EMEA

9 Unlocks Mobile for Partners

How 9 provide Partners with a trouble-free mobile proposition

Ian Taylor
November 22, 2017

Newcomers to Mobile often struggle, so how has 9 successfully anticipated and removed every roadblock to provide their Partners with a trouble-free mobile proposition?

For 9’s Partners, the requirement to include Mobile in their product portfolio is far from news. Every one of them understands that their customers increasingly need help and advice around mobile telephony and if they don’t offer it, their competitors certainly will, probably taking their existing product business off the table at the same time.

Unlocking the Potential of Mobile

9 Head of Mobile, Simon Fort

The sales logic is not in doubt, but Mobile is often perceived as hard and difficult to embrace and sell, with many technical and commercial gremlins lurking to entrap the unwary. Fortunately, 9 has found a way to unlock Mobile and actually make it easier to sell and support.

Mobile networks have specialised in producing an impenetrable array of complex tariffs, seemingly designed to baffle and bewilder, but the team at 9 have worked hard to simplify matters and present a simple proposition for their Partners to sell on to business customers.

Explaining 9’s approach, Head of Mobile, Simon Fort explained,

“We recognised that Partners want to sell Mobile, but may not have the resources to become mobile specialists, so we have developed a solution to equip them with knowledge, tools, billing and support to leave them free to focus on acquiring new customers.” Fort continued, “our revised commercial proposition makes it straightforward for Partners to win business and retain a healthy margin, whether they choose to supply O2 or Vodafone.”

Recent improvements to 9’s portal mean that Partners can quickly add and track orders, while the reporting functionality removes the hassle of manually managing their mobile estate. In addition, 9’s Partners have access to a deal builder tool, which enables them to rapidly construct and cost out customer orders.

Ongoing Support

For some Partners, running a support function to support Mobile and overcoming the complexities of Mobile billing have been a step too far, but Fort told us why this should no longer deter ambitious Partners.

“With our range of Value Added Services, 9’s Partners can relax. For instance, our Managed Billing Service can produce Mobile bills on their behalf and we can even offer a direct debit collection facility in the Partner’s name. Furthermore, our Virtual Office team can provide a branded customer service solution and make sure that orders are provisioned correctly.”

9 Head of Marketing, Louise Abbey

The help that 9 can provide does not end there as Head of Marketing, Louise Abbey, explained: “In addition to commercial incentives, members of our Purple Partner Programme have access to all the expertise of the Marketing Team at 9, who can produce a comprehensive range of collateral and even advise on campaigns to drive more sales. Our support is not formulaic and we work individually with our strongest Partners to discuss problems and opportunities. We are happy to chat about most subjects, for example, how to make websites and social media more effective. Sharing marketing ideas, insight and materials, helps Partners to grow and that is good for them and good for 9.”

Commercial Director at new 9 Partner, Ignite, Andy Portlock agrees:

“Working with 9 was an obvious choice. Their simplified mobile proposition, which provides attractive commercials for the customer and the sales and marketing support on offer, made the decision an easy one.”

Commercial Director at new 9 Partner, Ignite, Andy Portlock

Partners who are new to Mobile, or perhaps just looking for a fresh perspective can attend an accreditation day, where they will be provided with tools and strategies to help increase profitability through mobile sales. Describing the session in more detail, Fort appeared genuinely excited about the way 9 is engaging with their Partners: “We’ll talk more about our new commercials at the workshop and equip Partners with expert knowledge in how to drive sales. We promise to offer one of the best mobile programs available, giving them access to knowledge, materials and techniques which are second to none.”

All the evidence suggests that 9 has thought carefully about how to make it easier for their Partners to sell more Mobile and the ideas cupboard is far from empty, with talk of new incentives for 2018 and more flexible SIM contract terms. Indeed, at a time when the channel is looking for ways to expand their portfolio, streamline processes, drive sales and improve profitability, 9’s approach to Mobile becomes an even more compelling option.

Want to know more? Head over to the 9 Partner website for more information.