Based on the word of a VoIP (Voice
over Internet Protocol) expert, the
main concern when it comes to choosing VoIP phone services over traditional phone lines (analog) is reliability.
“When VoIP was launched, it was an
exciting time in telecom,” says Jonathan
Curry, vice president of sales and marketing for Curry IP Solutions. “But the companies that got out there first expanded hard
and fast to try and meet the demand. Unfortunately, now they are overextended.
When that occurs, quality and reliability
sometimes can suffer.”
Smart Business spoke with Curry about
the current state of VoIP and what challenging situations are typically encountered by a VoIP sales professional.
How would you describe the current state of
VoIP business use nationally?
When VoIP launched, it seemed like the
sky was the limit. Now, we are seeing a bit
of a leveling off. Customers are asking
more questions, trying to obtain crossover
solutions that let them only move one-half
of their lines to VoIP — and one-half to
remain in the analog world. This solution
allows them to use trusted names like
Avaya when it comes to equipment and to
try out the newer VoIP services and see
what they are all about.
How does the use of business VoIP in
Pittsburgh compare to elsewhere?
This area of the country is sometimes a
bit slower to react to technological advances than, say, California. But Pittsburghers recognize and appreciate hardworking companies that have proven reliability. So, while VoIP can be a tougher sell
here, many companies are beginning to
move in that direction.
I have no doubt that Pittsburgh soon will
be among the top users of VoIP. One of the
reasons I believe that is that recently,
Pittsburgh received a citywide Wi-Fi network. This network could allow business
owners and employees greater mobility. It
may also allow users to sit outside of PPG
Place on a sunny afternoon and enjoy the sun while taking and receiving calls like they were sitting at their desks.
Do some situations warrant a business remaining with its analog phone system?
If the business does not have access to a
good quality broadband service, then I
would recommend it stay with its current
analog system. The reason is that the quality of the broadband service affects the
quality of the VoIP service. However, good
quality broadband is being rapidly deployed, so the need to stay with an analog
system is only temporary.
How do you price a VoIP system?
First and foremost, you have to listen to
customers’ needs. I find out what their current needs are, but it’s important also to
find out what they are planning in the
future of their business. Then I can determine what would be the best solution that
can easily grow along with them.
You always want to consider size of the
company, number of employees, types of
usage and comfort level with new technologies. However, I think it goes back to
their current needs and future expectations to find the right fit for them.
Describe the timeline of a typical day you
encounter as a VoIP sales professional.
My day begins with a quick check of e-mail and voicemail messages using my e-mail program. Since all my voicemails are
e-mailed to me, it’s easy to see what needs
to get done that day, what issues need to
get resolved and what customers need.
Because I’m already in my e-mail program,
it’s easy to resend proposals or drop a line
to a warm lead. Also, I can send any new
lead issues that came up to other sales
associates within our group now that they
have a copy of the voicemail, as well as any
notes I may want to add, so that they can
effectively follow up with leads and issues.
Next, it’s time to hit the road for appointments or meetings. So I turn on the forwarding feature on my desk phone so that
all of my calls come straight to my cell. This
way, I don’t have to give customers my cell
phone number and I can control when I am
available. Since their caller ID is passed to
my cell phone, I can always know who is
calling before I pick up the phone.
At the end of the day, I can head back into
the office to catch up on any e-mails or
calls I missed and get home in time for dinner. VoIP makes the sales professional not
only more accessible and capable of doing
a better job, but more productive with the
hours available to him or her.
How do you describe yourself based upon
your level of experience?
My experiences in telecom are varied.
When you work with family, it’s not as
much about what you can do; it’s a lot more
about what else you can do to get the job
done. I have been asked to do it all. But we
all have our strengths, so the bulk of my
experience has been in the sales and marketing side, where I have been working
intensely in the development of Curry IP
Solutions.
JONATHAN CURRY is vice president of sales and marketing for
Curry IP Solutions (www.curryip.com), which caters to business
clients. Reach him at [email protected] or (412) 307-3600,
ext. 9002.