrastructure requires extensive funding, and at the same time the sector needs to stimulate demand to ensure commercial sustainability – and this is reflected in the new priorities of investors.
“Increasingly, investor expectations have begun to look beyond the deployment of fibre networks towards take-up and ROI,” says Krystian. “This is key for both the commercial viability of the sector and UK society as we look to maintain our status as a leading digital nation.”
The solution to take-up will be multifaceted. “At ISPA, we want to ensure that the UK capitalises on fast and reliable connectivity,” says Krystian. “From ensuring users are equipped with the right digital skills to improve digital inclusion to helping consumers understand the value of gigabit broadband.”
In part this will depend on brands and sales reps educating buyers – and in order to be trusted, they will need the brand reputation to back it up.
How PSI are playing a role
So why has PSI joined ISPA’s efforts? Well, since 2010, our sales software has been enabling the take up of enhanced connectivity and fibre in both rural and urban areas.
“Organisations such as PSI can be a vital tool to ensure that this much needed take-up happens in a positive timescale,” says Krystian. “Services that can drive customer acquisition and revenue growth, like PSI, can help the UK fibre networks, especially as many of them are now shifting their primary focus from FTTP deployment.”
Multichannel sales can play a role here, but perhaps even more important is ethical door-to-door sales, which we’ve been working to make the new normal in the UK and Ireland. This is an essential foundation for healthy brand reputation and consumer trust – and these are vital to ensure the conversations reps have with customers about FTTP are not tinged with disbelief or scepticism.
“The industry adopts a wide array of strategies to successfully acquire customers, ranging from digital marketing through to door to door sales – all perfectly viable routes to market,” says Krystian. “However, as we have seen over the past 12 months, some of these tactics have received some negative commentary in the press. As a sector we need to ensure that these routes to market are undertaken in an ethical manner.”
In 1995, ISPA was founded. In 2030, fibre connectivity will exist across the UK. Which organisations succeed the most commercially, however, is still yet to be decided over the next five years. Our approach to sales, along with our sales software, will play a key part in this.
“PSI’s intent to support the UK ISP sector is signified by them becoming an ISPA Partner in 2024,” says Krystian. “We look forward to working with them over the next 12 months.”
For more insights on the take up of fibre-to-the-premises, see our articles on the five industry trends affecting telcos and their sales outcomes or how to launch effective sales campaigns in the field.
Data and reporting: how PSI unlocks clarity, performance and intelligence for telco sales teams
In the telco industry, data is crucial for field sales teams. Sales teams need to understand how they’re performing to ensure they aren’t overlooking opportunities, exhausting resources on overworked areas, or being let down by reps who aren’t pulling their weight.
Because of this, data and reporting has always been a core element of PSI’s field sales solutions. With PSI, telcos can effortlessly:
- Capture real-time data from almost every point of interaction
- Connect to reporting suits like Power BI for bespoke reporting
- Manage rep performance and boost campaign efficiency
With that capability, the PSI system doesn’t just help you to sell more and manage your teams more effectively. It also helps your commercial leads to deliver more intelligent and reactive campaigns.
Data that gives you visibility of progress
When you’re digging into data and reporting, the critical factor is detail. You need to know far more than how many contracts were signed each month – you need to know which areas those contracts came from, whether they were upgrading customers or customers won from other providers, which field sales reps were involved in the sale and which ones aren’t performing as well.
PSI Territory Management is designed to give telcos that level of actionable insight into their campaigns. The PSI system records every action and interaction a rep makes while they’re out on their route – that means every door they knock on, every conversation they have with a lead and every outcome from those conversations.
With so many points of data capture available, PSI’s Territory Management platform provides a more granular degree of real-time data tracking than other sales platforms are capable of. It’s about more than just being able to connect to systems like Power BI – it’s about feeding those systems the kinds of metrics they need to build accurate in-system reporting dashboards, and give you a clear overview of what’s going on with your sales reps and customers.
For Kelco Communications, a Vodafone Ireland partner, PSI’s granular level of reporting was integral in helping them understand not only their day-to-day sales results, but also which areas were being overlooked and where to focus training. Aoife Carr, Order Processing Manager at Kelco, says: “We needed concrete visibility of progress – to track metrics on a daily basis, and on a monthly basis.
“PSI keeps track of individual reps and their progress, the amount of sales we’re able to put through, and we use this reporting in our commission structure for reps.”
Report on every element
For an industry so driven by technology, telco sales and back office teams often have to rely on manual data collection and reporting – sometimes even resorting to paper and pen.
The problems with that should be clear enough. For one, it’s incredibly inefficient to have teams manually transferring data from one system to another and building reports that should be automatic. And that’s assuming all of the data makes it across correctly, and isn’t copied incorrectly or lost altogether.
That kind of frustration is exactly what PSI exists to tackle. Everything the PSI system records has a reporting code, meaning any detail can be easily extracted and reported against in a matter of moments.
Then there’s the nuance that’s contained within that data. While other sales platforms might tell you that 20% of customers in an area said no, PSI can deliver the why behind those answers. For example, you can see if those customers aren’t interested because they’re locked into current contracts, and therefore plan for your reps to return when those contracts are ending.
With radio selection, you can drill down into exactly the data you need to see and interrogate specific details, rather than trying to make sense of unstructured free text. You have complete control over what you want to examine, allowing you to aggregate your data and run reports that will give you true clarity.
Michelle Brazzill, Channel Partner Manager at Vodafone Ireland, highlighted PSI’s depth of reporting as crucial to Vodafone Ireland’s field operations. “The reporting aspect of PSI means we can report on anything we want,” Michelle says.
