[asterisk-biz] (((Commercial and Business Not So)))

Sun Nov 4 10:37:37 CST 2007

Okay meat and patatoes.  Finally.

It's definitely a challenge being successful in, what I believe to be, the
Early Adopter phase of a technological shift.  So we brand the entire
solution creating a perception that we are like the old closed systems that
users have become accustomed to.  Even though it's open and standards
based.  It's presenting the right story.  Again, we are learning much about
how to go to market.  And leveraging best practices from our old Cisco
Telephony days.  When we focused on Large Enterprise telephony integration
with Cisco and Avaya.  In larger account opportunities we open the kimono so
to speak.  Case studies (Sam Houston Uni, Pitt project all found in network
world mag), white papers (Frost & Sullivan Open Source Telephony
Systems) help the IT folks feel better about adopting something seemingly
new and un-tested in the enterprise.  Winning over the CFO is much easier as
the economics of the solution are compelling.  And partnerships work.  I
think it helps to adopt a classical VAR model and build an ecosystem of
complimentary products and services that help provide a total solution.
Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, Linksys, Cat 5 and 6 and fiber Cabling expertise and
desktop support.  All this will enable more control in your deal.

As far as commercial real estate agents are concerned, they know before
everyone when a new lease has been consummated.  When a business takes a new
space, more often than not, they need a new phone system.

Bob

On 11/4/07, dave cantera <david.cantera at iacnet.net> wrote:
>
> bob,
> thanks for moving things in the right direction...
>
> primarily, I have been working on integrating asterisk for others.  have
> 20+ years UNIX integration experience w/ a variety of open source packages
> and a pretty broad biz background.  gov't projects, large UNIX deployments,
> accounting systems, answering services, custom s/w development, stock market
> data systems, database applications...
>
> most recent project was debt collection.  call, email, fax, letters to
> delinquent accounts.  used asterisk for calling and faxing....  currently
> working on a broadcast system product now for myself when not under
> contract...   played with the videophone and am working on a marketing plan
> for that...
>
> haven't launched anything yet and that is why sales/marketing is so
> interesting to me.  from what I gathered sales is the push and marketing is
> the pull...  you have to do both as you confirmed in your post.  selecting
> the target audience is also a crap shoot unless you have a visionary in your
> pocket and can make inroads and have them talk you up to their peers...
> word of mouth always a good thing...
>
> it also seems that pricing too low will discount your product, you have to
> be competitive...  have you seen that when your price is substantially below
> the competition, you are loosing the deal or are there other factors
> involved???  curious...
>
> offering the whole product solution is also key.  if they have to go
> somewhere else and work a deal for a component somewhere else, that leaves
> an opening for that someone else to raise doubt about your offering...
>
> lets keep at this and perhaps we'll find a marketing solution that
> works...  two heads are better than one. :)
> daveC
>
>
>
>
> bob murphy wrote:
>
>  Dave,
>
> What seems to be effective at this point is partnering.  Carriers, Low
> Voltage contractors, Commericial Real Estate Agencies.  Some internet based
> lead gen too.  And direct sales.  We have three sales people and aggressive
> pursuit is also a strategy.  We have found ourselves in competative
> situations with Cisco and Shoretel in recent months.  And we have won a few
> and lost a few.  How about you?
>
> Bob
>
>
> On 11/3/07, dave cantera <david.cantera at iacnet.net> wrote:
> >
> > hey bob,
> > you are right...  we do chatter too much.  lets get back on track...
> > and start with sales/marketing...
> >
> > sales vs marketing
> >
> > marketing - designed to bring people to you, educate them on the
> > decision points of the industry, create awareness of your product
> >
> > sales - reaching out to potential customers, taking orders, handling
> > questions raised from marketing, personal interaction for those still a
> > little uncomfortable about taking the plunge...
> >
> > so what mechanisms of marketing do you use? and what have you found to
> > be effective?
> > care to share?
> > daveC
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > bob murphy wrote:
> >
> >  Isn't this discussion group supposed to be Commercial and Business
> > oriented???  All I ever read about here are discussions about who's more
> > technically literate and who can do a better job than Switchvox or this GUI
> > is better than that one etc.  Does anybody want to discuss business issues
> > like:
> >
> > 1. Go to market strategies
> > 2. Sales and Marketing
> > 3. Competative positioning against mainstream offerings like Cisco,
> > Shoretel, Avaya et al.
> > 4. Best practice service models
> > 5. Vertical market success stories
> > 6. Profitability strategies in up market SMB's
> > 7. Profitable models for sub 50 seat call centers
> > 8. Vertical apps that interoperate with Asterisk
> > 9. Demand generation
> > 10. Market creation
> >
> > Who screwed who out of $100.00 and what nick nack is better would be
> > better somewhere else.  Or am I asking for too much here???  Someone please
> > help me be right or wrong on this.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Bob Murphy
> > Principal
> >
> >
> > Arreva Communications
> > www.arrevausa.com
> >
> > 949-334-2022-SIP Connect
> > 949-842-8450-Wireless
> > 949-349-0209-Fax
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
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> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.17/1103 - Release Date: 11/01/2007 06:01 AM
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > My wife's sister is in California.
> > I should buy her a Videophone2008!
> >
> > Truly, The Next Best Thing to Being There!
> > --
> > WorldWideVideoPhones.com856.380.0894
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> > asterisk-biz mailing list
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
> >   http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Bob Murphy
> Principal
>
>
> Arreva Communications
> www.arrevausa.com
>
> 949-334-2022-SIP Connect
> 949-842-8450-Wireless
> 949-349-0209-Fax
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com--
>
> asterisk-biz mailing list
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
>    http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz
>
> ------------------------------
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.20/1108 - Release Date: 11/03/2007 09:42 PM
>
>
>
> --
> My wife's sister is in California.
> I should buy her a Videophone2008!
>
> Truly, The Next Best Thing to Being There!
> --
> WorldWideVideoPhones.com856.380.0894
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com--
>
> asterisk-biz mailing list
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
>   http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz
>

-- 
Bob Murphy
Principal

Arreva Communications
www.arrevausa.com

949-334-2022-SIP Connect
949-842-8450-Wireless
949-349-0209-Fax
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