Business Cost Control Strategies
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve started a new relationship with a client whose telecommunications invoices totaled several thousand dollars a month across a wide network of locations, and the company employed only one (unqualified) person to manage all their telecom billing and ordering. Unfortunately, the result is always the same: these companies had been unknowingly hemorrhaging money for years by overpaying outrageous sums and erroneous charges for their telecom services.
Bringing in a professional telecommunications consultant (AKA, a temporary telecom manager) with appropriate resources and experience makes sense. This can effectively fix ineffective cost management and show quick, dramatic results. In today’s economy, you could easily bring in an outside expert on a temporary basis, because many great former telecom managers are out of work and working as consultants. Why not take advantage of this win-win opportunity?
Why do so many company executives still insist on using an in-house employee to manage their telecom billing? I have come to realize that they just don’t understand why this doesn’t usually work to their best advantage. They are stuck in old ways of thinking – not like the competent businesspeople they usually are.
Not only is it unfair to dump telecom management duties on some unfortunate, ill-prepared employee, but these poor souls are also destined for ultimate failure and blame. Having a person inexperienced in the intricacies of managing complex telephone bills is not conducive to running a solid, more profitable business.
A great many employees who manage the telecommunications function in-house have been assigned the task because it’s been delegated from management, often because no one else wants to do it – not because they are qualified to take on the role. These employees often fail, and not because they don’t want to do a good job. It’s because they have not had the necessary cost-cutting education that consultants get by routinely working with hundreds of different telecom vendors, a wide variety of complicated billing technologies, constantly changing promotions and special offers, and executing proven cost-saving processes.
What’s more, in the recent past throughout corporate America, many valuable in-house telecom managers were phased out as VOIP and IT-intensive services and technologies took over, making some of their formerly valuable services expendable. Nevertheless, those same telecom managers are still available to lend their telecommunications audit expertise as valuable business consultants who can still help companies save money. They have the background and experience to help.
Another reason small companies lack competent employees to oversee telecom activities is that many medium-sized companies believe that they cannot afford to hire someone with experience. This is a huge mistake. Employees who manage telecommunications costs that total over $50,000 each month usually justify their salaries with the cost-saving techniques they bring to their job. Your investment pays off with their expert industry knowledge, negotiation skills, and ability to get your company the best price for telecommunications services. This type of employee – as well as cost consultants – should be able to justify their existence through the actual cost savings they produce.
For smaller companies, finding an in-house qualified person to manage telecommunications vendors and telephone spending is not realistic. For companies spending less than $50,000 each month, the expense of a full-time employee to manage the phone bills is not usually a good financial investment. Instead, these businesses should rent a telecommunications manager-consultant, even if it’s for a only a few months. This person can cut spending and get control of your telecommunications billing network. It makes great financial sense, and it works because great savings are always produced.
Smart business people bring highly qualified, objective and impartial outside professionals (AKA, a temporary telecom manager) on board to manage and audit their company’s telecom spending. Contingency-fee-based project management consultants are a great way to do this. Since there is no out-of-pocket cost, there is no risk. If the consultant doesn’t generate savings, there is no cost.
Proven management consultants can save many more times their actual fees by doing the specialized telecommunications work for companies. These consultants understand that when entering into a consulting relationship that the work is not permanent. They are expected to evaluate the current situation, clean things up, produce dramatic cost savings and depart.
The byproduct of a consultant’s participation is a more profitable bottom line to the clients and companies served. Some would argue that companies should just hire a telecom expense management company to take away the task. However, the main difference between a telecom auditor and a telecom expense management company is that telecom expense management companies are there for the long run, and you might find yourself somewhat stuck with them. With a temporary telecom manager, a short-term expert fixes problems and leaves you with a smooth-running operation.
For most executives, it makes more sense to rent a telecommunications manager to manage their expenses. All CEOs, CIOs and CFOs should consider outsourcing telecom billing expertise for just a few months and see what I’m talking about. You can measure the actual value to your company’s bottom line.
As a telecommunications management consultant myself, I have found that telecommunications departments that are in most disarray either have employees lacking telecom expertise or cannot afford a full-time telecom manager. These are my best kind of client. I am able to help them with substantial savings that accomplish a satisfying financial goal of improving the bottom line. I am able to find many economies for these clients.
The temporary telecom manager is able to create a positive impact on an organization by swooping in and saving many thousands of dollars in real bottom-line company savings. What’s more, as telecom consultants, we can bring control and simplicity to a chaotic situation: untangling the confusing corporate telecom billing process, investigating and securing refunds, and showing companies how to perform telecom service ordering competently and wisely.
Need advice or help with your telecom cost savngs? Please contact the telecom audit pros at 1-888-487-5326 for a free telephone bill audit review. If we find no telecom refunds or recurring savings, you owe us nothing!