“Now we can dig down into how many doors have been knocked vs opened vs opportunity”.
The building blocks of business intelligence
The snapshot reports and dashboards that the PSI platform creates are perfect for giving sales managers a clear overview of their team’s performance, but that’s not all the insight that PSI is capable of delivering.
For one, it’s not just sales teams that can benefit from the volume of raw data that PSI collects. Once that data has been pulled into a reporting suite like Power BI, it’s possible for marketing, finance and operations to all get reports on the aspects of sales activity relevant to them.
That makes it possible to add a new layer of business intelligence on top of the performance analytics. As well as knowing which reps are performing well and which would benefit from more training, you can see which products perform best across different territories and demographics, or understand the trends affecting each campaign area and where to focus your resources for warming up or selling to customers.
It takes someone from the data science world, not the sales team, to analyse that level of information and translate it into a clear vision for the business. Involving a data architect ensures there’s someone able to keep the large amounts of gathered data organised into what’s relevant to each team, meaning everyone can get the full benefit of PSI’s data capture capabilities.
If you’re ready to take your sales campaigns to the next level, speak to us to find out more about how PSI can help, or read our guide to PSI’s sales solutions.
Unsere Vertriebssoftware wird ständig weiterentwickelt: Produktübersicht von PSI für 2023
Unsere Vertriebssoftware wird ständig weiterentwickelt: Produktübersicht von PSI für 2023
Die Anforderungen von Vertriebsteams verändern sich ständig und auch die Vertriebssoftware muss mit diesen Entwicklungen Schritt halten. Im Laufe des Jahres 2023 haben wir viel in die Entwicklung des PSI-Systems investiert, um den Bedürfnissen regulierter Branchen wie Telekommunikation und Energieversorgung noch besser gerecht zu werden.
Von der Einführung neuer Produkte und der Gewährleistung der Sicherheit von Außendienstmitarbeitenden bis hin zur Verbesserung der Konnektivität des PSI-Systems, der Customer Journey und der Benutzeroberfläche – hier finden Sie eine Zusammenfassung unserer wichtigsten Produktaktualisierungen der letzten zwölf Monate.
Frank Egan
CTO
“In 2023 we were thrilled to unveil our latest User Interface/User Experience for our Fusion Core and Fusion Pulse applications. This cutting-edge design introduces a sleek and intuitive interface, ensuring a seamless experience for multichannel customer journeys across the platform. We complimented this with improved analytics and dashboards, numerous new features in our Campaigns and Routes module, and much more.
We also introduced the Outcomes API. With it our customers can leverage actionable sales outcome data by integrating PSI into their systems for business intelligence and sales processing. With a user-friendly interface and robust functionality, the Outcomes API transforms the way our customers utilise information, empowering teams to make informed decisions.
In 2024 we’ll be adding to our Campaigns and Routes module and working on a range of dynamic business APIs to complement the existing Outcomes API, opening up the possibilities for data integration, business intelligence, and sales processing.
But that’s not all! Our commitment to seamless user experiences extends to more out-of-the-box integrations that effortlessly connect your workflows. Analytics takes centre stage with enhanced features, providing you with deeper insights into your operations. And we’ll be introducing a brand-new feature: Appointments! No more scheduling headaches as we streamline the appointment and callback processes, ensuring a hassle-free and organised workflow.
This is just the beginning – stay tuned for much more innovation, enhancements, and surprises throughout the year!”
Unsere Vertriebssoftware entwickelt sich ständig weiter...
Vordefinierte Customer Journeys für Telekommunikationsunternehmen
Zu unseren größten Neuerungen in diesem Jahr gehört die Einführung der von PSI vordefinierten Customer Journeys, mit denen unsere Kund:innen unsere Software schneller einsatzbereit machen und ihren Vertriebsteams zur Verfügung stellen können.
Wir haben alle Erfahrungen aus den ISP-Integrationen und Customer Journeys, die wir in den letzten zehn Jahren umgesetzt haben, gesammelt und die häufigsten Herausforderungen in der Branche identifiziert. Auf der Grundlage dieser Erkenntnisse haben wir anschließend eine marktreife Vertriebslösung entwickelt.
So können Telekommunikationsunternehmen die PSI-Lösung jetzt noch schneller einführen und ein speziell auf ihre Bedürfnisse zugeschnittenes Vertriebssystem implementieren, ohne Zeit und Ressourcen in eine komplett maßgeschneiderte Lösung zu investieren. Nach der Implementierung können wir die Plattform mit benutzerdefinierten Integrationen ausbauen. Mit einer vorgefertigten Lösung können Sie jedoch sofort mit dem Vertrieb loslegen und müssen das System nicht erst von Grund auf neu konfigurieren.
Ein besseres Toolkit für die Sicherheit von Außendienstmitarbeitenden
Für Telekommunikations- und Energieversorgungsunternehmen, die Vertriebsmitarbeitende im Außendienst einsetzen, hat Sicherheit oberste Priorität. In diesem Jahr haben wir unser neues Produkt Fusion Guardian auf den Markt gebracht. Damit stehen den Vertriebsteams mehr Werkzeuge zur Verfügung, mit denen sie ihre Außendienstmitarbeitenden auf ihren Routen im Auge behalten und ihre Sicherheit gewährleisten können.
