How to Gain the Competitive Advantage as a Cloud Service Reseller

• March 28, 2019
• Author: Keith Young

Staying competitive in the unified communications industry has become increasingly challenging. Offering an excellent product and great marketing won’t be enough to launch you above your competition.

To gain the competitive advantage, you need to focus on your relationship with your customers.

3 Steps to Surpassing Your Competitors

Consumers tend to do a lot of research before buying. Many of your customers have an acceptable understanding of the products and services they need. For customers who already know they want to buy cloud service, the question is more about which provider they will choose than which product they’re looking for.

What will increase your chances of being the provider of choice? Here are 3 key differentiators to master.

1. Understand Your Customers

Naturally, customers expect you to understand your products and services. Most resellers will present themselves as experts in the industry. What will set you apart is an understanding of your customers.

Demonstrating a keen appreciation for what matters to your customers will add value to your business. Knowing the answers to the following questions will strengthen your relationship with your customer:

• What is important to your customers?
• What factors have the greatest impact on their business?
• How does their business operate?
• What needs do they have and how are they prioritized?

Along with clearly communicating that you have the best interests of your customer in mind, respecting their time and budget can go a long way. Directing them to the products and services that best fit their needs and budget can save them time and prove to them that you genuinely care about what’s best for them rather than just making another sale.

2. Offer Extraordinary Support

Customer support is an essential part of selling unified communications. Rising above your competition means the support you offer must exceed expectations.

Potential customers begin to evaluate your support from the very first interaction. Put yourself in their shoes.

• Is it easy for them to find the information they’re looking for?
• How simple is your website to navigate?
• How quickly can they find contact information for your business?
• How long does it take for them to get connected with an agent?

Existing customers expect excellent technical support. Nothing is more frustrating than a daunting system glitch that’s slowing business. Your greatest asset will be a technical support team that can expertly handle issues, clearly communicate with customers and cultivate a sense of calm.

3. Build Trust

The best sales investment you can make is prioritizing customer loyalty. The cost of keeping an existing customer is much less than the cost of acquiring a brand new one.

That customer loyalty begins even before your customer makes their first purchase. Presenting your business as an authority in unified communications will go a long way toward building trust. If you’re able to answer customer questions in a way they can understand, and if you’re able to deliver on your promises, you have the opportunity to develop a lifelong business relationship.

Set Up For Success

Setting your customers up for success increases your own chances of business success. What are some areas your business can work on to give you a greater competitive advantage?

Is there something we can do to help? UnitedCloud is passionate about equipping our resellers to set you up for success. Contact us to find out how we can support your business.