Paul Dunne, Head of Channel Sales – UK & Ireland, Plantronics, discusses how resellers can drive successful UC headset sales.
The discussion around Unified Communications (UC) headsets has evolved from how these drive workplace flexibility and agility to focus more on how the technology can actually translate into financial benefits for businesses. With the costs of desks and office real estate so high, finding meaningful ways of helping businesses reduce investment in these areas has become a significant value-add. For partners, bringing the savings that UC can yield to life continues to be the best way to resonate with their cost-conscious customers.
The power of proof points
It goes without saying that UC solution providers must fully support partners so they can make the most of UC. One way for them to do this is to offer partners the training sales support and resources they need to prove the value of UC headsets to their customers. Proof Of Concept (POC) product trials, which offer partners a risk-free means to give customers hands-on experience with UC tools, will go a long way in driving sales and building an even strong vendor-partner relationship.
Bringing the pieces together
To get the most out of UC, businesses will look to implement the technology across their entire IT system. We’ve already seen many do this by choosing to transfer their office tools to the cloud using programmes such as Microsoft Office 365. In this sense, UC headsets are an important piece of a much wider puzzle, and offer resellers a significant device revenue opportunity within their UC portfolio. Resellers will find value in using these as a gateway technology that will position them to introduce customers to additional UC solutions.
More than just a headset
A UC headset is more than just an innovative device; it is a catalyst for intelligent and flexible working that can help businesses operate more efficiently and more economically. Resellers should look beyond the device and highlight these benefits to bring UC to life for customers.
To add to this, with many businesses today becoming more dispersed – operating across multiple offices and on the road – resellers can tap into their evolving requirements for worker flexibility. UC headsets are ideally suited to helping employees collaborate efficiently when working in different buildings or when on the road.
Drivers of virtual collaboration
“Unified Communications” may not be the best term to describe what UC technology does. Customers have been known to dismiss this as a marketing phrase, and therefore miss out on discovering the very real benefits that UC can bring them. Ultimately, UC headsets are a solution for virtual collaboration, and resellers that can drive this point home for customers will be in the best position to see their UC sales improve.