No matter how you slice it, broadband internet is big business. Cable internet is imperative for many SMBs and small enterprises for cloud computing, unified communications (UC) and connecting to other enterprise applications. Cable also pairs well with newer SD-WAN technologies so that customers can run more intelligent and efficient networks. And, while some customers are moving to faster fiber circuits, there’s a large customer segment that will continue to rely on cable internet like coax to meet internet backup requirements and connect to enterprise cloud apps.
The Downside of Selling Broadband
However, as a technology advisor, selling broadband internet is no picnic. That’s because selling cable, whether coax or fiber, has traditionally been an incredibly time-consuming and manually driven process. Let’s review the major sticking points.
- The middle-man game: One of the biggest challenges is that technology advisors must go through third parties to access serviceability and pricing information. With a high level of coordination needed, it often takes several hours, if not days, to prospect each potential customer.
- Manual-driven: Tracking down serviceability and pricing information generally requires going to each cable provider portal, inputting addresses and pulling that information to prepare a quote. Taking the approved quote and generating the contract also takes several manual steps and requires multiple emails. Prospecting for multisite locations is even more labor-intensive.
- Low ROI: The manual nature of selling cable means that often small cable contracts equate to low-value opportunities. And potential multi-site cable contracts that offer high MRR (monthly recurring revenue) are often too time-consuming and cost-prohibitive to pursue. As a result, many technology advisors don’t pursue new cable deals or they fail to cross-sell cable services with existing customers, leaving money on the table.
- Written proof: Another factor is that customers want to see accurate price quotes for each location in writing before moving to the contract phase. Coordinating with third parties to obtain written quotes is exceptionally challenging, and it can often delay or kill opportunities.
- High customer expectations: In 2020, the customer experience was the No. 1 key brand differentiator, beating out both product and price. And it’s no different when selling cable services. Whether customers are looking for cable internet for one location or 100 locations, they expect the same level of service.
Finally, Technology That Accelerates Your Success
There’s new technology available that is changing the rules when it comes to selling cable services. Some master agencies offer tools to give technology advisors access to cable serviceability and pricing information directly, eliminating the need to coordinate with third parties to generate quotes and contracts. Here’s what to look for in evaluating cable selling tools.
- Automated and self-service: The best cable selling tools should be self-service and enable technology advisors to look up customer locations, serviceability and pricing for cable services from multiple carriers from a single interface. Click on Page 2 to continue reading…
