Come what may in the comms industry, headsets will always be a central theme of the 21st century contact centre and other key markets, and Jonathan Davies, Agent Sales Manager, is urging all resellers to acknowledge this fact.
The reality is that once a contact centre or UC solution has been established it is conspicuously incomplete without the inclusion of appropriate headsets. We can build comprehensive solutions to keep organisations fully connected to their customers across all channels, but even the most sophisticated deployment will fail to fulfil its potential unless the roll out of optimised headsets becomes a matter of policy. Davies is enthusiastic about charting the positive impact of headsets and with a particular focus on the Agent brand he explains why headsets are essential and should be routinely sold into the major arenas. "No one can underestimate the role of headsets in the burgeoning UC and mobile markets," he stated.
One reason Agent headsets, a UK-based brand, have been successful is their growing popularity among a strong base of resellers, noted Davies, who is positioning Agent as a viable alternative that flexes with the demands of end users. "Once a reseller has established a foothold in a particular market, selling headsets becomes a case of having the right approach and products when customers need them the most," he said. "Perhaps the best example of this is when Agent sales gathered momentum during the financial crisis, a time when cost was a primary consideration for all purchasing decision makers. With our products customers quickly found that they could acquire quality headsets cost-effectively."
Headset sales at present are driven by more than cost and quality of build. Functionality and the flexibility to adapt to all customer requirements have become prime considerations for technology buyers, and this year Agent is expanding its product range with an emphasis on the traditional merits of value and high quality but also enhanced by a sharper focus on providing an all encompassing alternative to rival brands in the market.
One newcomer to the Agent portfolio is the AU range of USB headsets. "These corded headsets for Unified Communications are a balance of robust design and competitive pricing which positions them for the UC call centre and VoIP office," explained Davies. "Agent is also refreshing its traditional corded headset offering with the addition of the premium AG range, incorporating an ultra noise-cancelling microphone, lightweight aluminium housing and a three year warranty as standard."
For those resellers wanting a cost-effective solution for large deployments Agent has introduced a new 'workhorse' noise-cancelling headset called the AP series, pointed out Davies. Agent also sells the W880, a multi-use wireless headset for both traditional telephones and UC, while the corded headsets continue to support the swappable cables needed for both uses as well as a 3.5mm jack for tablet and smartphone.
According to Davies the W880 illustrates how Agent is playing an important role in driving the widespread adoption of wireless headsets, showing organisations the efficiencies that can be derived from staff not being tied to their desks, and also exhibiting the benefits of hot desking. "This versatility in the Agent product range dovetails neatly with the growth of flexible working environments, where more people than ever before are buying headsets to use with many devices rather than just a fixed call centre desk or a desk phone in their office," added Davies.
While healthy headset revenues do lie in mobile, contact centre and UC environments, the market must also grow from the ambitions of a reseller base that is hungry for margin and displays an appetite to give customers what they want. "Agent offers resellers the chance to put the margin back into selling headsets," noted Davies. "But that hasn't been the only incentive to the expansion of Agent's market share. Resellers who get behind the brand soon find that customers do welcome an alternative solution. In a space where performance and value are key, and when the customer gets the headsets into their hands, Agent quickly becomes an attractive proposition."
Not surprisingly, the Agent brand continues to gain attention from proponents who value its properties of ease of sale combined with a dovetail-like relevance to all customer situations and requirements, claimed Davies, who also noted that customers are pleasantly surprised by their foresight to make an 'alternative' buying decision despite their tendency to stick with what they know.
"For those who want to grow revenues from headset sales there are huge spaces in the market lying fallow," commented Davies. "Some customers, for example, buy according to habit and do not consider alternatives due to perceived concerns about the complexity and cost of other options. But the reverse is always the case in our experience. When buying Agent these preconceptions are shattered. Customers are impressed by the contrast they see and feel they're purchasing something better for less money."•