Von GPS-Warnmeldungen in Echtzeit für alle Außendienstmitarbeitenden bis hin zu Funktionen wie einem unauffälligen Notfallknopf und anpassbaren Reaktionsmöglichkeiten: Mit Fusion Guardian profitieren Ihre Außendienstmitarbeitenden von besserer Unterstützung im Falle von Problemen und Ihre Vertriebsteams behalten auch aus der Ferne die Kontrolle.
Einfache und intuitive Benutzeroberfläche
In der Regel konzentriert sich PSI auf das Backend unseres Systems, denn dort befinden sich die einzigartigen Funktionen. In diesem Jahr haben wir jedoch nicht nur das Backend, sondern auch das Frontend von PSI ausgebaut, damit Ihre Vertriebsmitarbeitenden und Backoffice-Teams auch in Zukunft problemlos auf diese wichtigen Funktionen zugreifen können.
Das PSI-System verfügt jetzt also über eine aktualisierte und moderne Benutzeroberfläche. Dabei konzentrierten wir uns insbesondere auf eine einfachere Handhabung des Systems und eine intuitivere User Journey. Das Ergebnis: Unsere Kund:innen verbringen weniger Zeit in Gesprächen mit unseren Schulungs- und Support-Teams und können die Funktionen für den Verkauf besser nutzen.
API für nahtlose Integrationen
Unabhängig davon, ob Sie Ihr CRM oder Power BI einbinden müssen – wir wissen, wie wichtig es ist, dass Ihre Vertriebssoftware mit dem Rest Ihres Tech-Stacks verbunden ist. Aus diesem Grund haben wir in diesem Jahr eine neue Outcomes API entwickelt und die Integration mit PSI noch schneller und nahtloser gestaltet.
Mit unserer neuen Outcomes API können Telekommunikations- und Energieversorgungsunternehmen Daten aus dem PSI-System extrahieren und sie direkt in ihre Berichtssuite und CRM-Software einspeisen. Sie können unabhängig von Ihren Tools auf unsere API und die zugehörige Dokumentation zugreifen und so Ihr ideales Netzwerk von Integrationen aufbauen.
Für diese Art von Konnektivität waren bislang bei jeder Implementierung eigene Integrationen erforderlich. Mit unserer API können Sie nun Daten in kürzester Zeit integrieren. Wir können natürlich trotzdem mit Ihnen gemeinsam eine benutzerdefinierte Integration entwickeln, aber diese Option ist nicht mehr standardmäßig vorgesehen.
Zusätzliche Tools für die Bearbeitung von ausgehenden Leads
Im Vertrieb von Telekommunikations- und Versorgungsunternehmen spielt die Pflege von Vertrauen und Kundenbeziehungen eine entscheidende Rolle. Der Aufgabenbereich Ihres Vertriebsteams geht daher weit über die Erfassung von Leads hinaus. Ihre Mitarbeitenden müssen auch in der Lage sein, diese Leads sofort zu bearbeiten. Deshalb haben wir in diesem Jahr eine neue Funktion für ausgehende Leads im Vertrieb entwickelt.
Auf diese Weise profitieren Sie von einem schnelleren Multichannel-Vertrieb und mehr Möglichkeiten zur Verwaltung von Leads. Leads aus allen Kanälen können durch neue Workflows geleitet werden und von dort aus in ein Kanban-Board eingespeist werden. Anschließend kann ein Mitglied Ihres Telefon-Vertriebsteams einen Rückruftermin vereinbaren oder die Leads in einen Verkauf oder Nichtverkauf konvertieren.
Kurz gesagt: Mit der Funktion können Sie Ihre Erfolgschancen maximieren, Leads erfassen und verwalten und Ihr Geschäft ausbauen. Zudem erhalten Sie eine auf Ihre Branche zugeschnittene Multichannel Customer Journey, die Sie in kürzester Zeit bei Ihren Vertriebsteams einführen können.
Wenn auch Sie Ihre Vertriebskampagnen effizienter gestalten möchten, kontaktieren Sie uns. Wir erklären Ihnen gerne, wie PSI Ihnen weiterhelfen kann. Alternativ können Sie auch unseren Leitfaden zu den Vertriebslösungen von PSI durchlesen.
Our sales software continues to evolve: PSI’s 2023 product wrap up
PSI's 2023 Product Wrap Up
The needs of sales teams are never static, and the sales software they use has to keep up. Throughout 2023 we’ve been investing heavily in developing the PSI system to deliver more of what regulated industries like telco and energy need.
From launching new products and ensuring field rep safety, to enhancing the PSI system’s connectivity, customer journeys and UX, here’s a wrap up of our biggest product updates from the past twelve months.
Frank Egan
CTO
“In 2023 we were thrilled to unveil our latest User Interface/User Experience for our Fusion Core and Fusion Pulse applications. This cutting-edge design introduces a sleek and intuitive interface, ensuring a seamless experience for multichannel customer journeys across the platform. We complimented this with improved analytics and dashboards, numerous new features in our Campaigns and Routes module, and much more.
We also introduced the Outcomes API. With it our customers can leverage actionable sales outcome data by integrating PSI into their systems for business intelligence and sales processing. With a user-friendly interface and robust functionality, the Outcomes API transforms the way our customers utilise information, empowering teams to make informed decisions.
In 2024 we’ll be adding to our Campaigns and Routes module and working on a range of dynamic business APIs to complement the existing Outcomes API, opening up the possibilities for data integration, business intelligence, and sales processing.
But that’s not all! Our commitment to seamless user experiences extends to more out-of-the-box integrations that effortlessly connect your workflows. Analytics takes centre stage with enhanced features, providing you with deeper insights into your operations. And we’ll be introducing a brand-new feature: Appointments! No more scheduling headaches as we streamline the appointment and callback processes, ensuring a hassle-free and organised workflow.
