How To: Increase your carrier’s ARPU. Part 3

    The efficiency of the operator business is one of the most important criteria that determine the dynamics of the ascent of an IT company to the heights of Telecom Olympus. In the field of traditional or cloud communication services, the key metric that determines this very effectiveness is ARPU or the average check per client. The telecom operator is simply obliged to use all available methods to increase ARPU, since this is the easiest way to increase revenue without significant investment in marketing or launching new services. Today’s publication, we continue the series of technical-commercial “How To” to increase the ARPU of the telecom operator, who decided to introduce a cloud PBX service at minimal cost.



    An active customer base for any operator is a formed and loyal CA, where the cost of selling additional services tends to a minimum. The introduction of the right additional service will certainly lead to an increase in the average bill. We’ll clarify: the right service is a service that technologically and ideologically complements existing services, and ideally also serves as a locomotive stimulating sales of the entire product line. A cloud-based PBX fully complies with the definition of “the right service”, though the cloud-based PBX itself must also be “correct”. Many years of experience developing and implementing the ITooLabs Communications Server platformvivid confirmation of this. Virtual PBX service is a great way to breathe new life into the decrepit flesh of classical telephony. We do not know a single operator who would not go to increase revenue after the launch of SaaS IP-PBX. Today we’ll talk about seemingly obvious points that contribute to more active sales of cloud subscriptions.

    In order to more effectively build the promotion of a new cloud telephone service, it is necessary to understand its advantages and specifics well. We have such an understanding and we are ready to share it in every way. Understanding was formed through constant analysis and monitoring of the activity of tens of thousands of users of our platform. What kind of functionality, what “features” and additional services are most in demand by the average “user” of a virtual PBX, and what are the ways to effectively promote these services? We will make a small squeeze from previous publications and describe in more detail the most sought-after functionality and give recommendations for its promotion.

    What do users want?




    • Voice Greetings and Menus (IVR).They often begin to use virtual telephone exchanges in order to automate the processing of telephone calls, increase conversions during telephone sales, and optimize the communication process between the client and the seller. The first thing our users usually do is set up an inbound processing script. An incoming call is the most common event in the life of a classic office and how a cloud-based secretary robot will meet a new client often determines the fate of the transaction. It is very important to convey to the potential user of the virtual PBX the fact that with the help of a cloud subscription, even a small business starts to look solid, it becomes possible to direct the client in the right way, saving both his time and loyalty. We highly recommend when creating promotional materials or landings to describe the existence of such a wonderful feature as a voice greeting. We see that almost all connected clients use a voice greeting, because with it they really sound solid. But with IVR, the situation is a little different. In reality, navigation through the voice menu is only necessary for very large companies, but it only hurts small businesses - who among us likes to choose something when ordering something? Statistics confirm this, there are very few really configured IVRs, mostly clients use greeting. Feel the difference. In reality, navigation through the voice menu is only necessary for very large companies, but it only hurts small businesses - who among us likes to choose something when ordering something? Statistics confirm this, there are very few really configured IVRs, mostly clients use greeting. Feel the difference. In reality, navigation through the voice menu is only necessary for very large companies, but it only hurts small businesses - who among us likes to choose something when ordering something? Statistics confirm this, there are very few really configured IVRs, mostly clients use greeting. Feel the difference.

    • Conversation statistics.Without sane and clear statistics of conversations, office telephony looks much less attractive. The chronic and intractable drawback of the huge number of “knocked-on” IP-PBXs is the lack of a well-developed statistics module. It is enough to demonstrate once to the client how with two clicks the whole dark side of the life of the sales department is revealed to dispel his doubts about the need for a cloud miracle once and for all. We watched for a long time how people use the ITooLabs statistics section and tried to create this section in the most ergonomic and visual form. Be sure to focus the attention of potential customers that the statistics of telephone conversations are very necessary and important, and that its use will help to effectively evaluate the work of sellers or technical specialists. Landings KP and other promotional materials should clearly describe this moment. Often, the client himself does not fully understand how convenient and useful it is to see all telephone reports online and make management decisions based on statistical data.

    • Integration with third-party SaaS services.Clouds came seriously and for a long time, literally everything migrates into the clouds - from bookkeeping to specialized applications. The average SMB representative almost certainly already uses something cloud-virtual in their business processes. Obviously, integrating SaaS services with each other is an excellent way to give a client a tool to increase business efficiency. Our analysts have identified a trend - users are increasingly using the ITooLabs API to integrate with CRM. People want to automate sales, and telephony is a must-have background for most sales. It’s at least strange not to promote such demanded functionality, about half of customers simply expect that they will be offered something like that. That that cloud PBX has an API and box integration with the most popular clouds should be written in capital letters in every commercial offer. Highly recommend.

