Technology news and Jobs 
Cornered! Telstra's latest SME sales strategy: free makeovers
Cornered! Telstra's latest SME sales strategy: free makeovers | Telstra's latest SME sales strategy: free makeovers |
|
|
|
| Written by Stuart Corner | |
| Wednesday, 04 July 2007 | |
|
Last October the Financial Review carried a glowing report on CEO Sol Trujillo's approach to the small business market. "When Sol Trujillo was appointed chief executive of Telstra last year he was shocked to find the carrier had no dedicated array of products for small businesses and no way of adequately servicing them. It was a major oversight considering Telstra has an estimated 750,000 of the country's one million small and medium sized business customers." So, the AFR reported, he had appointed long time Telstra executive Deena Shiff as managing director of small and medium enterprises. It quoted Shiff saying that the new group was "designed to be much more customer oriented, with an emphasis on marketing and providing modern communications needs." I commented on this at the time , reviewing several Telstra initiatives over more than a decade, all aimed at coming to grips with the small business market. This week, Shiff has announced another. "Small businesses keen to overhaul their tired old technology and streamline their operations can now apply for a new Telstra technology makeover to transform the way they do business."{moscomment} Those selected for a 'makeover' will get "some of the latest Telstra Next G and Telstra Next IP network services for free over the next 12 months." In return they will be required to "share their technology changes with customers and industry via a special interactive website and online blogs." Presumably, and most importantly, they will also be expected to share the benefits these changes bring. The offer is available to small businesses with up to 100 employees. Shiff said that while technical specifications of Telstra's networks were recognised around the globe, many Australian small business people found it hard to imagine just how these world-class technologies could transform their daily operations. "This makeover gives businesses a chance to see the potential of these new services first hand and open a new dimension of communication, information and productivity growth." Well, nice try Deena. I'm sure that businesses selected for a makeover will do very well from having the considerable resources of Telstra directed to squeezing the most from Telstra's considerable array of services. But will it achieve the greater goal of getting small businesses in general beating at Telstra's door for complete communications solutions? Somehow I doubt it. None of the earlier initiatives succeeded because, I suspect, they never got around the mismatch of Big Telstra and small customer. What I suggest Telstra needs is a sophisticated tiered channel structure similar to those operated by many global IT equipment vendors: one that provides the training, certification, back up and support for small entrepreneurial businesses that are better suited to dealing with small entrepreneurial businesses and that allows them to own these customers. Most vendors adopting this model, however, create clarity by not going direct to the SME market themselves in competition with channel partners. Can't see Telstra doing that somehow. Telstra’s first small business to participate in a 'Next Dimension Working' make-over is Gaye Murray & Associates, an e-learning organisation that provides training modules for clients ranging from small companies to global corporations. You can go to www.telstra.com/business to track Gaye’s progress and, Telstra promises "watch a business transform in a matter of weeks". It should make for interesting browsing.{moscomment}
Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now When you subscribe get a 12 months license for LiveProject Valued at $99 USD  Download the FREE iTWire desktop alert widget
  |
Tags
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Subscribe to iTWire's daily e-newsletter now and get a FREE 12 month license to project management software valued at $99 USD. 