This is just the beginning – stay tuned for much more innovation, enhancements, and surprises throughout the year!”
Our sales software continues to evolve...
Pre-designed customer journeys for telcos
One of our most important updates this year has been the launch of PSI’s pre-designed customer journeys – giving our clients a quicker way to get our software ready to launch and into the hands of their sales teams.
We’ve essentially taken all of our learnings from the ISP integrations and customer journeys we have delivered over the last 10 years and identified what comes up time and again in the industry. We then built a market-ready sales solution with those lessons as a backbone.
It means that telcos can now get up and running with PSI quicker than ever, and deploy a telco-specific sales system without investing time and resources in a fully custom build. After implementation, we can continue to evolve the platform with custom integrations, but having a pre-designed solution allows you to get a head start on selling rather than configuring everything from scratch.
A stronger toolkit for rep safety
For telcos and energy companies putting sales reps out into the field, safety has to be one of their highest priorities. This year we launched our new Fusion Guardian product to give sales teams more tools to observe their field reps on their routes and manage their safety.
From real-time GPS alerts for every rep in the field to features like a discreet panic button and tailored response frameworks, Fusion Guardian puts more power in the hands of your field sales reps should they find themselves in trouble, and it also helps your sales teams stay in control from a distance.
Easier and more intuitive UX
At PSI we’re typically focused on the backend of our system, since that’s where its unique capabilities lie. This year though, as well as the backend, we spent time refining PSI’s frontend to ensure your sales reps and back office teams can continue accessing those key features as effortlessly as possible.
All of that means that the PSI system now has a refreshed and modern UX. Our focus has been on making the system easier to use and the user journeys more intuitive – as a result, our clients are spending less time speaking with our training and support teams and more time using those features to sell.
APIs for seamless integrations
Whether you need to hook up your CRM or Power BI, we know how important it is for your sales software to speak with the rest of your tech stack. Because of that, we developed a new outcomes API this year to make integrating with PSI quicker and more seamless than ever before.
With our new outcomes API, telcos and energy companies can extract data from the PSI system and feed it directly into their reporting suites and CRM software. Whatever tools you use, you can access our API and its documentation, so that you can build the unique network of integrations you need.
In the past that kind of connectivity would have needed custom integrations for every implementation. But our API now puts the power back into your hands to integrate data at speed. We can still work with you on a custom integration if that’s what you need, but it’s no longer the default option.
More tools for working outbound sales leads
When so much of telco and utility sales is about nurturing trust and customer relationships, your sales team needs to be able to do more than just capture leads. They also need to be able to effortlessly work those leads as they arrive – which is why we developed a new outbound sales feature this year.
The idea behind this is to give you a shortcut to multichannel sales, and more power to nurture leads. Leads from any channel can get funnelled through new workflows – and from there they can be fed into a Kanban board for someone in your outbound telesales team to arrange a call-back appointment or convert them to a sale or a no-sale.
In a nutshell, it allows you to maximise your chance of success, capture and manage leads, and win more business. All of this with a multichannel customer journey that’s pre-designed for your industry and quick to roll out to your sales teams.
If you’re ready to take your sales campaigns to the next level, speak to us to find out more about how PSI can help, or read our guide to PSI’s sales solutions.
Tür-zu-Tür-Vertrieb: Was ist das Erfolgsrezept irischer Versorgungsunternehmen?
Im Energieversorgungsbereich hängt Erfolg oder Misserfolg des Haustürgeschäfts davon ab, in welchem Land man als Vertreter:in aktiv ist. Im Vereinigten Königreich zum Beispiel zögern Versorgungsunternehmen davor, allzu viele Ressourcen in den Tür-zu-Tür-Verkauf zu investieren, da immer die Gefahr besteht, dass durch diese Praxis ihr Markenruf geschädigt wird. In Dänemark gilt diese Art des Direktvertriebs sogar als ein Eingriff in die Privatsphäre und ist daher gesetzlich verboten.
In Irland hingegen ist das Haustürgeschäft eine beliebte und erfolgreiche Verkaufsmethode von Energieversorgungsunternehmen. Große Anbieter wie Vodafone und SSE Airtricity investieren beträchtliche Summen in ihr Haustürgeschäft und erzielen auch tatsächlich eine hohe Rendite. Diese Art des Vertriebs ist zum Eckpfeiler ihres Geschäfts geworden.
Doch wieso sind irische Unternehmen im Gegensatz zu ihren ausländischen Pendants so erfolgreich beim Verkauf an der Haustür? Irische Versorgungsunternehmen wissen, wieso das Haustürgeschäft in anderen Ländern so verpönt ist, und haben sich daher bewusst dazu entschlossen, es besser zu machen. Unter anderem nutzen sie daher Vertriebssoftware für regulierte Branchen, mit der sie sowohl ihre Kundschaft als auch ihre Marke schützen.
Irische Versorgungsunternehmen setzen Schutzmaßnahmen um, um Fehler und Fehlverkäufe zu vermeiden
Bevor ein Unternehmen Vertreter:innen losschickt, um sein Angebot von Tür zu Tür zu bewerben, muss es zunächst einige Kontrollmaßnahmen für ein effektives Gebietsmanagement umsetzen. Ohne diese Maßnahmen steigt das Risiko, dass jemand im Außendienst versucht, Kund:innen zu täuschen oder Verkäufe zu registrieren, die gar nicht stattgefunden haben. Wenn das nämlich passiert, leidet darunter nicht nur der Ruf der Marke, sondern das Unternehmen muss unter Umständen Strafgelder in Millionenhöhe zahlen. Im schlimmsten Fall wird der Gesetzgeber einschreiten und das Haustürgeschäft vollständig verbieten.
