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REDSTONE MOBILE’S MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVE MCGINN, TELLS US WHAT MAKES HIS BUSINESS TICK
Where?
Communications House, 166 Handford Road, Ipswich, IP1 2BH Tel: 01473 382097
What are the key areas your business concentrates on distributing?
Increasing data penetration and reducing churn levels within our partner base. Over the past year, with the help of our data and retentions specialists, along with the continued support from our partners, we have been able to show a significant decrease in churn and increase in data penetration. On the back of this, Redstone was awarded RIM Partner of the Year in April 2009.
What is it about Redstone that makes this business the right one for the mobile channel to work with?
At Redstone it’s all about the best ROI for our business partners to enable them to sustain and grow their businesses, while being in line with network objectives. The average tenure of our business account managers is eight years with Redstone, which in turn gives a confidence to our business partners.
What is your company’s USP?
Holding distribution agreements with all five UK networks, therefore being able to offer our partners a wider choice of tariffs. This, coupled with being part of the Redstone Group, offers our partners an additional revenue stream, through selling fixed line, VOIP and managed services to name a few.
All Redstone staff members have been with us for an average tenure of five years, each having an extensive knowledge on the products and services available within the market.
Where are you investing in or expanding your portfolio?
Being part of the Redstone Group means we already have a host of products and services available to our partners; this is a constantly expanding portfolio to reflect the vibrant market place.
What are the hot trends going forward for distribution in your area?
Revenue share. Now it’s just as important to look at the value added services, such as message and minute bolt ons, mobile broadband, BlackBerry, etc, all of which will increase the customers ARPU, therefore increasing the revenue share to our partners.
What is at the top of your company’s agenda for the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months we will be looking at ways to help increase our partners’ connections, through training programmes, deal clinics and making sure they are well equipped to close deals. Deal clinics are a great way for us to sit down with our partners and help them close deals, through additional funding, additional support in the form of our data specialist or additional training.
What are your top tips for dealers selling your products?
Look at the Redstone brand as a whole. 35% of our active base is currently selling our fixed line products, meaning there is still an opportunity for the remaining 65% of our base. With the current economic climate, everyone is looking for ways to earn more money, and with the diverse products and services Redstone offer, we can certainly offer all our partners an additional revenue stream to capitalise on.
What do you see as the best mobile out there for business right now, and why?
It’s hard to say one particular mobile is better than another, as they all have different features and of course it all comes down to personal preference.
Personally for me the best mobile is the BlackBerry 8900; this to me is the Swiss army knife of the mobile world. It has everything you need to be able to do your job.
What are the hottest applications out there at the moment, and why?
BlackBerry App World. It carries a host of features which can help assist you in both your working and personal life.
The Lonely Planet Phrasebook is great if you have to travel with work or are going on holiday.
HRS Hotel Organiser allows you to check hotel availability, prices and facilities while on the move, therefore saving time in having to phone around finding a hotel for the night.
Should dealers pay more attention to accessories, and why?
Accessories are a great way for our business partners to earn some more revenue. With the rules and regulations that have come into force, it’s even more important that company owners pay more attention to their mobilised force safety. With items like Bluetooth headsets and tracking accessories, companies can pay more attention to the location of their employees, therefore making sure the working day is as utilised as possible.
Do you have a green policy?
Definitely, how could we not in this current climate? Our sales force have fuel efficient cars and we have always been proactive in recycling of paper and office utilities. Cutting down on the amount of printed materials is vital and have recently moved to producing downloaded documents.
Key personnel:
Airtime: Vodafone – T-Mobile – O2 – Orange – 3
Handsets: BlackBerry - Sony Ericsson – Motorola – Nokia – LG – HTC – Acer
Accessories: THB – Parrott – Nokia – Sony Ericsson – Jabra
Services: Nokia Accredited Repair Centre Grade 2