Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Hi Tim

you first need to list down your features against your competitors. IP PABX does everything that a regular PABX does but only on IP. an important feature to consider (for buyers) is whether your product allows the existing PABX users to use their current handsets for your IPPABX. to the best of my knowledge, if your model support SIP, then you can easily convert existing PABX users to your product.

based on your features (although you didnt provide much) you can target the following segment

Outbound CallCenters
Small Office, Home Office
Credit Card companies

hope this helps.

cheers!

The IP PBX also has an additional negative - what happens when the internet connection goes down?

You haven't given me a reason why I'd choose your product over your competitors. More features is a solution in search of a problem. What's the problem you solve better than your competitors? Are you more reliable? Easier to integrate? Better for offices that are spread out geographically? Simplicity?

As Bill Nissim (Bill@ibranz) mentioned, people don't buy features. Focus on the benefits that you provide customers (and your USP). That's your key for a successful strategic plan.

You can also get more information about how to best target these various segments by understanding their needs better, and identifying the most sought-after benefits. Try to conduct some primary market research - this will also to help you to answer the question about which organizations to target, as well as how to position your product to meet their needs. You can try to post a survey on your website, or, if you have email addresses, try to send a survey to your base to get a broad representation of your customers.

I hope you are seeing the pattern here:

People don't buy features. Focus on the benefits that the product provides.

If the product was developed without having first defined the target audience and then identifying their most important unmet needs, then it's going to be very difficult to "retrofit" the product to a market. It's like having a piece from a jigsaw puzzle but not knowing which puzzle it goes to!

You've solved a problem, but you don't know whose problem it is.

Set my self up for a real lambasting here!

Thanks for all the input so far - looks like I've been overlooking the simplest step here: research.

See, the IP PBX system we're selling is the fist of it's kind in our country. The system has already proven itself in the SMB market overseas - so the challenge for us is to accurately segment the local
SMB market. Hence, I think on-the-ground research is probably the order of the day.

I agree with your comments on: "it sells on features..." - a more accurate description would probably be: "It is positioned as a more sophisticated/high performance system in comparison to its competitors..." - but your comments are still valid. Sophisticated/high performance systems are useless unless they address specific needs.

Appreciate the help :)