Even businesses of significant size fret over dealing with the giants of the telecom industry. These “Goliaths” only seem to offer a cookie-cutter approach to the needs of their clients. “Look at my services,” they seem to say, “And tremble,” just like the Biblical figure. They simply refuse to respond with any alacrity and their solutions are the same for everyone.

It would be refreshing, to say the least, to find a “David” among these companies. The good news is there ARE modern-day Davids, telecom consultants (they are sometimes called telecom agents). These agents carry the stone, in the form of focused services and products, that will end your frustration of dealing with the telecom Goliaths.

The benefits of utilizing telecom consultants are multifold and center around their ability to more effectively buy and resell telecom services. Typical benefits include:

Industry Knowledge – Most telecom consultants got their start at one of the major players. As such, they were drilled on the advantages and disadvantages of their own company as well as the competition. In short, these agents know the industry as well or better than the trainees at the telecom giants. This knowledge is particularly helpful in weeding out the worst of the worst in terms of providers and contracts.

Broad-Based – Telecom consultants are not tied to one carrier. They can offer the best solution for your business from a variety of carriers. The best telecom options at the best prices. The concept is almost revolutionary.

Sole Point of Contact – Telecom consultants do not come with the bureaucracy of a telecom giant. The agent will know the details of your plans and their infrastructure. There will be no frustrating delays while various departments coordinate their efforts across disparate locations in other states and foreign countries. You will always get David on the phone.

Trustworthy Advice – No matter how the large telecom companies spin it, your business will never be as important to them as it is to your telecom consultant. It is in his or her best interest to understand your business and give you the best possible advice. It’s a win-win situation for your business and for the consultants.

It is an inescapable fact that the Davids of the world have to try harder. For your company, this fact translates into better telecom services at a lower cost with superior customer experience.

Anyone who has ever bought a home will surely understand the need for forthright and unbiased advice. In the purchase of a home, this advice helps minimize wasted time, energy, and money and helps to find the best possible house for your needs.

Similarly, an experienced and knowledgeable telecom agent can provide the same expertise when buying telecom services. There are three distinct advantages that a telecom consultant provides to a company that, in the end, will help determine the best solution for your needs and not for the seller.

The Whole Truth

Every Realtor with an ounce of sense will detail the faults of a home as well as its advantages to a potential buyer. In the telecom industry, this transparency is not so easy for the representatives of the major telecom services providers as they need to push their products and services. A telecom consultant, however, can pick and choose from among all the offerings of the major players and provide unbiased recommendations for your business.

No Quotas

Of course, telecom consultants are compensated based on what they sell. Unlike, direct representatives, however, there are no quotas to meet and no special incentives for particularly lucrative product lines to jade their sales efforts. Telecom consultants are forced to look at the big picture which means doing the right thing for your business and not for the immediate sales goal of their employer. Just like a Realtor, they understand that a lifelong customer is best for the success of their own business.

Single Point of Contact

Similarly, a telecom consultant will learn your business. This fact means that he or she will adapt the telecom services to your needs and not vice versa like the telecom giants. To stretch the analogy, instead of selling an expensive, five-bedroom house to a newly married couple, he will recognize that a three-bedroom started home is far more appropriate and affordable. This knowledge will carry over throughout every phase of your business relationship. In fact, a telecom consultant can easily become part of your team providing detailed guidance on all your telecom and communication needs.

We welcome any of your thoughts on working with a direct carrier or on the benefits of utilizing a telecom consultant. Please share them with us below.

The concept of an annual checkup is nothing new. We all know we should visit the doctor at least once a year to make sure everything is in good order and to detect potential health problems early. Many serious issues are avoided by having a checkup since adjustments can be made before its too late.

The same concept holds true for your telecom services. Doing a regular review, at least annually, will ensure you’re getting what you need and avoiding potential problems or service disruptions. Here’s why:

Communication is the Life Blood of Your Business

It’s obvious that without your communications, you really have no business. Your ability to effectively communicate with your customers is essential for your success. What would happen if your systems overloaded and caused you to go dark for a day or two? How much business would you lose?

Having an annual audit or “checkup” of your company’s telecom services by a qualified telecom consultant will help you avoid those situations completely. Your consultant or agent will make sure you’re getting the amount of bandwidth you need to safely run your business, and can also help you plan for disasters or outages.

New Technologies and Applications Are Born Every Day

Just like researchers constantly work to improve and invent new medications, advances in telecommunications occur every day. When you review your needs and services with your telecom agent at least annually, you can take advantage of the latest and greatest applications. This typically means lower costs for more advanced services, in addition to increased efficiencies that didn’t exist before.

As the Cloud continues to evolve the way we do business, it can seem daunting to keep up with all the ways your business could be utilizing its advantages. But when you check in regularly with your telecom consultant, you will have the peace of mind knowing you are getting exactly what you need, or “taking the right medicine” for your business.

For all these reasons and more, make sure to get your telecommunications checkup on a regular basis. It will ensure you avoid major issues in service and take advantage of the latest advancements in technology. The result will be more savings, better services, and most importantly, stellar telecommunications health.

Is it possible that you could be in two or more places at the same time? Physically, no, but virtually, yes, and this is made possible by Unified Communications. Unified Communications UC simply means the interfacing of multiple communication devices and applications to simplify and speed up communication processes. A classic example is video conferencing. With the aid of Internet-capable laptops, executives of different companies from different places can virtually meet together online from the comfort of their offices.

Is Unified Communications really that important?

UC allows you to do more while saving precious time.  The business world is a rat race and as a busy executive of your company, you cannot afford to waste time. With UC, you and your organization can accomplish more results in less time. In the past, your predecessors needed to visit their staff to know what tasks they were working on.  Today, supervising and monitoring thousands of people is made easier by setting up an office communicator system integrating phones and computer workstations with voice, video, and instant messaging capabilities. This way, people and processes become more efficient and productive.

Availability is not an issue

You certainly cannot be physically present in more than one place at the same time, but UC guarantees your availability for important events. For instance, if you need to be at your child’s school for an important activity, you can use your mobile phone with a remote office feature to check on your staff, monitor operations, or respond to emergencies.

By bringing together all communication tools in a single platform, you minimize expensive employee travel that can drain company coffers. On the other hand, if there is a need for you to travel to any point on the planet, communication is not a problem as long as you have an IP compatible communication device with you.

Marketability is enhanced. Your use of technology is perceived by your clients as a sign of success and professionalism. Unified Communications indeed opens great possibilities to connect with people in real-time.

Isn’t it time you set up your own UC system to streamline your communications?