About the author: Mark Evans is a professional telecommunications auditor with over 20 years’ experience untangling companies’ phone bills and negotiating with vendors to secure savings and refunds for his clients.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Telecom Makeover Can Shave Business Costs
Give your business telecom costs a makeover this year.
I recently lost 25 lbs. after promising myself that I needed to trim excess fat! It took a lot of work, but I adjusted my lifestyle and shed the extra pounds. As a result, I feel much better.
You can do the same thing with your telecom costs, trim the fat and make changes that keep your costs down. However, like any change, you must be committed to it and make sure that your staff and management is bought in to your telecom cost savings plan.
Be interested in showing your boss the monthly savings. Create excel spreadsheets that track your progress and telecom cost savings as you go, it is very easy to do and very effective. Send monthly trending reports on how you’ve trimmed costs. And in the workplace today, no time is better than now to show your true value to your company by cutting corporate telecommunications costs.
You don’t have to be a professional telecom auditor to achieve solid cost saving results, although a professional can trim your telecom costs with no out-of-pocket costs and is a great alternative if you have limited time and resources. Moreover, some people are just plain intimidated by the phone companies and their constant techno-geek-speak. Once the telecom carriers pick up on one’s lack of knowledge, they move in for the kill. Nevertheless, start with the small things, call the phone company and ask their representative the following question, “my company and I are trying to conserve costs, what can I do to save money?” You will be surprised at the response you will get and the savings you can achieve on your own with this simple question. Even telecom audit pros ask that question and believe me, these days that question is extremely popular. If the particular phone company representative you reach says they cannot help you, don’t be discouraged, call back and try asking another representative. If you reach a good representative, they can help you…a lot. And remember to ask for the most recent and best pricing promotions available, tell them you are doing your due diligence, and let them know you are shopping around the competition also. Believe me, in most cases they’ll understand and will be willing to help.
Next, document all of your business locations, phone lines and services and costs. Make sure that your ordering process is complete. Centralize order control so that you have one employee or at least a single department assigned to make phone moves, adds and changes for your entire company and that random employees are not simply ordering what they want whenever they want. This can get out of control quickly. And don’t forget your cell phones and blackberries, they are a huge part of your business costs.
So lighten your telecom load and make some simple cost saving changes, you’ll be glad you did.
Contact BottaBoom Telecommunications Consulting if you want a professional to help you reduce your business telecom costs with no upfront or out-of-pocket fees. Our fees are 100% contingency-fee based. Call us today at 1-888-487-5326.
I recently lost 25 lbs. after promising myself that I needed to trim excess fat! It took a lot of work, but I adjusted my lifestyle and shed the extra pounds. As a result, I feel much better.
You can do the same thing with your telecom costs, trim the fat and make changes that keep your costs down. However, like any change, you must be committed to it and make sure that your staff and management is bought in to your telecom cost savings plan.
Be interested in showing your boss the monthly savings. Create excel spreadsheets that track your progress and telecom cost savings as you go, it is very easy to do and very effective. Send monthly trending reports on how you’ve trimmed costs. And in the workplace today, no time is better than now to show your true value to your company by cutting corporate telecommunications costs.
You don’t have to be a professional telecom auditor to achieve solid cost saving results, although a professional can trim your telecom costs with no out-of-pocket costs and is a great alternative if you have limited time and resources. Moreover, some people are just plain intimidated by the phone companies and their constant techno-geek-speak. Once the telecom carriers pick up on one’s lack of knowledge, they move in for the kill. Nevertheless, start with the small things, call the phone company and ask their representative the following question, “my company and I are trying to conserve costs, what can I do to save money?” You will be surprised at the response you will get and the savings you can achieve on your own with this simple question. Even telecom audit pros ask that question and believe me, these days that question is extremely popular. If the particular phone company representative you reach says they cannot help you, don’t be discouraged, call back and try asking another representative. If you reach a good representative, they can help you…a lot. And remember to ask for the most recent and best pricing promotions available, tell them you are doing your due diligence, and let them know you are shopping around the competition also. Believe me, in most cases they’ll understand and will be willing to help.
Next, document all of your business locations, phone lines and services and costs. Make sure that your ordering process is complete. Centralize order control so that you have one employee or at least a single department assigned to make phone moves, adds and changes for your entire company and that random employees are not simply ordering what they want whenever they want. This can get out of control quickly. And don’t forget your cell phones and blackberries, they are a huge part of your business costs.
So lighten your telecom load and make some simple cost saving changes, you’ll be glad you did.
Contact BottaBoom Telecommunications Consulting if you want a professional to help you reduce your business telecom costs with no upfront or out-of-pocket fees. Our fees are 100% contingency-fee based. Call us today at 1-888-487-5326.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