Ob einer dieser Fälle eintritt, hängt natürlich maßgeblich von den Aktivitäten der Vertreter:innen ab (auf das Vertretermanagement werden wir gleich noch genauer eingehen). Doch um proaktiv unnötige Risiken zu vermeiden, können Unternehmen sich eines wichtigen Hilfsmittels bedienen: der richtigen Vertriebssoftware.
Irische Energieversorgungsunternehmen zum Beispiel nutzen die Formulare von PSI, um zu verhindern, dass ihre Vertreter:innen die falschen Produkte verkaufen. In diesen Formularen werden Produkte aus einer vorbereiteten Produktliste aufgeführt und anhand der Kundenantworten auf vorherige Fragen gefiltert. Da Kund:innen dann nicht mehr dem Kauf eines Produkts zustimmen können, für das sie sich gar nicht qualifizieren, kann die Anzahl an Kaufrücktritten reduziert werden. Dies ist eine effektive Schutzmaßnahme gegen beabsichtigte und versehentliche Fehlverkäufe.
Wir arbeiten immer eng mit unseren Kund:innen zusammen, damit die Skripts in ihren Formularen Vertreter:innen genau aufzeigen, was diese mit Kund:innen besprechen sollen. Dadurch sinkt das Risiko, dass Vertreter:innen aufgrund mangelnder Informationen falsche Versprechungen machen. Die Logik des Systems und die daraus resultierenden Einzelschritte sind so gestaltet, dass Vertreter:innen immer den korrekten Interaktionsablauf mit dem:der jeweiligen Kund:in durchlaufen und somit niemals die falschen Fragen stellen.
Irische Energieversorgungsunternehmen nutzen Vertriebssoftware für das Vertretermanagement
Wie bereits erwähnt sind die Aktivitäten von Vertreter:innen im Außendienst ein wichtiger Faktor für ein erfolgreiches Haustürgeschäft. Da Ihre Mitarbeiter:innen jedoch alleine unterwegs sind, haben Sie die knifflige Aufgabe, ihre Aktivitäten zu lenken, ohne direkte Kontrolle über ihr Verhalten zu haben.
In Irland stellten diese Bedingungen früher ein Problem dar, sofern Vertreter:innen rein auf Provision arbeiteten. Es kam dann nämlich sehr häufig vor, dass Vertreter:innen ihren Kund:innen absichtlich falsche Versprechungen machten oder dass sie zusätzliche Formulare ausfüllten, um ihre Quoten zu verbessern. Wenn diese Vertreter:innen nur mit Klemmbrett und Papierformularen ausgestattet sind, ist ein effektives Gebietsmanagement schier unmöglich. Mit der richtigen Vertriebssoftware allerdings holen Sie sich die Kontrolle zurück.
Mit PSI sorgen Sie dafür, dass alle Außendienstaktivitäten geokodiert und mit entsprechenden Zeitangaben versehen sind. Auf diese Weise können Sie dann problemlos unehrliches Verhalten aufspüren, beispielsweise falls ein Vertreter abends um 22:30 Uhr einen Verkauf registriert oder sich während der Registrierung weit weg vom Zuhause des:der jeweiligen Kund:in befindet.
Durch die GPS-Lokalisierung können sich Energieversorgungsunternehmen im Ernstfall auch besser gegen Kundenbeschwerden schützen. Das PSI-System erstellt nämlich eine eindeutige Beweiskette, damit Unternehmen genau nachvollziehen können, wie jede einzelne Verkaufsinteraktion zustande gekommen ist. Falls ein Unternehmen sich dann gegen eine Beschwerde wehren muss, stehen diese Informationen innerhalb von Minuten (statt Wochen) bereit.
PSI unterstützt Unternehmen außerdem dabei, dass ihre Vertreter:innen ein effektives Training für den Außendienst erhalten. Irische Energieversorgungsunternehmen können Schulungsmaterialien direkt auf die Geräte ihrer Vertreter:innen hochladen, damit diese immer und überall Zugriff auf die nötigen Arbeitsinformationen haben. Daneben werden auch Daten zur Vertreterperformance erhoben, sodass Teamleitende mit PSI ganz leicht bestimmen können, in welchen Bereichen sich einzelne Mitarbeiter:innen noch verbessern müssen.
Irische Energieversorgungsunternehmen wissen, dass ein perfektes Onboarding zu einem erhöhten Kundenvertrauen führt
Für ein erfolgreiches Haustürgeschäft ist es unerlässlich, Kund:innen vor Fehlverkäufen zu schützen. Aber das ist nicht der einzige wichtige Aspekt, der im Rahmen von Kundeninteraktionen zu beachten ist. Um Ihre Marke zu schützen, müssen Sie auch Vertrauen zu Ihrer Kundschaft aufbauen. Dazu gehört ebenso ein effizientes, zuverlässiges Kundenerlebnis wie ein effektives Vertretermanagement.
Ist der Verwaltungsprozess papierbasiert, besteht ein größeres Risiko, dass Fehler geschehen, die Ihrem Markenruf schaden – selbst wenn Ihr:e Vertreter:in an der Tür alles richtig gemacht hat. In Irland merkten Unternehmensverantwortliche früh, dass Papierformulare in dem Zeitfenster zwischen dem Verkaufsabschluss an der Haustür und der Rückkehr ins Büro leicht beschädigt werden oder verloren gehen können. Auch lagen Formulare, ehe sie das Backoffice erreichten, mitunter tagelang im Eingangsfach, bevor sie manuell bearbeitet wurden.
