4 Steps to Launch Cloud PBX Sales in 2024

March 21, 2024 · 9 min to read

Usually, operators begin selling a cloud PBX through the efforts of their representatives, who are accustomed to offering only telephony and internet services to customers. This situation can pose difficulties when launching a new service. In this article, we’ll discuss an operator’s steps to organize an effective sales system.

Step 1: Define a Sales Plan for the Cloud PBX

Most likely, you already have a sales plan for the primary services — supplement it so that reps start selling the cloud PBX service. Try doing the following:

Define an annual plan. Base it on the product's strategic goals. For example, it might turn out that you need to sell the cloud PBX to 360 corporate clients within a year.
Supplement individual sales plans. According to the annual plan, your department should make 30 sales monthly. If you have 15 reps, each should now sell the service at least twice a month.

Work on the annual and individual plans simultaneously — this will help evaluate your department's capabilities and adjust requirements in time. For instance, if you have only four reps and the plan is to make at least 50 sales per month, you'll need to generate leads through advertising or adjust the plan to a more realistic one.

Step 2: Develop a Motivation Program for Employees

The cloud PBX is a new service for your sales representatives. To make it less challenging for them to sell it, create a motivation system. The experience of phone companies has shown that the following actions have worked well:

If a rep sells the cloud PBX during a service launch period, pay them 200% of the first subscription fee for each connected client.
If a rep sells cloud PBX six months after a product launch, pay them 100% of the first subscription fee for each connected client.
Motivating department managers is also important, so pay them 20% of each sale.

Even with these bonuses, some employees may continue to sell only internet services and telephony, leaving the cloud PBX aside. In this case, you can introduce a reducing coefficient for bonuses: if a representative doesn't meet the minimum sales target for the service, they won't receive full bonuses.

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Step 3: Train Employees About the Product

Help reps quickly understand the cloud PBX and allow them to refresh their knowledge at any time. Let's explore ways to make training more effective:

Designate a product expert — this role can be fulfilled by a project manager or an employee who can quickly grasp the cloud PBX. Colleagues will know that any complex customer questions can be discussed with the expert, making them more confident in selling the service.
Provide reps with necessary materials: a knowledge base, commercial proposal, service presentation, and flyers. Employees can refresh their product knowledge anytime and send documents to subscribers.

At the initial stage, reps often need help understanding the service details. In this case, customers may find answers to their questions in the documents themselves.
Grant employees access to a cloud PBX account to reinforce their product knowledge practically. Your service should be installed on each specialist's device if it has a mobile app.

Furthermore, reps should offer product testing to customers. Only after using the cloud PBX, subscribers will truly understand its value for their business.
Gather case studies of cloud PBX connections and recommendation letters from clients. It will be easier for employees to sell the service by relying on successful sales examples from colleagues.
Regularly assess reps' knowledge — the more time and effort you invest in their training, the more successful sales results will be. For example, product knowledge tests should be conducted quarterly.

Telephone companies' experience has shown that the cloud PBX is a simple product; any specialist can understand it. You only need to follow the listed recommendations to help employees quickly grasp the new service.

Step 4: Provide Sales Reps With Positive Onboarding Experiences

If a rep fails to sell the new product several times in a row, there is a risk that they will eventually stop trying altogether. Therefore, ensure that all employees receive a successful sales experience of the service.

Selling the cloud PBX to customers who have contacted the sales department is easiest. Therefore, provide specialists with at least a small flow of incoming requests. After successfully handling a few leads, a rep can confidently offer the service independently.

Next, send employees to existing clients. Companies that once connected telephony with you may also be interested in the cloud PBX. You should better approach small and medium-sized businesses, as selling the product to this segment is easier than selling to larger enterprises.

Common Mistakes in Launching Cloud PBX Sales

Sometimes, an operator fails to create a stable sales system quickly. In this case, pay attention to the most common mistakes encountered in organizing the process:

Designating specific employees for service sales. The cloud PBX is a product of mass demand, meaning all sales reps should offer it to new customers when connecting primary services. If certain specialists handle service sales separately, other employees might wrongly assume they no longer need to sell the service. Consequently, sales suffer as many clients won't even hear about the product.
Monitoring only the results, not the process. If reps fail to meet individual sales targets, delve into the details: analyze their client calls and assess how well employees know the product. Often, an inability to address client objections significantly impacts sales.
Focusing only on overall revenue. Sales reps may successfully sell telephone and internet services, but more is needed. Monitor the execution of individual sales plans specifically for the cloud PBX, not just the primary services.
Overlooking metrics. Managers should know precisely how often specialists mention the cloud PBX during client conversations. There are instances where employees don't even mention the service during calls — it's no wonder sales targets remain unmet in such situations.
Stagnation after reaching a certain level. Once your sales become consistent, consider scaling them. For example, acknowledge the results of your most productive employees and expect similar performance from other employees. Remember training: ensure colleagues share their experiences.

Conclusion

The cloud PBX is one of those services that ordinary reps can sell. To establish an effective sales system for the new telecom service, try the following:

1

Create individual sales plans. Each rep should precisely know the minimum number of monthly cloud PBX sales expected from them. In turn, department heads need to monitor the execution of these individual plans.
2

Implement a motivational system. Selling a new service is challenging without bonuses, so ensure that employees and leaders receive additional rewards for each product sale.
3

Educate employees. Every rep should have a firm grasp of the service. Provide a sales department with materials, designate a product expert, gather successful case studies, encourage cloud PBX testing, and regularly assess their knowledge.
4

Provide reps with positive sales experiences. Equip employees with incoming inquiries — it's easiest to sell the product to companies that have approached you independently. Additionally, send reps to existing clients.

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Alexey Belyakov