1. Vice President – Channel Development
Building Your Business with SIP Trunking and Unified Communications InGate SIP Trunking and Unified Communications Summit October, 2012
Joel Maloff
Vice President – Channel Development
Phone.com

2. Introduction
Channel Sales Partners can generate significant income selling SIP trunks and Unified Communications
This session takes a sales and marketing perspective, and specifically, the view from the independent agent.
This presentation contains some material covered in more detail in the online program “SIP Trunking for the Sales and Marketing Professional,” available from The SIP School (

3. Building Your Business Overview
SIP Trunks and UC
Channel Sales Opportunities
What to look for in a SIP Trunking, Hosted PBX, and/or Unified Communications Channel Program
Identifying YOUR SIP Trunking “Sweet Spot” and what to avoid
Interpreting the customer’s Status Quo
Uncovering areas of added value
Creating a cost justification/ROI model
Overcoming Objections
Closing the Sale
Keeping the Sale

4. SIP Trunks and UC
Unified communications includes mobility, presence, web conferencing, a variety of other solutions, AND voice communications via SIP trunks.
SIP trunking is therefore a subset of the unified communications umbrella.

5. SIP Trunks and UC
Unified Communications can be multifaceted, complex and confusing to potential buyers.
That’s bad for sales.
By focusing on specific benefits and documented ROI, your chances for a sale go up.
SIP trunking can provide the substantiation you need!

6. Channel Sales Opportunities
SIP Trunking, Hosted PBX, and Unified Communications are young industries.
Most service providers are less than five years old.
Channel programs are only just now beginning for these services and the models vary widely.

7. Channel Sales Opportunities
What to look for in a service provider
Strong existing reputation
Comprehensive suite of services that address YOUR marketplace
Competitive pricing
Low customer churn rate
Clear partner compensation program
Interactive web-based tools for partners

8. Channel Sales Opportunities
What to avoid
Organizations with a limited track record in these specific services
Bias towards specific technologies
“Only a Broadsoft-based service provider is worth considering.”
Base your decisions on demonstrable evidence rather than speculation.
There are many excellent alternatives and no one technology has all of the answers in terms of features, quality, and cost effectiveness.

9. The SIP Trunking “Sweet Spot”
Each ITSP is different.
What is your partner’s “sweet spot”
Number of concurrent calls?
Number of locations?
Minimum current telephone bill?
Number of PRIs total and/or per location?

10. The SIP Trunking “Sweet Spot”
Number of minutes per month?
Incoming?
Outgoing?
Local, domestic long distance, international?
Inbound Toll-free?
Specific vertical industries?
Specific geographies?

11. The SIP Trunking “Sweet Spot”
As a sales organization, knowing who and where to target can be the difference in making your numbers or failing to perform.

12. Interpreting the Status Quo
Reviewing an actual customer bill for cost savings
Identifying areas of “soft” savings

13. Finding Added Value Consolidation of offices
Creation of “Virtual” presence
Domestic
International

14. Cost Justification and ROI
It is easy to assert cost savings; it takes work to prove it.
“Hard” cost savings come from three primary areas:
Usage sensitive call charges
Fixed price services (PRI, DSL, local exchange lines, et al) used for voice services

15. Cost Justification and ROI
Fees and Surcharges
EUCL
The End User Common Line (EUCL) charge is a federally regulated monthly service charge applied to certain local voice service offerings. 
RCRF
The Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (RCRF)
Imposed by some carriers on business and residential long distance customers
used to recover costs associated with Federal regulatory fees imposed upon these carriers.
Others

16. Cost Justification and ROI
Calculating potential savings
Understand current costs by examining a current bill if possible.
Try to make sure that it is a representative month and not an anomaly.
Identify usage charges and their breakdown regarding local, domestic long distance, and international.
Identify fixed monthly charges for PRIs, DSL, and surcharges.

17. Cost Justification and ROI

18. Cost Justification and ROI
Calculating potential costs
Identify fixed monthly charges for PRIs, DSL, and surcharges.
Calculate the number of SIP trunks (concurrent calls) and Internet bandwidth required using the spreadsheet on the next slide.

19. Cost Justification and ROI

20. Cost Justification and ROI
Calculating potential savings and value
Include all costs for all solutions
Consider surcharges and fees such as EUCL (Approximately $40 per PRI or T-1 monthly) and RCRF (Approximately 3.5% of all domestic and international calling charges)
Most ITSPs do not include EUCL and RCRF fees.
Show the monthly total costs, percent saved via SIP trunking, and the estimated annual savings.

21. Cost Justification and ROI

22. Cost Justification and ROI
Simple tools provide simplistic answers; business is complex today!
If you want to deliver quality to your prospects, preparation is in order; they will welcome your expertise!

23. Overcoming Objections
Conceptual
Internet Telephony is here to stay
AT&T asks the FCC to allow shut-down of their traditional PSTN services in favor of IP Telephony.
SIP trunking revenue grew 128% from 2010 to 2011 (Infonetics Research, April 2012)
10% of total trunks in the USA are SIP as of 2011 (Infonetics Research, April 2012)
The “tipping point” is 3 to 5 years from now ( ) (Infonetics Research, April 2012)

24. Overcoming Objections
Technical
Financial
Emotional

25. Closing the Sale ASK FOR THE ORDER!!! Make it easy. Make it simple.
Make it painless.

26. Keeping the Sale Minimize churn!
Keeping and growing existing customers is more valuable than new sales.
The salesperson’s job is NOT done when the service agreement is signed.
Ensure that service is delivered as sold and when promised.
Maintain regular contact to avoid unexpected churn, expand existing services, obtain referrals, and solicit testimonials.

27. Conclusions
Successfully selling SIP trunking, hosted PBX, and unified communications services requires a combination of good old fashioned sales skills and knowledge of the SIP trunking environment beyond just surface information and platitudes.
Customers NEED these solutions – you need to be able to help them make the buying decision from you!

28. For More Information Joel Maloff, Maloff NetResults The SIP School
The SIP School