Wenn Kund:innen zu lange warten müssen, um den Status ihrer Bestellung zu erfahren – oder schlimmer noch, wenn ihre Bestellung nicht im System gefunden wird –, dann werden sie natürlich schnell eine schlechte Meinung über Ihr Unternehmen entwickeln.
Irische Versorgungsunternehmen wollten dieses Risiko nicht mehr eingehen und entledigten sich kurzerhand des zugrunde liegenden Problems: Nachdem ein Verkauf in PSI registriert wurde, wird dieser sofort vom Vertretergerät entfernt und zur Verarbeitung weitergeleitet. Dieser Prozess ist vollständig automatisiert, sodass die üblichen Verzögerungen, wie man sie von der manuellen Verarbeitung kennt, eliminiert werden. Vertriebsteams bietet PSI darüber hinaus eine einfache Möglichkeit, zusätzliche Dokumente hochzuladen (zum Beispiel die Zustimmung des:der Vermieter:in), wodurch wiederum das Risiko von Kaufrücktritten reduziert wird.
Die PSI-Plattform wird kontinuierlich weiterentwickelt, damit irische Versorgungsunternehmen künftig noch mehr Tools zur Verfügung stehen, um eine Vertrauensbasis mit ihren Kund:innen zu etablieren. Während der Pandemie führten wir zum Beispiel Remote-Unterschriften als neue Option auf der Plattform ein, damit Vertreter:innen Verträge und andere Dokumente an Kundengeräte senden und Kund:innen die Dokumente aus sicherer Distanz prüfen und unterzeichnen konnten. Auch Kund:innen, die ihre Bankinformationen nicht an der Tür mitteilen möchten, profitieren von dieser Option: Sie haben nun eine alternative Möglichkeit für die Angabe dieser sensiblen Daten.
Da die Sicherheit von Kundendaten heute von größter Wichtigkeit ist, erleichtert PSI Nutzer:innen zudem die Compliance mit Bestimmungen wie der DSGVO. Bankinformationen von Kund:innen werden aus dem System entfernt, nachdem ein Verkauf genehmigt wurde, und alle sensiblen Kundendaten werden nach drei Jahren standardmäßig automatisch gelöscht. Bei Bedarf kann das System auch so konfiguriert werden, dass die Daten schon nach kürzerer Zeit gelöscht werden. Mithilfe von PSI können Sie auch effektiv mit Agenturen für Außendienstservices zusammenarbeiten: Agenturmitarbeitende sehen ausschließlich die Unternehmens- und Kundendaten, die sie tatsächlich zur Durchführung ihrer Aufgaben benötigen.
Wenn auch Sie Ihre Vertriebskampagnen effizienter gestalten möchten, kontaktieren Sie uns. Wir erklären Ihnen gerne, wie PSI Ihnen weiterhelfen kann. Alternativ können Sie auch unseren Leitfaden zu den Vertriebslösungen von PSI durchlesen.
Door-to-door sales: why Ireland’s utility companies have the edge in the field
If you look at door-to-door selling in the utilities market, you’ll see a wide variation in success around the world. In the UK, for example, utilities companies are hesitant to put too much into field sales for fear of damaging their brand reputation. In Denmark, doorstep selling is seen as a privacy intrusion and prohibited by law.
But in Ireland, door-to-door is a thriving sales channel for telco and utilities companies. Major players like Vodafone and SSE Airtricity invest considerably in their field sales, and see such a clear return on that investment that door-to-door campaigns are a core pillar of their operations.
The reason why things are different in Ireland isn’t the Irish people are simply more receptive to door-to-door sales reps. It’s that the utilities companies here have seen the issues that have made doorstep selling so contentious in other countries and committed to doing it right – including using sales software designed for regulated industries to ensure their customers and their brand are always protected.
Ireland has protection against mistakes and mis-selling
When you’re embarking on a door-to-door campaign, it’s essential to have controls in place for effective territory management. Without those controls, it’s too easy for bad actors in the field to mislead customers or report sales that never happened – not only will your brand reputation take a hit if that happens, but you could also risk fines in the millions, and legislators might even step in to ban door-to-door selling altogether.
While sales rep behaviour plays a huge role in that – and we’ll talk about rep management shortly – there are features your sales software should have to ensure door-to-door selling doesn’t get your brand into trouble.
For example, Ireland’s energy companies are using PSI’s journeys to prevent the wrong products being sold to customers. The products in the journeys are drawn from a set product list and filtered by answers to previous questions, meaning fewer broken sales as customers can’t agree to a product they later find out they’re not eligible for. It’s a guard against both intentional and accidental mis-selling.
We always work with our clients’ assurance teams to make sure the scripting in their journeys is exactly what reps need to be saying to customers, which reduces the risk of reps misrepresenting a product because they don’t have the answers they need. The logic and journey of the system is designed to always take reps on the correct path with a customer, so that they never see questions that shouldn’t come up.
Ireland’s energy companies use sales software to manage rep behaviour
As we’ve said, sales rep behaviour is critical to making door-to-door field sales work. When you send reps out to knock on doors, you’re faced with the challenge of managing them while having no direct control over what they’re doing on their routes.
