MichTel Co. July 2018

MichTel Monthly

www.michtelco.com Local: 248-636-1100 Toll Free: 877-800-7742

JULY 2018

FROM THE DESK OF

Keith Spicer

Deciding to change phone systems is often a difficult process full of uncertainty. The telecommunications experts at MichTel have compiled a simple list presenting the three best reasons to switch to a VoIP phone system. VoIP offers more than just a simple calling service — it comes with a wide variety of calling features and functions that allow for cost savings and simple control.

HERE ARE THE THREE BEST REASONS TO SWITCH

LOWER COSTS

MARKETINGVS. SALES Y es , T hey are D ifferent

The one feature of a VoIP service that everyone can understand is its low cost. VoIP providers offer a lower monthly cost than any traditional landline or cable provider. Because providers host the PBX, there is no on-site equipment necessary, therefore there are no upgrades or maintenance costs for businesses to handle.

Sales and marketing are two fields that often become intertwined within corporate structures. Members of these departments have meetings together, develop strategies together, and drive businesses forward together. But regardless of how closely related they are, the roles of these divisions couldn’t be more different. Marketing and sales each have their own set of particular objectives, yet they are two heads of the same profit-driven monster. If that’s not an illustration that helps you understand the differences and similarities, here are three more.

CALLING FEATURES

VoIP phone plans include more than the basic calling and voicemail features. A VoIP phone system can include dozens of features that are all included at no extra cost in the monthly plan.

MARKETING BUILDS A HOUSE

When you construct a home, you start by laying out the blueprints and mapping the area where you’re about to break ground. Marketing begins much the same way. Every marketing channel needs a plan to go with it. Without a specific, measurable, and targeted approach, marketing is nothing more than a house of cards. But with viable strategies and careful construction, marketing can lay a rock-solid foundation. From there, you can build an elegant home by putting these marketing strategies into effect.

SIMPLIFIED SYSTEM

If the lower prices do not satisfy the customer and the advanced calling features seem too complicated, customers can be convinced by the simplicity of a VoIP system. So many features may seem like too much to understand. However, they all exist to make the users’ lives easier.

SALES FINDS AN OWNER

Once marketing has built the house, it’s up to sales to take that product and convert it into profit. They gather all the data, the unique selling points, and take to the streets to

–Keith Spicer

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... continued from cover

SALES IS THE CONVERSATION

SALES PUNCHES IT IN

find prospective buyers. It’s convenient to think that sales has it easy. They don’t have to create the product or do any of the initial labor, but the nature of their work is just as complicated in a different way. Working in sales takes incredible emotional intuition and communication skills. It’s a refined craft that only certain people can truly be great at.

If marketing is the face of a company, sales is the voice. But it’s so much more than that. Sales is the living, breathing interaction you have with that business, and one conversation is all it takes for a potential client to bail. That’s why sales and marketing are dependent on each other. A good marketing campaign sets up a sales team for success. A good sales team depends on good marketing to give them validation. To create a breeding ground for growth, your marketing and sales departments need to work harmoniously. If they do, you can create a cycle of excellence that pushes your company to new heights. Marketing will drive sales, which will, in turn, create more growth. This growth will generate more revenue, which will bring more marketing. The toughest part is to get the ball rolling, but that’s precisely why hiring good people for each team is crucial for all successful businesses. tips, foodies show off their recipes, and travel-oriented companies post advice on the best family-friendly cities to visit. Not just for moody teens, Tumblr is a great platform for fashion brands (thanks to its visual elements) andmedia platforms (thanks to the site being friendly to long- form articles). While NPR and Rolling Stone do well onTumblr, small businesses are likely to struggle. Unless your demographic is mostly 15- to 25-year- olds, or you’re Taco Bell, your company has no business being on Snapchat. The many avenues of social media can be overwhelming, but it gives you plenty of opportunities to find the right platform to connect with your clients. Take some time to look at the pros and cons of a platform you’re considering and ask yourself if it really meets the needs of your business. • You Can Delete: Snapchat

Every good football teamhas a specific“red zone” strategy for punching it in. Inmost cases, they have a particular player they target. It might be a bruising running back, or it could be an athletic tight end, but these players get the ball when the teamneeds to score. Sales are those people. They are closers. When everything has been set up, you get them the ball, and they’ll score. It’s said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but guess what? Everyone judges a business by its marketing. Picture your business as a walking, talking person. Amarketing channel is how that person looks and is perceived. What clothes are they wearing? Are they well-groomed? Do they take care of their appearance? The overall impression you get from that person is how they market themselves to the world. But have you ever had an initial conversation with someone, only to have everything change? That’s where sales comes in. MARKETING IS THE APPEARANCE

MARKETING DRIVES THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD

It takes precision and execution to drive the ball down a football field, but the work starts well before the game. Players have to study, gather data, and develop a game plan to execute on the field. The strategy can be blunt with a ground-and-pound style, or it can be dolled up with a flashy spread offense. In the same way, marketers get creative to make their products seem desirable to buyers, moving their products closer and closer to the end zone. Whatever the case, putting points up on the board comes down to the most challenging part of the game: crossing the goal line.

Like, Share, Retweet Is Your Business Wasting Time on Social Media?

maintain an account onTwitter so you can monitor any mentions of your company. Google+ isn’t the most popular social media platform, but having a Google+ page for your business helps Google generate search results, includingmaps, reviews, contact information, and photos.

