Success hinges on five leadership priorities underpinned by strong decision making, customer-centricity, sustainability, strategic resilience and a people first mindset, writes Mark Howarth, Head of Trading Partner Experience, Zen.
Navigate the switch off
This is a critical time for our industry. The full fibre roll out will be the last major comms infrastructure development we will see in our lifetime and the copper network switch off is nearly upon us. It will prove a pivotal moment for our industry with fast and reliable broadband services across the whole of the UK being vital in supporting long-term economic prosperity. Failure to adapt is a risk to revenue and can leave you behind. Businesses relying on outdated technology are certain to lose market share. Yet transitioning to VoIP and the other benefits associated with the switch off can be straightforward.
Customer service excellence
Another popular topic with the Zen Partner team centres on how customer loyalty and satisfaction can play a massive role in business success. By focusing on your service wrap, understanding and delivering complementary products and services, and delivering moments of magic to your end user, channel partners can build lasting relationships and drive growth.
Empower your teams
To achieve customer excellence you must have a highly motivated and engaged team. Zen has always been a people-first business primarily because its founder and CEO, Richard Tang, recognises the critical role that people play in business success. Leaders of channel firms would also benefit from prioritising and engaging more with their teams. This could involve encouraging decision making at all levels and empowering teams to be more innovative and adaptable. Health and wellbeing is another important consideration, so invest in this. It doesn’t have to be monetary investment, time resource can go a long way to pulling together a robust health and wellbeing strategy for your people. A healthy and happy workforce is more productive and engaged. As are organisations that promote collaboration and teamwork in a flexible work environment. Teams that work together and have a feeling they are trusted to get a job done, simply perform better. Also, recognise and reward achievements. Motivated people contribute to success.
Prioritise sustainability
Zen has always paid attention to environmental considerations through the years and has intensified its approach to this topic having achieved B Corp certification alongside carbon neutral status. As a B Corp we are legally required to consider the impact of our actions across five key behaviours, including the environment. We have also had our commitments to achieve Net Zero approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in line with their Net Zero standard. This initiative is another positive step on that journey. It’s no longer a nice to have and there can be no more excuses for not trying. You can start small: Consider energy efficient solutions, minimise waste and explore renewable energy sources. Could a virtual meeting reduce travel related emissions? Could a switch to energy efficient light bulbs in your office help? Every step counts, and the small steps collectively make an impact. It’s also great to see our industry take positive steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, not just directly but throughout the supply chain with recent pledges made by Ofcom and some of the major telecoms companies.
Navigate the economy
Strategic planning is crucial in an uncertain economy. So consider service lifetime costs and assess the true cost of a sale. Beyond initial acquisition, consider ongoing support, maintenance and customer satisfaction. Conducting thorough cost analyses can help to inform decision making. And be mindful that a loyal customer base is worth a lot. The high value of strategic planning should also not be under estimated, so diversify revenue streams and be agile in response to economic fluctuations.