Challenges in Evolving to a UC-focused Business Model

UCaaS is inherently more complex and less understood than email. Success as a provider of UCaaS, whether or not full voice and PBX capabilities are included at the outset, requires changes in marketing, sales and support process:

Know Your Installed Base: Capturing data and Identifying well-qualified customer opportunities is essential given the increased cost of sales.

Implement a consultative sales process:  Asking key questions, providing customer education, helping the customer understand the benefits to their particular business, are essential. Lync is still primarily a "push" product that requires business-oriented sales teams who can fully demonstrate and explain the customer benefits of Lync and how it will fit into the customers' environment.

Align Sales Incentives: Adjusting the incentive programs for sales personnel to allow for a longer sales cycle and a gradual adoption path.

Attract Partners: Lead generation through referral and reseller programs with traditional IT Solution Partners who do not provide UCaaS can be effective.

Develop a Phase-in Program: Potential customers have needs for a variety of different service components for subsets of employees. Offer to activate, and train a subset of employees within a customer organization who will quickly realize the benefits and act as internal advocates.

Leverage Microsoft Resources: Take full advantage of Microsoft Corporate and field resources and marketing campaigns.

Understand the Competition: Know how to position Lync versus Skype, Google, WebEx, and GoToMeeting (and others based on region). Most potential customers are using one or more of these products. Present the unique competitive differentiation provided by full integration with Active Directory, Outlook and other applications.