    • Demanded Voice VAS. A cloud-based PBX must be able to make calls not only to landline or mobile phones and not only from softphones or IP phones; a cloud-based PBX must be able to make calls in all possible ways. There are more and more such methods: these are, including the very popular FMC SIM cards. If your PBX can be friends with corporate mobile communications, then many customers will come only for the sake of this function. We have implemented support for FMC for a long time and see that we are in the market. Our partner partners offering convergent services are growing rapidly, connecting customers who are switching from other platforms just because they care about controlling calls from cell phones. Do not be lazy, study this question in more detail, the niche is not yet occupied and you can manage to take your place under the Sun.

    • Record conversations . The ability to listen to conversations between employees and customers has already saved more than one deal. In some business segments, recording conversations is the only way to monitor and manage sales performance. We see well in our BigData that customers listen to call records and do it regularly. In a situation where each sale is valuable (for example, financial business) statistics + call recording = prerequisite. If you can also record conversations from cellular employees (see FMC), then your PBX will never be abandoned. Offer customers all the benefits of recording calls in combination with all the rest of the functionality, and in combination with integration and FMC in the first place.


    The five advantages described are the minimum gentleman's set for any provider of cloud-based PBX. Now let's talk about how to present these benefits competently to potential customers.

    This functionality is worth selling separately and, again according to our statistics, up to 60% of your potential customers are willing to pay you for these advanced features. We understand the temptation to make a single tariff with all the functionality included, but there will inevitably be a conflict on all sides: some customers want to pay less (i.e. not pay for advanced functionality), and you will not get profit from those who are willing to pay more. You do not complicate your proposal if you have only 2-5 additional paid options that are clearly targeted to specific audiences.

    Tariff calculator




    Cloud PBX can be safely classified as asymmetric products, i.e. products about the possibilities of which your potential client either does not know anything at all, or knows much less than you. It would not be so sad if the client understood how tariffs are formed and did not understand only the technical subtleties and additional functions. In most cases, visitors to your site after 10 seconds cease to understand why they want to receive a monthly fee and how monthly payments are formed. This is especially felt if the tariff policy of the operator includes additional options, each of which increases the monthly check. For example, recording conversations or notifications of missed calls via SMS.

    A tool that will facilitate the life of a client can be a tariff calculator on the site. This generally uncomplicated option should not be neglected. We recommend placing the calculator on the tariff page. Allowing your client to play an exciting game with checkboxes will increase your conversion rate. If the BATS service is offered in combination with virtual numbers (which usually happens) and a guaranteed payment for telephone traffic, then a calculator is simply necessary. A very revealing example is when a sales manager himself begins to use such a calculator for sales. Tariffing becomes transparent and understandable to everyone, numbers and asterisks converge both with the client and the manager. People calm down and begin to realize that no one is going to hide extra money under the footnotes in the contract.

    Website configurator and demo account




    The eternal question for most cloud PBX service providers is whether we sell offline or online. Often this issue is decided in favor of offline. This is understandable - it takes a lot of effort to properly organize online sales - integrate billing and the cloud platform, write a lot of web scripts, classes and handlers, learn how to track sales automatically, create the right schedule for techies and merchants. We are aware of cases when our partner operators put off the online implementation to “do it, but a little later” and as a result never did it. Although launching with offline sales is absolutely correct, you should not postpone the start of sales because of it. Launch sales faster - quickly figure out the service and collect the requirements for the “configurator” itself.

    It’s clear that you can simulate online sales using the “Connect” button and the simplest contact form, behind which the e-mail of the sales department is hidden, but this half-hoax is quickly opened and users are not always happy about this, expecting them to get access to the test PBX account in three minutes. At the same time, again, there is nothing fatal in the offline sales scheme, since no one canceled the physical signing of the Contract for communication services, just as no one canceled the traditional call of the sales manager the next morning, but we recommend that you consider the possibility of giving customers a free test period and give it exactly online means.

    We believe that there is no need to explain why this is necessary - your cloud phone project turns into an online store operating 24/7, even if this online store gives out test subscriptions for free.



    In the case of ITooLabs Communication ServerOnline generation of demo subscriptions is easy enough. You can either use the SOAP API we created, or order the development of the configurator from the vendor. Both that, and another will not take away much time and forces. The question is more about the specificity of your wishes. We recommend that you not get carried away by the seeming simplicity and attractiveness of the offline model and even at the start consider the possibility of introducing online generation of test accounts. Marketers will surely thank you for such a “feature”, because each test account is a lead that can be used to increase conversion, and the client will be additionally promoted if he can thoughtfully study the interface and functionality of the service in the evening, with a cup of tea.

    Our analysts claim that the operators providing the test period in automatic mode make more sales than their offline colleagues. We strongly recommend taking their opinion into account.

    Each time we prepare to publish another material for our blog, we understand that the topic of cloud telephony is an endless and extremely interesting topic. We have big plans for this year and we will try to write as often as possible and as informatively as possible. We have prepared several more technical and marketing cases that will be regularly laid out here and on our blog on Habré. In a word, the continuation is guaranteed to follow.

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