Free small business advisory guide

Who I Am And How I Can Help You:

My name is Dave Dennis with Western Data Enterprises, Inc. Western Data has installed many phone systems over the years (we've been in business since 1989!) and during that time, we've showed a lot of companies how to save money and not make the same mistakes most companies make when purchasing a new phone system.

I have experience with:

• Panasonic
• Toshiba
• Artisoft
• Nortel/Meridian
• NEC

In fact, I'm NEC Aspire™ authorized. Not many companies can say that!

I am also intimately familiar with most types of corporate phone systems, including everyone from the big vendors to the smaller, lesser known systems. I specialize in helping companies with 25 to 100 users make smart, cost-saving decisions when buying a new phone system.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies get suckered into buying an overpriced, complicated phone system simply because they didn’t know all of the options available to them, or simply because they didn’t know how to ask the right questions when interviewing phone vendors.

With so many choices, it can be very difficult to make an educated decision without spending days or weeks researching all of the vendors and options you have. That’s why I created this report; I wanted to arm buyers with a quick reference to help them make the absolute best decision when buying a new phone system.

Buyer Mistake #1:

Not planning for future needs

Before you buy a system, make sure you have answers to the following questions to plan ahead for future needs:

• How many new employees do you think you will hire over the next 5 years?
• Will you have remote offices or employees working from home?
• Do you think you will open other branches in the future?
• Do you need the ability to do call reporting / call accounting?

Look for a system that will allow you to add new features and expand your system later on when you need to. A good question to ask your vendor is, “If we decide to add these features later on, what will be involved in the project?” Ask about costs, as well as the downtime you may have while the upgrade is being performed.

Buyer Mistake #2:

Not getting enough voice mail

Don’t underestimate the value of voice mail. The last thing you want a customer to hear is, “Sorry, you cannot leave a voice mail message because this user’s box is full.” To avoid this all together, make sure your system's voice mail has plenty of memory for storage. Also, your system should have the ability to set up an almost unlimited number of voice mailboxes.

Buyer Mistake #3:

Not buying a system that can be easily maintained in-house

Anyone who has ever owned a traditional PBX or legacy telephone system knows the incredible costs for maintenance, support, and upgrades. In fact, because all maintenance activities on these types of phone systems requires vendor involvement at $150 or more per visit, lifetime maintenance costs on a legacy PBX typically run as high as 40% of the system cost.

In other words, that $50,000 phone system will really cost you $70,000 before you’re done. If you want to change your auto attendant, can you do it in house or do you need to call the vendor, wait 2 days for the guy to come out, and pay $150? This is a no-brainer; make sure your system can easily be supported in-house by end-users and you’ll save a lot of time and money

Buyer Mistake #4:

Not buying next generation features

While you might not think you want or need next generation features such as Voice Over IP (the ability to run voice calls over your computer network to save on phone bills), web interactions, and e-mail integration, the system you buy should allow you to implement these features very inexpensively some time in the future.

Look for a system that imbeds:

• Voicemail
• Messaging
• Automatic call distribution
• Operator console
• Call forwarding
• Follow-me dialing

These features will eliminate the need to purchase these applications separately down the road. If the system you are considering requires complex infrastructures, implementations, or pricing schemes to add these features on, look for another system.

Buyer Mistake #5:

Not choosing the right vendor

A telephone system is the lifeblood of most businesses. A system failure that lasts only minutes can cost thousands of dollars in lost business. You must be sure that your vendor is capable of properly supporting your business.

Ask potential vendors:

• Do you offer a money back guarantee?
• How long have you been selling this system?
• What is your relationship with the manufacturer?
• Do you have references?
• Can I visit the site of an installation you’ve done?
• Do you have support available 24x7x365?
• Can I have access to cell phone numbers for your technicians?
• What do you charge for support?

A good vendor will guarantee your satisfaction and have a long, close history with the manufacturer they represent. They won’t be afraid to allow you to talk to their existing clients, or take you on a site visit. If the vendor doesn’t have good answers to these questions, chances are they could leave you high and dry.

Call: 877-360-0559
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Fax: 951-360-0965

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If you would prefer to speak to me personally, my direct line is: 951-360-0558 ext. 31.

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