
1. Do some research, ask questions, take note of other organisations' telecommunications. You use it every day. Can you book, amend and cancel an appointment at your Doctor using just your key-pad? How did they record a conversation, then email it to their boss? Why did the company next door manage the winter-freeze better than we did? The questions are endless – this'll start the ideas flowing, can I do this, can I do that? The next step is to find a company whose imagination and creativity is in tune with yours.
2. You'll find hundreds of companies claiming they'll rock your world given half a chance, but be careful, there's rocking and there's rocking. Remember, this new relationship will span the lifetime of your system – you need a partnership, your business will change dramatically in the next 5-7-10 years, what appears state of the art today, could be obsolete tomorrow. Choose to speak with no more than three or four companies; one might be your incumbent maintainer, if you're still happy with them and of course a recommendation is always good. Beyond that, look for organisations who have associations with big names, BT, Cable & Wireless, O2 etc., companies who can demonstrate awards for innovation and customer satisfaction. Ok, be prepared, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, but no knowledge (in this instance) could be extremely painful.
3. Know what you have – how many lines, how many extensions, diverts, night service, fax machines, modems, door-entry, public address, and so-on and so-forth. If you're not the 'keeper' of the system, ask the person who is to join you in the meetings. The salesperson will make a much better job of the proposal if they have the correct information – only you can give them that. But that's the past, you want to move on, move forward, start a revolution…well not quite, but this investment could revolutionise the way you work. Ask more questions.
4. Ask where's the pain? What's holding the business back, why can't I… Do you want to replace people with technology? (if only). Do you need another member of staff but can't afford one? Do you want to keep better control of people on the road? Do you loose new business because the phone doesn't get answered quickly enough? Are you open to litigation, fraud, uncontrollable costs, people taking the proverbial…. The 'b' word comes next – what's the budget. No point in getting a price for a Lamborghini when you can only afford a Ford.
5. Be honest, explain clearly what you're trying to achieve. If you're looking for a figure to put to the FD for budget, come clean. Any company looking for a 'quick sale' will loose interest & clearly wasn't interested in designing and implementing a solution for you anyway – no 'box-shifters' welcome here. If you need a lease arrangement, are you really eligible? More homework. You should now be ready to receive your visitors. Quick check - done the research, identified the business issues, got an idea about money. The telecoms industry is a very mature market and there are very few unique features to be found anymore. The question is, who can make best use of what they have?
6. Can the company [this person in front of me is representing] forge a successful business relationship with my organisation? Do they truly understand what I'm trying to achieve? Will they work with me to design a solution? Are they innovative enough to revolutionise the way we work? Can they truly deliver on time, in budget? Will they support us for the next however manyyears? So you've got three quotations on your desk. Three companies, proposing three different products, not dissimilar in price and more or less in budget. But, poles apart with their submissions. Digital, IP, hosted…. Have any of these telecoms companies captured your imagination, did they 'wax lyrical' about their product, do they know their stuff, were they genuinely sincere about solving your business issues – be candid, can you work with them?
7. Ask to visit them, see a working demonstration, go armed with numerous questions, take colleagues. Assess the organisation, do they look stable, will they be trading in 12-months, ask for reference sites. Arrange a techy-to-techy conversation, 'my people talking to your people' 'what plugs in where', 'what talks to what', 'who writes the middle-wear' blah blah..
8. Ask your favourite proposer to send a qualified engineer to perform a full & detailed site survey. Insist they inspect every nook & cranny, leave no stone unturned. Show and tell - highlight cabling compromises, working practices, health & safety issues; discuss layout changes, personnel. Be precise, it'll come back to bite you if you're not. You're company of choice should now be in a position to offer a final proposal. Arrange a meeting to discuss their solution. Invite decision makers,technical colleagues, key users etc., and ask them to prepare their questions too. If possible do this at their site, let everyone see who you're proposing to choose.
9. Get everyone's buy in. Change is difficult to manage; the receptionist will probably use this new technology more than the MD & FD will. Not easy to give the seal of approval then renege on it. Happy with your choice? Confident? Ready to go? Hold on a minute….
10. Go back, have you achieved what you set out to achieve? Remember that research, rocking your world, ROI's. Business pain, solutions, benefits, stability, trust, buy-in. The future! Happy, confident = then go sign on the dotted line.
Elite Telecom provides Panasonic phone systems that are complete telecoms solutions for all businesses large and small. The technique used is to integrate phone systems, people and IT infrastructure to ensure that productivity is improved at the same time as cutting costs. The Panasonic phone system supports a wide range of sophisticated features that are easy to use. Elite will take a look at the communication needs of your business and provide you with the best bespoke solution.
A Panasonic phone system has varied features available to suit the needs of different businesses. Some will benefit your business and some may not, depending on the nature of your company, but Elite will review this and give you advice on which features are suitable for you. Here is a short list so you can have a look and work out which features you think would fit your company.
Do not hesitate to give us a call on and we will provide you with free advice about Panasonic phone systems.
