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* Some Restrictions Apply. Please Contact your sales person for more info. Free Shipping on all orders over $150.
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WINNING RETAILERS CARRY WINNER WIRELESS PRODUCTS
ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESSFULY SELLING VERIZON WIRELESS!
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CELLALLURE IS CREATING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
MADE IN CHINA THE ASIA MTM GROUP STORY
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MORE THAN JUST A PARTS SUPPLIER: BETTER PARTS @ BETTER PRICES
8 STAGES OF MAPPING YOUR CUSTOMER’S REPAIR JOURNEY
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BLAZING THEIR OWN TRAIL; THE STAYMOBILE STORY
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EDITORIAL IN DEX
Wireless Dealer Magazine is published quarterly as an independent, wireless industry publication in Houston, Texas. Written materials and requests may be mailed to: WirelessDealer Magazine, 1217 Prince Street, Houston, TX 77008 [not responsible for any unsolicited materials] For advertising or subscription inquiries, please call toll free 1
(800) 862-2609 or visit WirelessDealerMag.com
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Imagine a
Better Future at MWC Americas 2018
Mobile fuels innovation, revolutionizes industries and spurs exciting new opportunities around the world; inspiring us to think bigger and bolder, and to imagine a better future. Join us in Los Angeles, September 12-14, 2018 for Mobile World Congress Americas. With over 1,000 exhibitors, a world-class conference featuring inspiring keynotes, and the industry’s best networking opportunities, MWC Americas is where mobile leaders come together to share their stories and vision. FEATURED EVENT SPONSOR
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Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story
BLAZING THEIR OWN TRAIL;
THE STAYMOBILE STORY
B
usiness today often lacks imagination with company’s just copying someone else’s business model. To some degree, that description fits much of what happens in the modern repair channel. Most repair shops provide a reasonable quality repair of things like smartphones, iPads, Tablets, Netbooks, Chromebooks, and select brands of laptops. Most are set up for retail and count on walk-in traffic.
By Bob Lafon for Wireless Dealer Magazine
“
Most offer the same national brands of accessories. Most offer franchise opportunities. So where are the differentiators? What sets any of them apart from one another?
We have found that being able to offer timely repair services is very important for our replacing textbooks with mobile devices Chuck Morrison, President and CMO of Staymobile
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Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story
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Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story
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n examining the Staymobile model that’s where things get interesting. Led by industry titans from companies like Best Buy, AT&T and even device protection providers like Assurion, the company has blazed their own trail from day one. Most stores are located on College/ University Campuses where students, faculty, and the organization are supported by repairs
on the following devices:
Smartphones Tablets iPads Laptops Netbooks Chromebooks Gaming Systems Smartwatches MP3 Players GPS Systems Cameras
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Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story
Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story Repairs are not necessarily limited to these devices.
These are just the more common types of devices brought in for repair. In addition to a more expansive list of devices repaired, Staymobile has chosen a different approach to the market by focusing on Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Enterprise Direct relationships. While consumers are always welcome and can walk in for a repair at any time, the company has made it a focus of theirs to cater to the education fields as well as more than 300 companies across the nation, helping minimize productivity losses for those who rely most on their devices. In the K-12 market, schools put tablets/iPads and other devices into the hands of kids to accelerate learning. But most schools aren’t set up or equipped for protecting and managing these devices. That’s where Staymobile comes in: with over 200+ K-12
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schools currently serviced, Staymobile has the expertise and the industry-leading services such as certified technicians, like new parts, pick up & delivery, and even lifetime warranties. With a robust focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence, Staymobile will pick up and deliver your devices, provide protection plans that save your school money, and work to drive productivity and satisfaction at for the K-12 market segment. Similarly with Colleges and Universities, Staymobile protection plans are industry leading, showcasing their commitment to higher education channels and the students they serve. Staymobile is the benchmark for same day repair, white-glove pickup and delivery service, and a lifetime guarantee on workmanship and parts. No protection plans compare. Because with Staymobile, learning never stops!
Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story
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Blazing Their Own Trail; The Staymobile Story In the business world, the flow of information
is non-stop, be it through calls, emails, or other
others in non-competing organizations that serve the same market segments, Staymobile seeks to partner
forms of data communication. The “now-norm� of technology has business devices commuting,
with such individuals and organizations in order to add more value to those relationships.
vacationing, traveling and working remotely with employees. Staymobile creates a solution that fits business the now-norm modern business requires.
So whether you are looking for a top quality repair, strategic partnership, or even franchise opportunity, Staymobile is worth the look as they continue to pioneer the repair industry.
