People don't buy products and services. They buy value.
What additional value can you provide your clients with today?

Explanation of Services

NASBA has partnered with a leading, independent consultancy for voice and data services, Innovative Visions (IV). This gives NASBA members access to the most current and relevant industry information to improve efficiency, reduce costs in your clients' environment and open new avenues of business. With nearly a decade of experience in the IT services and reseller markets, IV's unique understanding of both the VAR and carrier services industries, will help you generate more revenue from your existing client base and open up new opportunities for value.

• VoIP (Hosted/hybrid services)
• Data, Internet and traditional voice lines

• Free telecommunications audit for your clients
• A carrier-neutral, consultative approach to working with you and your clients.
• Bleeding-edge technology such as a reliable, cost-effective hosted VoIP platform from Star2Star Communications and 10GB wave metro private lines from Hudson Fiber Network.
• Voice and data services available from over 30 carriers worldwide.
• A fully trained team to assist with provisioning or any additional customer care needs during AND most distinctly, after the sale.
• Competitive residual commissions, combined with regular industry training, means you can diversify your revenue stream as well as provide a more complete solution to your clients.

Things you need to know:

• How the process works
• How involved can I/must I get (levels of involvement)
• How much money can I make?
• How do I get paid?
• How do I get started?
• Who is behind all of these great services?

Learn by example how you can work with your customers. Sample scenarios detailing various carriers, services, payout schedules, etc.

Terms & Ideas you need to know:

• Integrated circuits are a combination of voice and data services in one connection.
• POTS - Plain old telephone service (also called business line, measured business line, business-class service, centrex custopak, etc.) The names differ by carrier, so if you're unsure what it is, simply ask IV.
• VoIP - Voice over IP - Sometimes called HIPC (Hosted IP Centrex) or Hosted VoIP - Simplified, cost-effective, scalable and feature-rich are all words to describe VoIP and Hosted VoIP makes this simpler and cheaper. However, the reliability and quality of many Hosted VoIP services can be a concern. Ask IV to help you differentiate business-class VoIP with consumer offerings your customer might be inclined to go with instead.
• T1 - Also known as DS1 (and reiterations such as DS3 are for larger capacity) - 24 channels of digital bandwidth that allows for concurrent 1.5Mbits/s both up and down-stream. T1's can be dedicated for voice communications, data transfer or a combination of the two, as well as Fractional T1's (Frac T's) for smaller environments.
• SIP - Session Initiation Protocol - A standard protocol allowing for different PBX's and carriers to hand off voice over the Internet. The back-end of most VoIP systems now use the SIP standard, including Star2Star Communications.

For concise definitions of some of the other more commonly used terms, you can use this tool on IV's website.

Further information

To understand more about how the program can and will work for you, please feel free to contact Jake Carey-Rand directly at 877-343-2914 or nasba@IVforBusiness.com.

As you already know, the first step with any technology advice is to really understand your client's existing environment, what works and what doesn't work. Starting with your clients' bills for both their current phone and data subscriptions/services is the easiest way to initiate this process. Short of that, a quick conversation with whoever is in charge of voice and data services gets the ball rolling. IV then determines the most appropriate solution for your customer, based on their business needs. IV takes a snapshot of their location(s), future business plans, what data is being transmitted, the number of lines needed and usage parameters. IV then works to coordinate all facets of the project with the proper carrier and channel personnel, updating you at every step. Once an appropriate solution is agreed upon, IV and its partners handle all provisioning, coordination of installs and continue to be available to your customers as a free resource for any concerns you or they may have after the sale.

As a member of NASBA, you decide how involved you want to be in this process. Rest assured that whether you simply hand your client over to IV (under the agreement that they will treat your relationship with the respect and professionalism that has defined their last decade of service to the channel) or if you wish to have greater involvement in the process, they will work with you to ensure a smooth and consistent experience for both you and your client. The more you contribute to the project, the more you will learn and the more value-add your customer will see.

Much like cloud computing and any of your monthly service contracts, commissions for voice and data services are often paid out on a residual basis. That means that for the life of the contract, you receive a monthly commission check. Some carriers instead opt for a one-time referral check up-front, but either way you will be diversifying your revenue streams and gaining more from your existing and new clients. The ceiling is unlimited, with many small VAR's seeing over $5-10k a month in additional revenue, often without any associated overhead. With dedication towards diversifying your product offering to include voice and data consulting on a regular basis, you can expect to see revenue increases within 4-6 months (and significant gains within a year), not only from residual commissions earned on these contracts, but from any related IT and services opportunities that are uncovered throughout the process.

For the majority of carriers, you can expect to see your first commission checks roll in 60-90 days after installation takes place. You will then receive commissions for the entire time your customer remains in contract. For certain services (i.e. Star2Star's Hosted VoIP platform, some Verizon services, etc.), you will receive a healthy commission check soon after installation, as early as the following month, with additional residual commissions where applicable.

Offer your client a free, carrier-neutral analysis of their voice and data services for a very easy start to the process. A quick conversation or copy of a representative or "normal" month's bills will do the trick as well, but your value starts with that conversation. Some helpful questions to guide your discussions include:

• Do you have multiple locations, but separate phone systems?
• Do your employees use expensive cell phones even while in the office?
• Are you interested in powerful calling features but worried you can't afford them?
• What does one hour of Internet or phone downtime cost your business either in revenue or reputation? What is your contingency plan?
• Are you paying for phone lines you aren't using or dealing with staffing and usage fluctuations?
• How long have you had your existing phone and Internet services? When was the last time you evaluated how appropriately they fit your needs?

Please note these services will not adversely affect any of your existing "standard IT" reselling business, other than to increase your business through related technology expenditures - If IV uncovers opportunities for further products and services, these will be immediately passed along to you as the referring partner. So why not take advantage of this free access to educate yourself in order to sell voice and data services from the world's leading providers, all through one easy-to-manage agreement. As IV likes to say, "Get your Communications off Life Support®."

Innovative Visions was founded in early 2006 on the principle of helping traditional technology partners diversify their offering and revenue streams by enabling them to provide voice and data services from over 30+ carriers nationwide. IV works with VAR’s, integrators and other traditional technology partners, looking to expand their service offerings, without taking on the associated overhead often seen when entering new markets and managing multiple agreements. More than just a referring partner, IT professionals often need an experienced guide when it comes to telecommunications services and IV has taken the best practices from the IT reseller channel and integrated them into this ‘telecommunications channel.’

IV has simplified and clarified the voice and data market by streamlining the supply chain. On the back end, IV's operations are supported by a 24/7 customer care and support team from one of the nation's largest and most respected telecommunication master agencies. Companies such as Verizon, Qwest, ACC, Paetec, Level 3 and others are turning over their customer management to make sure they receive the greatest sales support and ongoing customer service, so rest assured your clients will receive the same level of care.

For more information, please contact Jake Carey-Rand.