With more and more people taking on smartphones as part of their daily inventory, there have been some common elements when it comes to what they look for before purchasing. 29% of the US population in Q4 2009 owned a smartphone, and the number is set to increase as 2010 moves ever forwards - this makes it so important for providers, like Rogers, to understand what their users want.
The same survey found that the following items were a must have for new and continuing smartphone users:
1. Email (demanded by 85% of users)
2. Internet browser (demanded by 78%)
3. Digital camera (demanded by 73%)
Although these three elements shouldn't be the basis of your sales pitch, they certainly help focus the pitch, and allow sales representatives to direct their questions to new, or existing, smartphone users accordingly.
Pretty much all smartphones have the above capabilities, so sales representatives need to focus on how the customer is going to use their phone the most, so that they can recommend the most suitable device out of the large number available.
In addition, as much as many people hate to admit it, text and email are becoming the more commonplace means of communication now, instead of simply picking up the phone and talking to someone. This is mainly due to the quick and instant nature of the message, versus a long winded telephone call when you are in a rush. Did you know that 91% of all phone owners were four times more likely to respond to a text message than voicemail??
With this trend in mind, and the fact that smartphones are meant to have lower voice call quality than standard cellular devices, sales reps should always ask how dependent customers are on voice services, as part of the "How are you going to / how do you use your smartphone?" All of these items, plus staying up to date on these kinds of statistics and trends, will help our sales teams position devices to customers so that they will not only get the best use out of the phone, but will continue to value their wireless services.
