Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Overcoming Objections - Free Is Not The Same As Impartial

USwitch - An Unbiased Reference?
Every now and again someone who has been looking at changing to T+ tells me that they went onto Uswitch - or one of the other comparison sites - and that they couldn't find T+ there. Obviously they want to know why this is.

I usually explain this by pointing out that they weren't charged a fee for this comparison, that the website owners have to make their money somehow and that the way they do this is by getting a commission fee from the energy company whenever they change their supplier.

I politely point out that, despite the popular perception, most of the comparison services available cannot be described as unbiased. Yes they are free but, since they are gaining commission whenever someone switches, they can hardly be considered to be impartial.

Because I've been involved in telephony and energy for over 25 years now, most people will accept my reasoning here. If they still seem a little doubtful I suggest that they test my logic by entering Telecom plus as their current supplier and seeing if the comparison website can find anyone cheaper. That usually does the trick.

However, now it's even easier as The Telegraph have published a nice article which not only blows away the "independent" perception of the comparison sites but specifically names T+ as the most likely cheapest source for standard users - the majority of your potential customers in other words.

If you haven't already seen this then the link is below. The next time somebody plays the USwitch card you'll know where to send them.

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2005/09/13/pjeff13.xml&sSheet=/property/2005/09/17/ixpright12.html

Traffic Exchanges
If any of you are using traffic exchanges for advertising on the internet, I've put a new page on one of my websites which advises on how to do this effectively. You can see it here:


http://www.perfectsystem.co.uk/hit_exchanges.html


Best Regards,

Hamish

http://www.utilityvalue.co.uk
http://www.perfectsystem.co.uk


Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Summer's Over - Time To Get Busy!

Summer's Over
That's it guys - it's September and summer's over. The kids are either back at school, or just about to go back, and everyone is settling down secure in the knowledge that their tan will be gone long before their credit card is paid off. The only item of unfinished business is beating the Australians at cricket - then we can get our winter woolies out.

On the plus side - and it's a big plus - this is a time of year when business, after a few quiet weeks, traditionally picks up - with a vengeance. So think about making a bit of extra effort to get a few more customers in the next couple of months.

  • Get referals. If you've already asked then ask again and get some more.
  • Do you have any energy only customers? Ask them if they want to save on their phone, mobile, internet also. They're already sold on the UWDC so you'll be pushing on an open door.
  • What about businesses? Have you been on the training course yet? Businesses are always keen to save money and, because they tend to have a higher usage, they can give you a really nice boost to your CVC each month.


Dates and Venues For COE4 - Business Training
Just in case you haven't seen this already, here's a list of upcoming dates and venues for COE4. It only costs £10 and you'll get a pack of marketing materials worth well over that. This could really make a difference to your business - I recommend you attend as soon as you can.

To book call Executive Services on 020-8955-5111. Places are limited so book your seat as early as you can.

7th Sept - Milton Keynes
8th Sept - London
8th Sept - Worthing
8th Sept - Preston
Sunday 11th Sept - So'ton
13th Sept - Surrey
14th Sept - Stoke
14th Sept - North Wales
15th Sept - Dartford
15th Sept - Chesterfield
Saturday 17th Sept - Liverpool - NEW DATE!!!!
19th Sept - Cardiff
20th Sept - Swindon
22nd Sept - Cambridge
22nd Sept - Taunton
Saturday 24th Sept - Birmingham
Sunday 25th Sept - South Mimms
Sunday 25th Sept - Ashford
Sunday 25th Sept - Darlington
Sunday 25th Sept - Halifax
26th Sept - Edinburgh
29th Sept - London


Getting Distributors
The other "nice" thing about this time of year is that a lot of people will be going back to work having had a couple of weeks of freedom. It's an event which can really make them think about studying their alternatives - so you should be able to get a few interested prospects for distributor positions. Remember - if you don't ask you don't get.


That's all folks. If you're lucky enough to have a few days holiday left - enjoy!

Best Regards,

Hamish
http://www.selfstarters.co.uk
http://www.perfectsysem.co.uk