By Hamish Jones
Sometimes it is easy to think that you should just sign up to the cheapest mobile phone plan. Working in the telecommunications industry i have seen this over and over again. No matter how many times I tell a customer or prospective customer that these plans won't suit them, there are always people who think that they know better. And, like clock work, they are always ringing me back when they get their first bill complaining that their bill is too high.
Saving money is not necessarily a bad thing but picking these sort of business mobile contracts only show half the picture. Business phone plans need to be thought of as a whole instead of individually.
Here are three things that all business owners should consider when looking and business phone plans and why you should make sure that you consider all of your options:
You will not have as wide a choice of mobile smart phones- In Australia, and based on research I have done it seems to be the way throughout most of the rest of the world, the mobile carriers will generally give you a subsidised or a $0 handset on a 24 month contract. Obviously, the less your monthly committed spend, the less the carriers will subsidise your handset. If your monthly committed spend is higher you will have more options to choose from. As vain as it sounds, it is possible that many of your business partners and referral sources will think more of you if you have a more expensive handset than if you have a cheaper mobile handset. This doesn't mean that you can't get an expensive smart phone on a cheap mobile phone plan, it just means that you will pay more money for it. We do have clients that do this because it actually works out cheaper for them as they travel overseas a lot but you need to make sure that you get a plan that actually suits you.
A better business mobile phone can make you more productive- A more expensive business mobile does give you more options and more opportunities to be productive. Being more productive has a number of options. You may not need to spend as much time in the office meaning you get to spend more time with friends and family. Alternatively, it may make it easier to make money because you can get to more client meetings throughout the day. If you are a sales manager, wouldn't you rather see your Business Development Managers getting to more clients and prospects? A better handset- like an iPhone, Blackberry or an Android phone, gives you access to a wide variety of productivity apps and social media tools. You can sync your contacts and access your files on your PC at the office without being there! And it can be little things that increase your productivity. I respond to emails on my blackberry whilst riding my exercise bike at the gym.
Spending a bit more on your mobile phone plan may save you costs somewhere else- The most important thing to remember is that more expensive mobile phone contracts do not necessarily mean that your costs will actually rise. You may find that if costs increase on your mobile phones, they actually decrease on your business office phones because your staff can use their mobile more (when they are out of the office seeing more clients!). We've had clients who increased their mobile phone account spend by $500 per month putting their staff on higher Capped call plans but their overall spend on telecommunications went down by around $2000 overall because their office phone costs went down by $2000 per month as their staff used their mobile handsets more.
Make sure you take the time to fully consider the ramifications of your choices when it comes to choosing a mobile phone plan. With business phones, the cheapest plan is not always the best.
Hamish Jones is the General Manager of the Optus Business Partner Altitude Communications. Check out their website and contact them about the best business phone plans available Australia wide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Hamish_Jones/70770
Sometimes it is easy to think that you should just sign up to the cheapest mobile phone plan. Working in the telecommunications industry i have seen this over and over again. No matter how many times I tell a customer or prospective customer that these plans won't suit them, there are always people who think that they know better. And, like clock work, they are always ringing me back when they get their first bill complaining that their bill is too high.
Saving money is not necessarily a bad thing but picking these sort of business mobile contracts only show half the picture. Business phone plans need to be thought of as a whole instead of individually.
Here are three things that all business owners should consider when looking and business phone plans and why you should make sure that you consider all of your options:
You will not have as wide a choice of mobile smart phones- In Australia, and based on research I have done it seems to be the way throughout most of the rest of the world, the mobile carriers will generally give you a subsidised or a $0 handset on a 24 month contract. Obviously, the less your monthly committed spend, the less the carriers will subsidise your handset. If your monthly committed spend is higher you will have more options to choose from. As vain as it sounds, it is possible that many of your business partners and referral sources will think more of you if you have a more expensive handset than if you have a cheaper mobile handset. This doesn't mean that you can't get an expensive smart phone on a cheap mobile phone plan, it just means that you will pay more money for it. We do have clients that do this because it actually works out cheaper for them as they travel overseas a lot but you need to make sure that you get a plan that actually suits you.
A better business mobile phone can make you more productive- A more expensive business mobile does give you more options and more opportunities to be productive. Being more productive has a number of options. You may not need to spend as much time in the office meaning you get to spend more time with friends and family. Alternatively, it may make it easier to make money because you can get to more client meetings throughout the day. If you are a sales manager, wouldn't you rather see your Business Development Managers getting to more clients and prospects? A better handset- like an iPhone, Blackberry or an Android phone, gives you access to a wide variety of productivity apps and social media tools. You can sync your contacts and access your files on your PC at the office without being there! And it can be little things that increase your productivity. I respond to emails on my blackberry whilst riding my exercise bike at the gym.
Spending a bit more on your mobile phone plan may save you costs somewhere else- The most important thing to remember is that more expensive mobile phone contracts do not necessarily mean that your costs will actually rise. You may find that if costs increase on your mobile phones, they actually decrease on your business office phones because your staff can use their mobile more (when they are out of the office seeing more clients!). We've had clients who increased their mobile phone account spend by $500 per month putting their staff on higher Capped call plans but their overall spend on telecommunications went down by around $2000 overall because their office phone costs went down by $2000 per month as their staff used their mobile handsets more.
Make sure you take the time to fully consider the ramifications of your choices when it comes to choosing a mobile phone plan. With business phones, the cheapest plan is not always the best.
Hamish Jones is the General Manager of the Optus Business Partner Altitude Communications. Check out their website and contact them about the best business phone plans available Australia wide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Hamish_Jones/70770