In Ireland that used to be a real problem in the days of commission-only sales reps, when reps were notorious for either misleading customers or filling out forms themselves in order to record sales. When those sales reps are only armed with a clipboard and paper, effective territory management is almost impossible – but with the right sales software, it’s a different story.
At PSI, we learned to make sure everything a rep does while they’re out on their route is geocoded and time-stamped. That means you can immediately see if a rep is logging a new sale at 10:30pm or far from a customer’s address, and the data keeps them honest.
That GPS location data also gives Ireland’s energy companies more assurance in case they do find themselves facing a customer complaint. The PSI system gives companies a clear trail of evidence so that they can know exactly what happened with any given sale, and the information can be retrieved in minutes rather than weeks should a brand need to protect itself.
At PSI, we also made it easier to ensure that reps have received the right field sales training. Ireland’s energy companies can upload training materials directly to a rep’s device so that they always have access to what they need, while the ability to capture and report on rep performance data gives a clear indication of where each member of the team needs to focus their training.
Ireland’s energy companies know that perfect onboarding builds customer trust
While ensuring customers are protected from mis-selling is a key part of making your door-to-door sales a success, it’s not the only aspect. Protecting your brand in the field is also a case of building trust with consumers, which includes delivering an efficient, reliable customer experience as much as it does managing rep behaviour.
When the process relies on paper, for example, it’s easy for mistakes to harm your brand reputation even if your sales rep did everything right on the doorstep. Ireland learned early how paper forms could get lost or damaged in the time between completing a sale and returning it to the back office team. And when it did reach the back office, it might have been sitting there for a week waiting for manual processing.
If customers are left waiting too long to hear back about the status of their order – or worse, if their details are lost altogether – it’s easy for them to form the perception that your company isn’t looking out for them.
Ireland’s energy companies eliminated that risk by doing away with the core problem. Once a sale is captured in PSI, it immediately comes off a rep’s device and is sent to be processed. Everything is automated, removing the delay that always comes with manually handling data. It’s also simple for sales teams to upload additional documentation like landlord’s consent, reducing the chance of broken sales.
We’re also continually evolving the PSI platform to give Ireland’s energy companies more tools for building trust with customers. During Covid we integrated remote signatures, allowing reps to send contracts and documentation to a customer’s own device, where they can review and sign at a safe distance. This functionality also gives customers another way to enter their bank details if they don’t want to hand them over at the door.
And in an age where the security of customer data is paramount, PSI makes it easy to comply with regulations like GDPR. Customer bank details are purged as soon as a sale is approved and the system automatically clears all sensitive customer data after three years as standard, and can be configured to purge more regularly if needed. PSI is also designed to take field sales agency partnerships into account, by making sure that agencies can’t see any company and customer data beyond what they need to fulfil their role.
If you’re ready to take your sales campaigns to the next level, speak to us to find out more about how PSI can help, or read our guide to PSI’s sales solutions.
5 industry trends affecting telcos and their sales outcomes
When the telco industry is constantly evolving, so too is the way that telco sales teams approach launching campaigns, engaging new customers and maximising their resources.
Whether it’s finding new ways to strengthen a sales team or thinking tactically about how to enter new territories, the telcos that find the most success will be the ones that are agile enough to roll with the changing landscape.
There’s a talent shortage causing brain drain
One of the biggest factors in how telco sales teams are changing is the problem of talent shortage.
Recruitment has taken a big hit as a result of the pandemic and the following economic uncertainty, with fewer people willing to risk their job security by seeking new opportunities. Fewer candidates on the job market makes the talent you do have that much more valuable – and when someone does leave, telcos are having to find new ways to soften the blow of brain drain.
If bolstering your sales resources has become harder recently, you’ll have to focus on capitalising on the channels that are available to you. Sometimes that means being more open to building remote or hybrid sales teams, so that you can access the best talent wherever you’re located.
But it can also mean rethinking what you look for in new hires. Some telcos are taking in younger candidates, who might not have the usual level of experience or proven knowledge but have the right attitude to build competency for the long term. With the right training and systems in place, the right team can be in place too.
Sustainability issues are at the frontier of connectivity
The last few years have seen some major leaps forward in what ISPs can offer customers, such as 5G and gigabit broadband. And with those advances comes a push to extend connectivity into the hardest to reach rural areas.
A lot of the fibre in rural areas is still being run on poles rather than in the ground. That leaves networks highly susceptible to storms and damage, an issue that might only become more pressing as the climate crisis and more unpredictable weather takes effect. As a result operators and legislators are putting significant investment into digging and laying new, more resilient cables in the ground.
As those networks expand into more and more territories, they won’t just bring more reliable connectivity for consumers – they will also create more opportunities for ISPs to sell and expand. But taking advantage of that will require more than sending out reps to talk about download speeds.
Building trust in your brand will be crucial in winning those customers. If their area has been underserved by slow or patchy broadband in the past, they might not take to a new provider as quickly as expected. Before they consider signing a contract, they first need to believe the promises being made to them.
There’s a gap between FTTP rollout and uptake in UK and Germany
Germany is aiming to bring FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) to half their population by 2025. And on first glance, the nation seems to be doing well. After all, Germany has the highest growth rate in Europe. However, they’re also starting from the smallest initial base.
70% of the FTTP rollout is being championed by alt-net providers, but their efforts are limited due to a lack of open access. They’re also facing a consumer base that is confused as to what benefits Fibre can offer over Germany’s robust and historically successful copper infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in the UK, 42% of the population have access to full fibre but only 25% have taken it up. Here the gap has some stark causes, such as lack of education around Fibre. In 2022, when internet service provider Zen surveyed the same population, they found that 32% of UK adults couldn’t define what full fibre broadband is.
