what to ask before selling a phone system

[Mountainbear]

What questions I should ask a customer before recommending a phone system. I am not asking for the brand to sell, but what I need to know about how they will use the system.
Here's what I have so far:

Max incoming lines
number of users users
Analog devices
AA CCR tree (standard)
Number of voice mail boxes
off site phones
Call logging (for billing purposes)
LD calls (voip)

What am I missing? Lots I am sure.

 

[phoneguy610]

depends on the system

i originally went through all of programming and made a customer questionaire out of it.



ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/Nortel

ACIS

 

[Westi]

you need the status quo of the system (lines extensions voicemail)
and then you need to know what features the customer is interested in, you need to guide that expectation because you know the system better than the customer (hopefully) and can suggest things to keep on the radar and also which features are more valuable than others as there are trade offs sometimes. Price is always an issue because everyone wants cheap but nobody wants really cheap stuff. Then lastly you will need to know what expansion, if any, is to expect within the live expectancy of the system (these days about 5 years to max. 10 years then they are completely outdated except if they have firmware upgrades in between if that is possible)

Joe W.

FHandw, ACSS (SME), ACIS (SME)

http://convergednetworks.ca

Give a tech a solution and he will be back tomorrow to ask you the next question, teach a tech how to read the manual and he will be able to solve the problems for a life time.

 

[trvlr1]

I have always found a good place to start is with what they have now, what they like and what they don't like about it, what is driving them to get a new system (ie growth, functionality, age of existing system etc etc) Do they want to just replace their existing phone system with the latest model, so it is up to date, but they can continue using existing phones to save money. What their growth estimates are for the next 5 years. Do they have a good network suitable for VoIP solutions, or do they wish to keep the phones separate as in a TDM type system. Find out where they will want this to go, so you know what size restrictions you may have to work with as well as temperature issues. number and type of lines (T-1, PRI, POTS etc.) This along with the other suggestions here should get you moving in the right direction.

 

[IPGuru]

Most important is to remember that what the customer wants is not necessarily what the customer is asking for.

you need to know Why & steer them down the correct route when they are asking for the wrong things.


A Maintenance contract is essential, not a Luxury.
Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[donb01]

That was a standard phrase my boss used to use when I worked in retail electronics: "Don't sell the customer what they want; sell them what they need."

The logic behind it was that both of you will be happier in the long run.