A Panasonic phone system has many benefits such as:
The company achieved number one spot for market share in North America for 2010 and for the first quarter of 2011, according to information technology market research firm T3i Group.
Detailed reports from North America state that Panasonic is making headway in the business phone system market. Panasonic had a 26 per cent market share in IP-enabled technology, 3 points lead over the next highest ranked technology vendor, Cisco.
“Panasonic is pleased to offer a variety of business telephony options to small businesses that can be tailored to meet their every need,” said Bill Taylor, president of Panasonic System Networks Company of America, in a statement.
“Panasonic's consistent performance quarter after quarter and year after year reflects our steady and on-going commitment to the SMB market.
“Business and technical decision-makers alike know that they can count on Panasonic to bring solutions, not just technology, to solve their challenging business problems and help them compete in a tough economic climate,” Taylor added.
A new study has revealed that businesses in the UK could be wasting money on telephone systems – as they are not checking regularly to see if they are getting the best deals.
Research carried out by YouGov on behalf of NewVoiceMedia stated that over a third of SME decision makers admitted to not having reviewed their system in the last 12 months.
Less than a third had reviewed their landline telephone system in the previous six months – this means that businesses are potentially missing the best value for money, as the economic market continues to fluctuate.
Furthermore 26 per cent of respondents admitted to not reviewing their business telephony services for over two years. Shame on you.
Jonathan Gale, chief commercial officer at NewVoiceMedia.said:
“With businesses trying to drive efficiencies and save money left, right and centre, it is surprising that they are overlooking the potential savings that could be made in this area – preferring to let the system plod along without any real idea of what they could be saving.”
Of the SMEs that did have a telephone system in place, the perceived disruption caused by the installation of a new system and the time involved were the two biggest turn-offs.

Gale commented: “Rewind ten years ago and to install a new phone system you would have had to shut the office for a day – costing the business time and money.
This is no longer the case. With the advances in cloud-based applications a new office landline can be set up in 30 minutes, without having to change the number.”
Elitetele.com can provide you with a business phone system solution that doesn’t necessarily mean a day less of business takings, call us today and let us find a bespoke solution for you – we can promise you the best deal, minimise disruption and keep your business flourishing.
Ring a ding, ding! And the winner is... Panasonic Systems Network Company of America achieved #1 for the market record.
It’s not surprising that Panasonic claimed the award for the first half of the calendar year 2010. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, It offers business-to-business advice. The firm delivers reliable, affordable and flexible solutions for communication, collaboration, security and productivity. The market information was released by the Parsippany, NJ-based information technology market research firm T3i Group this September.
Panasonic business phone system is the top choice of small and medium-sized businesses. A recent survey conducted by CEPro magazine concludes that 80 percent of the installers surveyed reported using Panasonic telephone products.
The complete suite offers security and surveillance systems, retail information systems, office productivity solutions, home and business solutions and high definition visual conferencing. Keeping Panasonic customers connected, informed, and secure.
Panasonic phone systems have long since been a favourite with businesses looking for functionality as well as cost effectiveness. Now though, Panasonic are about to become an even bigger favourite as the Panasonic System Networks Europe announces some new schemes.
Partners of Panasonic will receive a 20% concession when they trade in their old Panasonic phone systems. However, when customers hand in their old business phone systems on the other hand, they will receive tools that will allow them to calculate energy consumption and the carbon footprint of their business. So, not only good to their customers, Panasonic are also being good to their environment too!
Panasonic sales are apparently reaching a crescendo according to distributors Nimans and Rocom. The Panasonic NCP communication platform is currently one of the best sellers, highly contributing to the massive growth in Panasonic sales.
Panasonic phone systems are one of the most widely used types of business phone systems and with the NCP communication platform on offer too, it’s little wonder that Panasonic sales are going through the roof.
Panasonic, provider of business telephone systems, has announced the availability of a new communications assistant productivity software solution that can be integrated with the KX-TDE phone system platform. As well as features such as multi-site networking, the new software for the KX-TDE phone system also includes call recording. For many reasons such as compliancy or training, call recording is a must-have when it comes to business. Now, with a high-end phone system from Panasonic, you can also enjoy a call recording system from the same reliable company.
Panasonic has just released the all-new, all-singing all-dancing KX-VC500 HD Visual Communications Solution videoconferencing system. Panasonic has just debuted the new video conferencing system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas where companies go to reveal their new products. It couldn't really come at a better time what with increased airport security and the snow in the UK which isn't showing any signs of stopping...to have a big brand like Panasonic unveil a video conferencing system, businesses must be itching to get their hands on one!
Panasonic, maker of plasma TVs and phone systems, has succeeded in buying a controlling stake in re-chargeable battery maker Sanyo for a reported £2.8 billion. With climate change and environmental issues being a major focus at the minute, Panasonic has considerably strengthened its portfolio by purchasing a stake in Sanyo as the company is well-known for its environmentally friendly technologies. Sanyo now sell eco-friendlier hybrid car batteries which will add to Panasonic’s fuel cell division.