Social media has proven to be the most difficult part of digital marketing. A report from GlobalWebIndex found that the average person has around seven active social media accounts, so companies have a lot to lose if they ignore social media. But using a site that’s wrong for your business can be a waste of time andmoney. Here’s the rundown of popular platforms and what businesses they’re best suited for. Everyone Should Be On: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ These social media platforms are staples of the landscape and can benefit any industry. Despite the recent privacy issues, Facebook still has an active base of around 1.45 billion daily users. You can’t afford tomiss out on that kind of audience. Twitter is also pretty active, and though this sort of engagement won’t necessarily benefit every business, it’s important to • •

AssessYour Situation Before Joining: Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr

There are plenty of other popular platforms whose formats aren’t for everyone. Don’t waste your time on a social media platform your business can’t benefit from. Instagram is the king of visual content. Fashion outlets, restaurants, niche retail establishments, and luxury brands do well on Instagrambecause they can regularly share eye-catching images. DIY crowds love Pinterest. This is a visual platformwhere fashion brands share style • •

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4 Customer Service Mistakes THATWILL RUIN RELATIONSHIPS AND REPEAT BUSINESS

rather than only using it as damage control, and you’ll start getting those five-star reviews.

ONLY BEING REACTIVE

According to entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John, “Customer service is more important than anything else in your business.”Without high-level customer service, you can kiss repeat business goodbye. Here are some of the most common customer service killers and advice on how to avoid them. There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than feeling like they’re talking to a brick wall. Having a system for customer complaints and feedback isn’t a bad idea, but being inflexible is. Remember that you’re talking to a person. The more closely you listen, the better you’ll be able to address their concerns. Rob Pace, CEO of feedback software company HundredX, says, “The ultimate goal is for the customer to feel they are heard.” POOR LISTENING SKILLS

Customer service doesn’t just happen on the back end. Working to create a great experience on the front end will impress customers and cut down on those after-purchase calls. To quote Jeff Bezos, “The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you.” Focus on customer service every step of the way

FORGETTING YOUR MANNERS

This might sound basic, but you’d be shocked by how often politeness gets overlooked. The most important phrases a customer service rep can learn are “thank you” and “I’m sorry.” Practicing good manners goes a long way in building trust and ensuring customers feel cared for. If you have a customer on the phone, you should never make them tell you the same thing twice. Information should be recorded and easy to hand off in the event of an escalation. You can bet that the third time you ask for a customer’s email, they’ll respond with a mountain of irritation. REPETITION, REPETITION, REPETITION

Take a Break!

CHARRED CHILI-CHEESE CORN

Ingredients

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1/4 cup fresh lime juice

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4 ears of corn, husked

2 ounces fresh cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled

4 tablespoons high-smoke- point oil, such as canola or vegetable 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 red chili (such as Freson) or jalapeño, thinly sliced

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1/4 cup cilantro

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Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium. 2. Brush corn with 2 tablespoons oil and grill until visibly charred, 10–12 minutes. 3. Cut kernels off cob and combine with shallots, chilis, lime juice, cheese, and remaining oil. 4. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Recipe courtesy of LoveAndLemons.com

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MichTel www.michtelco.com Local: 248-636-1100 Toll Free: 877-800-7742

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Keith PAGE 1 What Is the Difference Between Marketing and Sales PAGE 1 The Social Media Platform You NEED to Be On PAGE 2 4 Customer Experience Killers PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Charred Chili-Cheese Corn PAGE 3 Common Misconceptions PAGE 4

FICTION THAT HOLDS TOO MUCH WEIGHT Lies You’ve Been Told

YOU EAT SPIDERS WHILE YOU SLEEP

Fallacies are fed to us on a daily basis, and some are more believable than others. Here are a few popular misconceptions.

You may have heard this chilling myth before, but it’s simply not true. Spiders are very sensitive to vibrations — they won’t willingly approach a breathing or snoring human. It isn’t in our eight-legged friends’ nature to crawl into a person’s mouth.

CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES WILL CAUSE ARTHRITIS

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IS VISIBLE FROM SPACE

Studies show that there aren’t any dangers to cracking your knuckles, besides annoying someone with the noise. For a long time, many speculated that the cause of the cracking or popping noise was either the resetting of joints and tendons or the formation of fluid that lubricates the joints. Dr. Donald Unger was the first person to conduct an experiment with the hypothesis that cracking your knuckles doesn’t lead to arthritis. He cracked only the knuckles in his left hand for over 50 years. Later in life, both hands were arthritis-free.

While the size of the Great Wall is truly spectacular, that doesn’t mean it can be seen from outer space. It’s not at all visible from the moon, and even from low orbit, it’s difficult to spot the wall with an unaided eye. According to NASA, the theory was first shaken by Yang Liwei, a Chinese astronaut, who said he was unable to see the Great Wall from space. Later, a camera with a 180 mm lens and a 400 mm lens captured the wall from a low orbit.

YOU USE ONLY 10 PERCENT OF YOUR BRAIN

Your brain is constantly in use. Every single action you perform, including digestion, coughing, speaking, thinking, and breathing, are all carried out by processes in the brain. There are levels of consciousness that cause parts of your brain to be less active than others, but there isn’t one singular area that ceases to work for any long period of time.

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