In order to meet gigabit targets, telcos need to meet the education gap, and customers will only believe what telcos say if they can prove they are trustworthy.
The customer journey now starts earlier
When trust plays such a major role in telco sales, it changes the way providers think about presales. The customer journey starts long before you approach them about signing a contract. That’s true for any telco, but especially for challenger ISPs who need to build up brand and product awareness in an area before they send their sales reps in.
For the results to be meaningful, this needs to be treated as part of a sales campaign. It’s often not, because it’s not directly linked to completing deals with new customers. Agents could go out and thoroughly canvas an area, but they’re only given a clipboard to record basic details – and at the end of the day, none of that information is fed into a sales system database.
If that information is lost between campaigns, your sales team will be going in blind when they set out to sign people up in that area. They won’t know who’s interested in a new service or provider and who isn’t. With that comes a risk of overlooking potential customers who would have been easier to win, or overworking people who aren’t looking to change their current deal.
One touch switch and other incoming regulation
The Telecommunications (Security) Act and the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) dominate the regulatory landscape for telcos and their sales teams, but the Gigabit Infrastructure Act is in debate in Europe and Ofcom’s incoming One Touch Switch is on the horizon in the UK. The latter will make it easier for consumers to change their broadband supplier, but it will also require telecom sales teams to match their broadband service to other providers’ deals – their speed, pricing and contract length
Telcos that embrace this and go further, building on the ethos behind One Touch Switch and other customer choice-centred regulation will become the telcos that customers trust. And since that’s a key ingredient in overcoming many of the telecom industry’s current challenges, from FTTP rollout to funding new rural infrastructure, it’s going to be a determinant of which brands come out on top.
To learn more, check out our thoughts on how telcos can launch tactical, effective field sales campaigns.
Tactics, insight and impact for energy companies: how to launch effective sales campaigns in the field
The last few years haven’t been easy on the energy sector. As energy bills increase, many consumers find it hard to trust large energy companies who seem to profit from putting up their prices. Meanwhile, the rise in wholesale supply costs has left several of the UK’s newer, smaller providers stretched to or even beyond capacity.
Against that backdrop, field sales campaigns need to work harder than ever. Consumers need more than lower prices – they need to know they can trust a potential new provider, and understand what sets them apart from everyone else on the market.
First, ask what your potential customers are thinking
Before you start sending sales agents out to people’s doors, there are some fundamental questions you need to answer. What problem are you trying to solve, and for whom? How can you help your potential customers to understand the value of your service? And what resources do your reps need in order to get that message across?
When it comes to energy, the problem is fairly straightforward – your customers need reliable, affordable electricity. The questions they have are less likely to be about what they’re buying and more about your company in particular.
Consumers often see switching energy providers as a hassle, so they need to know why you are different from their incumbent. That’s not just a question of cost – it’s also about trust.
People have seen their bills shoot up in recent years – some are even choosing between heating their home and buying food – and they need to know what makes one energy company different from another. Imagine what questions they will have, and work out how to arm your reps to put any concerns to rest.
Take a tactical approach to your sales territory
To roll out an effective sales campaign, you need to be tactical about where you’re sending your field sales reps and what outcomes you need them to achieve.
The difficulty for energy companies is that the market is very mature. When everybody already has a supplier and there are no new products or innovations to sway them, a tactical approach often means testing the waters on whether it’s a good time to sell, focusing on building trust or acquiring certain groups of customers.
Bringing that laser focus requires effective territory management. That means more than gathering addresses and assigning them to sales rep routes. It’s about getting the most out of your campaign tools to optimise the routes in an area, deploy reps efficiently and get reports on results as they happen.
PSI’s Territory Management solution can help here. It allows you to approach an area tactically by creating unique routes for each agent and ensuring no routes are overworked.
Outcomes are reported in real time, giving you the insight you need to react quickly to what’s going on in your sales territory. And there’s no limit to the amount of data you can upload and manage at one time, so you won’t be held back even when handling multiple campaigns.
Keep one eye on the bigger picture
With any sales campaign, there are two key areas to focus on – getting the most productivity out of your sales team, and delivering the best possible customer experience. And if you’re striking out into new areas, you need to ask whether the tools you’re using are still capable of doing that as your customer base grows.
A common problem for growing suppliers is that when they get near or reach enterprise size, they find they’ve outgrown the systems they were using before. The tech isn’t able to keep up with where the company is going, and some customers inevitably fall through the cracks.
Field sales might be your focus at your current stage, and you have a solution in place to cover that. But if that solution can’t also handle multichannel sales when you need it, it’s going to fall short. But if your partner is as used to working with big players as they are with new entrants, they will be able to follow you on the scaling journey.
Even if reaching that size isn’t on the horizon right now, you need to be acting bigger than you might be right now. Your ambition will always be to build a larger customer base, and mergers, acquisitions and amalgamations are a fact of life for the sector. Companies that aren’t thinking of that long term vision can quickly get caught out.
The PSI platform can be that reliable partner, whether you’re at the field sales stage or growing towards multi-channel. Our intuitive software puts everything you need to quickly create and launch campaigns at your fingertips. Real time reporting lets you monitor your lead capture and market penetration as it happens, and the data insights from that help shape the targets and direction of your next campaign.
There is a long game you can play here. If you start out with sales and territory management tools that can easily scale as you do, you can continue to roll out each sales campaign as effectively as the last. To learn more, check out our thoughts on boosting your customer experience with territory management or take a look at our Territory Management solution.