CompTIA’s recent study of 900 end users and IT firms points to robust growth of this market, a sentiment echoed by forecasts from IDC, Gartner and Forrester.
Because the UC space is about to get a lot more crowded with competitors (according to CompTIA data, 6 in 10 solution providers definitely or probably plan to enter the market over the next 12 months), every advantage helps. Here are a few takeaways from the research to hopefully improve the odds of selling unified communications solutions:
- Remember the Basics of Sales 101
Seasoned sales pros know the importance of the customer needs assessment. This time-honored strategy seeks to match product selling points to customer needs. This gets tricky when needs vary within an organization, from department to department or team to team.- According to the research, 1 in 4 businesses report significant differences of opinion between the IT department (typically making the UC buying decision) and others technology users within the organization. This survey did not include all end user segments, so it’s likely this figure is even higher.
- Relatively few non-IT or non-executive staff, such as customer service staff (35%), sales staff (32%) or remote staff (38%) are included in the UC needs assessment. Without buy-in from these power users, the full value of a UC investment is seldom realized.
- Another obvious, but sometimes overlooked, sales 101 practice entails striking the right balance between tech-speak and business-speak. For example, only 40% of IT or business executives report familiarity with the concept of communications as a service (CaaS). Tech acronyms and jargon have their place, but customer knowledge of terminology may vary widely.
- Don’t Skimp on Training
The UC ecosystem contains many moving parts and a constantly shifting mix of technologies. The complexities of this market can be overwhelming, so an investment in knowledge should be part of the equation.- 51% of UC solution providers indicate more technical training would enhance their performance in the market. Interestingly, far fewer mention sales training, possibly an indicator of the “let’s get the technical side down and we’ll figure out the sales stuff later” mentality.
- 44% of solution providers seek UC certifications and/or credentials to confirm expertise and bolster their image with customers (I’ll make a quick plug for the CompTIA CTP+ certification).
- Among end users, a net 63% of IT staff and 75% of general staff report needing significantly more or moderately more training on unified communications technologies. This suggests many UC adopters are underutilizing their investment, or worse, may be at risk of a security incident, a system crash or other negative event stemming from lack of expertise.
- Be Collaboration Savvy
Presently, the core elements of UC include voice, video and data. That’s changing though. The collaboration element often entails a mash-up of voice, video and data, but in some cases, it may be viewed as a unique component within the UC (or UCC) ecosystem.- 1 in 3 solution providers currently view collaboration as a separate or secondary element of UC, but this view may not be entirely consistent with the customer view. Fifty-one percent of end users strongly associate collaboration with UC, consistent with their plans to shift more resources from audio and data to collaboration over the next two years.
- 59% of UC solution providers see customer demand for improvements in staff productivity and efficiency as a primary market driver. Collaboration tools play a major role in satisfying this objective. As an aside, for a few interesting stats on the amount of time U.S. workers spend in meetings, check out this site.
- From the end user perspective, the top collaboration features desired: a). Document management, b). Task or project management, c). Workflow management, and d). Screen/desktop sharing.
- Think Mobile
In an increasingly mobile world, it goes without saying, there will be implications for the unified communications market.- 64% of end users indicate smartphones will play a major role in their firm’s communication and collaboration strategy over the next 2 years. Similarly, 44% indicate tablets will play a major role.
- For UC solution providers, mobility represents an opportunity on many fronts. Realistically, many mobile devices are so user-friendly, it doesn’t take much tech know-how to install an app, setup email or connect to company data. The challenges come in deep integration, security, customization, data back-up, deploying mobile virtual desktops and more. These are the opportunities ripe for solution providers to capitalize on.
- Have a “Simplicity” Mindset
Time and time again, the research points to the strong desire of end user to reduce IT complexity. Somewhat paradoxically, the same research will often also include findings of end users wanting more features, more capabilities and more flexibility from their technology. Yes, customers want it all!- For UC solution providers, this may be an opportunity to introduce customers to cloud-based communication and collaboration options. One of the top perceived benefit of cloud solutions is ease of use and reduced complexity. Additionally, 53% of end users cite speed and ease of implementation of cloud-based communications solutions as an appealing feature. Solution providers that are adept at keeping IT complexity in the background will be well positioned to succeed.
- According to the research, 30% of end user organizations definitely plan to consider cloud-based solutions for their next communications and collaboration initiatives, while 31% probably will consider this option.
- Following the pattern of cloud adoption for many organizations, expect a hybrid approach, whereby a combination of on-premise and cloud applications will work in conjunction with one another.
UC is more than a technology deployment. It often entails a seismic shift in how employees interact with one another and customers, share information, manage processes, and balance work and home life. This makes the market especially fascinating to study. Stay tuned for more insights and market intelligence from CompTIA.
