Time is money. I have worked with organizations who continue to devote hours of their C-level time researching products and services only to make a choice that is not properly designed to fit their future needs. The job of a technology consultant is to take this time and give it back to you. The meetings you set up, the conference calls, the emails back and forth, and the time you spend researching services is all time taken away from the core of your business. I have run into CFOs and CEOs who are spending their time researching solutions because the company is in dire need of those particular services. While every business owner and c-level contact must be educated on the products they buy, there does come a point where too much time is being devoted to researching and quote comparing. When time is audited, especially taking into consideration the per hour rate of a c-level contact, the margin of the cost benefit for the research and management of the quote process shrinks.

When you make a technology purchase, you must be absolutely sure you’ve made the right decision. Did you select an award winning company that can provide you with references? Did the quote provide all of the details for the price you’ll pay each month? If you need to correct your supplier to help them provide a more accurate quote, you’re working with the wrong supplier.

SOL Communications has designed a procedure that will allow you to be fully invested in your research for new technology services in a way that is so efficient, you’ll save time and still obtain the best solution for your business. If your business needs internet, voice, 5G, cell phone service, data storage, cybersecurity, or you need an outsourced vCIO to manage your IT – SOL can help you find the award winning solution at a great price.

 

The image below is from Gary Vaynerchuk, one of my virtual mentors. I strongly believe that my success has come by studying free information online. I read a lot and I enjoy watching and listening to other gurus work their craft. While I can obtain most of my tech content from CIO.com, WIRED, Computer World, ect, I get / steal / adapt my marketing ideas from Gary Vaynerchuk. You can always upgrade your marketing skills by testing out methods. You don't have to follow completely what someone else does, but you learn nothing if you don't experiment.

Artificial Intelligence in the Voice Market with IVR

If you want your business to have customers interact with a computer before being connected to a representative, that technology is called IVR - or interactive voice response. This is just the beginning to a new market of artificial voice intelligence. Some businesses may find this to be a helpful addition to your technology toolset. 

These voice systems have become so widely used that you've probably found yourself communicating with a virtual assistant over the phone more than you'd like. Although this technology can be frustrating, forcing us to say "customer representative" in many circumstances, when used properly IVRs manage inbound volume to efficiently route the customer to the right department and they are helpful. Through the evolution of this product this will get better to the point where, one day, people will actually prefer IVR over a human. We're obviously not there yet. 

Think of the IVR as a collector of data through inquiry that helps with automatically transferring the call to the right department. If your business needs this we can help you find the right IVR solution for your business at no cost to you, and for the same cost as going direct. 

Vendor Presentations are a Healthy Checkup on your business, but they must be managed

 

Some businesses will avoid the procedure of allowing multiple vendors to present a new solution because of the time consuming follow up and engagement necessary with each. The problem in avoiding this is that each vendor, in advocating for their product or service, provides insight into your environment by either reaffirming your plan or challenging it to evolve.

SOL Communications can help by managing all presentations by vendors and block unnecessary follow up. When you request a vendor presentation through SOL Communications, those vendors must go through SOL Communications as their main point of contact - not you directly. This gives you the freedom to explore and make introductions with new vendors to see what service they can provide without feeling the pressure of needing to move forward so quickly. Those vendors may reach out to SOL Communications for follow up, but they will not reach out to you - the customer - directly unless you've given permission through SOL.

If you are a business that needs to evaluate multiple options in your technology environment - whether voice, internet, cloud, data center, or cybersecurity - let SOL Communications know. Don't avoid vendor presentations which can be a healthy check up on the validity of your technology plans.