Agency Channel: Tapping the Unwired Market

Posted: 04/2000

News Briefs

* Compass Telecommunications Inc.
(www.compasstel.com), a national CLEC that provides integrated communications products and services, announced in February it has entered into an exclusive arrangement with master agency U S Telebrokers
(www.ustelebrokers.com), whereby U S Telebrokers will manage Compass’ sales through its existing agent relationships.

Compass will offer local, long distance and high-speed data over Williams Communications’
(www.williamscommunications.com)
ATM backbone, primarily to high-end commercial users with bandwidth requirements.

Compass has applied for facility-based CLEC status in all 50 states to provide large business customers origination and termination to all of their branches, no matter the location.

“If we had an in-house sales staff, we would have to have people in every state–a huge management issue if you tried to develop a national sales force and you were trying to grow a company,” says Compass President and CEO Ray Powers.

Instead, Powers will leverage his relationship with U S Telebrokers to use seasoned agents with existing relationships and the knowledge of the needs of high-speed data customers or large-volume usage voice customers.

In return, Powers can offer agents ubiquity and competitive compensation.

U S Telebrokers and Compass will promote their companies to high-end commercial customers, while they “will spark the interest of the agent community, because this promotion is very, very aggressively priced and very lucrative for the agents,” says Ted Schuman, president & CEO of U S Telebrokers.

* Master agency and ISP ClearTalk Communications Inc.
(www.cleartalkinc.com) and facilities-based reseller Global Connect
(www.globalconnect.com) have announced that Global Connect will use ClearTalk’s network of more than 100 independent sales agents to market anything from wholesale long distance to high-speed Internet access to small-, medium- and large-volume end users.

The agreement gives ClearTalk exclusive rights to wholesale agreements through STAR Telecommunications Inc.
(www.startel.com) and direct routes to Mexico that Global Connect offers to carriers and large-volume end users.

Last year, ClearTalk bought the bases of five master agencies, and it added to its agent program scope and customers.

“We never used to accept orders under $1,000; now we accept anything,” says Tom Tsilionis, president, ClearTalk.

Tsilionis says ClearTalk uses the services of more than 20 different carriers and sells a “consultant approach,” in which agents provide bill auditing along with telecom services such as switched and dedicated long distance, data, Internet access, wireless phones and point-to-point product lines.

ClearTalk and Global Connect will use existing, experienced independent full-time sales staff to market to end users.

ClearTalk recruits former direct sales reps from various telecommunications companies and converts them to strictly agent through a unique up-front bonus program.

Its agent support structure includes an interactive web-based management system, which offers online e-mail, commission tracking, provisioning reports, order maintenance, retention control, voice mail/fax retrieval, order forms, cost savings analysis programs, bill auditing software, proposal templates and an unlimited source of training and reference materials.

* Incomnet Communication Corp.
(www.incomnet.com) has introduced Portfolio Business Product, which is designed to meet telecommunications needs of small-to-medium-sized businesses.

The Portfolio will be offered primarily through Incomnet’s Agent Sales Program, a select group of independent agents that earns high residual commissions for Portfolio sales and residential services.

The services include local toll, domestic and international long distance, inbound and outbound 800-number services, calling cards, high-speed DSL, Internet access, personalized web pages, paging and Virtual 1 number service.

Incomnet also is highlighting its Virtual 1 service, which offers one toll-free access number. Upon receiving a call, the service finds the recipient at any location. Virtual 1 announces the callers, which provides customers the freedom to take the call or divert it to a messaging system.

In addition, Virtual 1 pages the individual when a voice mail or fax is received. It receives and stores faxes, allows customers to forward to any fax machine and provides immediate access to all voice, fax and e-mail messages over the Internet.

Incomnet’s news DSL services for business and residential customers guarantees fully symmetric high-speed access for Internet business users with round-the-clock network monitoring.

* Prepaid Direct Inc. (www.prepaiddirect.com)
has announced an exclusive agent program, which will be limited to 30 agents so the company can ensure its success via dedicated personnel, time and resources, as well as an equity offer.

“For those who join us, we will work with them every step of the way to build a successful program. Agents are integral to the success of Prepaid Direct,” says Prepaid Direct President Thomas H. Ong, who has worked as agent and carrier agent manager.

Prepaid Direct provides agents with a “blueprint” spreadsheet that outlines expected revenues and expenditures necessary to promote its products successfully. The company also has a mandatory three-day industry and sales training class in its corporate office of Mobile, Ala.

Prepaid Direct agent support includes an agent relations department, which will be the single point of contact to answer any questions agents may have. This department is responsible for providing agents with updated market information and sales materials and the latest company products and services available.