Staymobile partners with hundreds of businesses, across all sectors, to create service focused solutions that support and enable your company to have less downtime, and more time to drive business. Solutions that are cost effective, add-value, and come with the Staymobile Lifetime Guarantee. Franchising is available, but on a select basis. The company has worked hard to build a successful business and who represents their brand is more than just a matter of who can afford to buy a franchise. Prospective franchise owners must meet specific criteria in order to be considered for a Staymobile location. In a discussion with a company Vice President, Josh Lake, I also learned just how collaborative an organization they are. Working regularly with
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Social Media Tools
Are You Ready to Join Thousands of Wireless Retailers? With TracPoint’s social media management platform, you can easily manage all your store’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, Google, and Instagram from one central login. Control content and posts, view and respond to all reviews and comments, advertise and promote your business on Facebook, and monitor your social media growth and activity.
Create, Store, and Distribute Great Social Media Content Gain access to a wireless industry social media content library. Create and deploy content to all locations across all social channels at once or by individual location, region or market.
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Easily Manage All Your Social Media Reviews View and respond to all your store’s reviews from Google, Facebook and Yelp. Sort and rank stores by star rating and overall reputation.
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Winner Wireless: Winning Retailers Carry Winner Wireless Products
Provide customers with the latest fashionable phone covers, stylish cases, and reliable chargers. NeoCube Inc. DBA Winner Wireless is a Texas-based corporation and a leading manufacturer of wireless accessories. Winner Wireless has served US customers for over 10 years with a simple philosophy, ”Provide customers with the latest fashionable phone covers, stylish cases, and reliable chargers.” Their strengths are measured in efficiency and turnaround time. They pride themselves in their scalable overseas manufacturing as well as in their in-house design capabilities, making their products, logistics and turnaround time extremely cost efficient.
All Winner Wireless products are listed on their user-friendly website for easy access and easy ordering. You can shop by product type, carrier, or phone model, further simplifying the ordering process! Speaking of easy ordering, in my interview with CEO Aslam Ajani, he informed me that all orders in excess of $150 receive FREE, that’s right, FREE shipping!!!! This is not a promotion, but rather a new customer friendly policy is now a standard practice. (Some restrictions may apply. Speak with your representative for details.)
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All the Ingredients for Successfully Selling Verizon Wireless!
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ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESSFULY SELLING VERIZON WIRELESS! By Bob Lafon for Wireless Dealer Magazine
If you think about the old stunt of seeing how many people you could cram into a Volkswagen Beatle, the retail wireless business at times seems to resemble that gag, in that the market almost feels overcrowded with retailers selling phones and services. Yet consumer demand continues to validate the need for multiple points of distribution for the purchase of new devices, accessories, bill payment, customer service, and more. For Celluphone, it’s not just about being one of the many, but being the best of the many. On the home page of the company’s website is the phrase “We’ve got all the ingredients for success.” That’s an easy claim to make, so the question becomes how do they back up that claim?
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All the Ingredients for Successfully Selling Verizon Wireless!
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Celluphone’s President & CEO, Fred Larson. During that discussion, Larson referenced the fact that his company was founded in 1983, making it a 35 year old company in an industry that’s only about 34 years old. That’s because Verizon Wireless (Then known as AT&T AMPS in Southern California) was in the development stages of their initial network launch and contracted with Celluphone to become their first Authorized Agent. Since that time, Celluphone has become one of the largest wireless distributors in the nation. Fred also pointed out that their focus from early on has been to provide top notch support for their independent wireless dealers, and that this focus is what has allowed them to not only become of one the largest distributors, but the oldest among the group. Something to be said for staying power. With dedicated field support, efficient activations, competitive commissions, and the broadest selection of devices and accessories, the company remains well positioned to continue that success.
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All the Ingredients for Successfuly Selling Verizon Wireless!
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“Merger of Sprint and T-Mobile” As we look at the current state of the industry, looming is the possible merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. Despite what both companies say about not closing locations, the reality is that locations will need to close, after all, there are many stores across the nation with both companies that are literally across the hall or even share a wall in a mall or shopping center. This reality leaves many independent dealers concerned about their future as business owners. That’s where Celluphone can help, said Larson.
Celluphone makes a strong case to back up that claim of having all the ingredients to be successful. If you are looking to become an owner/operator of your own Verizon Wireless store, or looking to convert your stores from another carrier and enjoy selling the nation’s # 1 carrier, be sure to visit Celluphone’s website at www.celluphone.com and click on the “Become a Dealer” link on the middle of their homepage.
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All the Ingredients for Successfuly Selling Verizon Wireless!
“We recognize these owners won’t be keen on closing locations or even going out of business, so we can provide an alternative for some of them; make the switch to selling Verizon Wireless under the Celluphone umbrella. “
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All the Ingredients for Successfully Selling Verizon Wireless!
In spite of the seemingly saturated market, there are still pockets of population underserved by Verizon and their authorized retailers. Celluphone has worked with Verizon Wireless to identify those areas and open stores in these regions. For Sprint and T-Mobile dealers, this offers somewhat of an exit strategy, allowing them a viable alternative to closing stores or going out of business. At the same time, Verizon Wireless who is the nation’s #1 wireless carrier is currently the nation’s #4 provider of Prepaid phones and service. Larson was quick to point out that his company has also made that a focal point and is regularly opening independent dealer locations to sell Verizon’s Prepaid offering. This is also good news for Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Metro PCS dealers who are equally concerned about store closings due to the possible Sprint/T-Mobile merger. (For readers who may not be aware, these brands are wholly owned subsidiaries of Sprint and TMobile and in many cases are in the same situation as the Sprint and T-Mobile stores.)
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“Made in China” The Asia MTM Group Story
Made in China
The Asia MTM Group Story By Bob Lafon for Wireless Dealer Magazine
At one time, Americans made virtually anything
and everything we needed. We were a very self sufficient nation, not dependent on other countries. Such is no longer the case, as we are now just a part of a larger, global economy. In fact, some experts predict that China will be the largest economy in the world sometime in the 21st century and will soon surpass the United States as the dominant economic power. Although the cost of manufacturing in China has risen in recent years, the country is still often the cheapest location for American retailers and manufacturers to source goods or parts. For many years, “Made in China” carried a negative connotation, and often rightly so. Product quality was lacking and good luck trying to find a way to return a product on warranty exchange. Roll the clock forward to today. As part of this brave new world, this global economy, new companies have stepped up to bring the best of both worlds together. Introducing the “Asia MTM Group”, a
new way to do business in China. I recently had the opportunity to interview the company’s founder & CEO Andrew French. Andrew’s story begins in early 2009 with the founding of Asia Manufacturing, Trading, and Marketing (Asia MTM) which was created for the sole purpose of what the name of the company implies. This was not to focus on just China, but the South Eastern Asian region in general. Originally based in Shanghai, China, the company now calls the Shenzhen area, one of the world’s largest manufacturing corridors, home. French, a British citizen, had already been doing business in the Asian region for more than 17 years, so the decision to start Asia MTM was an easy one, as he’d often seen Western Companies struggling to come to China & Southeast Asia in an attempt to source a variety of products usually with poor results. This new “sourcing” business caught on quickly. In late 2010 his business had already more than doubled from when he started and it was during this time also that
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“Made in China” The Asia MTM Group Story
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he purchased a warehouse in Hong Kong. Andrew also expanded their product lines into mobile phone parts and accessories. French said “The most important aspect of doing business with us is that we have our core values of quality, trust, and professionalism and we do not deviate from that for any reason. Asia is quite open to the world now but it is still far away from most people who are doing business here. For those people, a trusted partner is needed.” Part of the challenge of manufacturing in Asia is bridging the cultural gap, and since Asia MTM Group is essentially Western owned and operating in Asia, they can provide an “ease of use” to their customers. This is a true end to end solution as customers talk to them in their own native language, the data gets processed internally in the company, and their teams speak to the factories in their native language. This provides a seamless transition on bridging the gap.
with them. One of the keys to their success he said, is that they have a western face to their customers and an eastern face to their suppliers. This ensures a seamless end to end business flow and bridges all cultural and language barriers. As this is Wireless Dealer Magazine, if you are a wireless dealer or even repair shop, you should consider sourcing accessories and/or parts through Asia MTM Group. Why pay wholesale accessory distributors money that you could keep? Why not improve your margins and in the process improve your bottom line and cash flow? There’s no need to fear doing business in China or Southeast Asia when you can work directly with a Western owned company focused on quality control. Enjoy the best of both worlds and purchase quality products at a far more competitive price!
A key point Andrew made from the beginning is that their main focus is on quality, and everything Asia MTM manufactures, or trades, passes through their dedicated quality control centre. They stand behind everything they sell, and guarantee that the products will meet customer specifications set during the sampling period.
For further information about The Asia MTM Group, visit their website at: www.asiamtm.com
Asia is far away from the west, and for some, seems inaccessible due to culture, language, distance, and cost of travel. Many people want to take advantage of manufacturing their products in low cost countries, in order to be profitable. French made it clear he is interested in developing long-term relationships with customers, which everyone in the industry always says, but very little actually perform under that premise. He states a dogged determination to take the extra steps that most other companies won’t, just to service their customers and make them feel they are partners
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