Purple News_02.16[1]

Purple News
Issue 11 | Winter/Spring 2016 For our Channel Partners
Broadband
installation
Read about the
industry-wide changes
Purple Partners set to see
sales rocket in 2016
WE HAVE
LIFT OFF
Broadband
advertising under
scrutiny
If it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is
3
News from Winter/Spring 2016
Success is a journey, together

Welcome to the Winter/Spring edition of Purple News, I hope your 2016 has got off to a good
start. We’ve hit the ground running here at Nine, planning a number of exciting initiatives for the
year ahead.
We want this to be a record-breaking year for our own business, and therefore yours as well.
In order to achieve this we’ve calculated some fantastic new benefits for those on the Purple
Partner Programme. If you haven’t yet joined the programme now is definitely the time. Trust
me; we’ve done the maths, and the savings you could make are extraordinary. Read all about
the financial benefits we’re offering this year, and get in touch with your CDM to receive a
Purple Partner Programme brochure outlining all of the other business-changing, value-adding
features on offer.
As always we have marketing and industry pieces from our expert columnists and an update
on industry-wide changes to fibre broadband installation.
Finally, many of you will have joined us at Porsche Carrera race days in 2015. To give you a
quick update, Nine-sponsored racing driver, Josh, is working on plans for this season and has
not finalised a decision yet. However he hopes to see you at a circuit sometime during the year.
Here’s to a fantastic 2016, we’re delighted to be sharing it with you.
Nick Webster
Managing Director
nick.webster@ninewholesale.co.uk
Hello again
Purple News | Issue 11 | Winter/Spring
We’ve got it covered
You may have noticed our new advertising campaign on the
back pages of both Comms Dealer and Comms Business
magazines, possibly because you mistook it for the front
cover! Our innovative new advert design is in the the style of
a contemporary magazine cover, featuring a different cover
model selected from our fabulous customer-facing staff each
month!
You may have recognised Vicki Cowperthwaite, Virtual Office
Team Leader, on the cover of January’s advert and February
featured one of our Account Managers, Kate Brodey,
promoting the fantastic new Purple Partner Benefits.
We’d love to know what you think, did they make you stop
and stare?
Let us known at hello@ninewholesale.co.ukLook out for
our next cover
advert...
Coming soon
4

The conversation was about how different payment methods had become
normalised over the last few years. PayPal, ApplePay, even Chip and Pin, which
isn’t that old and we got talking about how long it would take for BitCoin to
enter the mainstream not just in terms of payment methods, but in terms of
actual currency.
I did a bit of research once I realised I wasn’t that knowledgeable and in brief,
BitCoin is a crypto currency, or payment system that was invented in 2008
by Satoshi Nakamoto. (Who may or may not be a single person or a group of
people.) Essentially BitCoin is a database, or open source software, depending
on how you’re looking at it. You can ‘mine’ it by offering up your computing
power to verify and record payments into a public ledger.
Which doesn’t sound like money at all if we’re being honest.
Yet there are ATM’s that issue BitCoin, Barclays now trades using the currency
and many charities accept donations in it.
Why this sudden interest in BitCoin? I am fascinated by disruptive innovation.
It’s fair to say that there is a huge pace of change with regard to technology in
the work place, in our industry and in fact in our homes.
Innovations such as BitCoin are nothing new but one contribution could be
considered to be from the evolution, creation, deregulation, and privatisation
of UK telecoms network kicked off in the early 80’s and the subsequent
introduction of competition into the UK market as a result.
Whilst it is fair to say that this evolution would probably have happened
elsewhere in the world without the above, it paved the way for broadband,
fibre optics, DIA, hosted voice and countless other product improvements over
the years as carriers researched, developed and marketed new, more cost
effective but innovative ways to transmit voice and data over long distances.
They created products that allowed a staggering suite of applications that we
pretty much take for granted today; from network level voicemail to Outlook
integration. And of course all of these innovations lead to more product
choices, more available services, more customers; more sales.
And yet somehow I hear that there are some that feel that this rate of change
doesn’t affect them; that the copper network will be here for eternity; that on
premise phone systems will continue to provide good revenues for generations
to come.
At Nine we know we don’t have all of the answers, but we continue to work
closely with all of our partners and suppliers to apply that knowledge in a
number of partner workshops. Workshops that look at new ways to earn
additional margin, for marketing or new for 2016 product specific workshops
that look at new technologies and applications and how we can apply them in
the market. Look out for those in the coming months.
If you’re a Purple Partner these come as part of the programme, if not, you
should really consider joining up or you could pay using BitCoin.
INDUSTRY
NOTEBOOK
Marcus Dacombe
Group Commercial Product Director
The price
of innovation
You’ve no doubt heard of BitCoin and you will have seen ApplePay
being advertised with every mainstream bank. I’d not been taking
that much notice until I was involved in a conversation about the
virtual currency and realised that I didn’t know all that much about it.
1

Purple Monday
Your correspondent finds himself having to write an
uplifting marketing article on what is “officially” the most
miserable day of the year, or Blue Monday, as Sky Travel
christened it in their 2005 PR campaign. Although there
is no real science behind the creation of Blue Monday, it
is easy to understand how a combination of late trains,
dead end employment prospects, lengthy credit card
statements, gloomy weather and failed resolutions can
produce a dark fog of despair. In an effort to lighten the
mood, we sent you our Purple Monday antidote, so I
hope your demeanour was duly transformed and many
cheery endorphins flowed around your person as a
result.
The Marketing Plan
Depending on your business calendar and year end, you
may well have embarked upon, or even completed your
annual marketing plan. Similarly, here at The Hub, we
have also been reviewing our 2015 version, recycling the
good bits, lamenting the bright ideas that didn’t escape
the drawing board and creating some lively, fresh ideas
for the year ahead. It would be careless of me not to
share some of our experiences and maybe inspire you to
examine your own marketing schemes.
With further reference to Purple Monday, no opportunity
to link a marketing campaign to topical events should be
over-looked and this primitive, but effective ruse will have
grand scope in 2016, with the Rio Olympics, European
FootballChampionshipsinFranceandevenapresidential
election in America. The trick is to do this well and not be
tired, obvious or hackneyed, unless you have a
relationship with your customers that has achieved
a level of familiarity, where you can safely be cheesy
and self-deprecating. Don’t be tempted to act out of
character – if your traditional marketing is authoritative,
factual and informative, then don’t suddenly go all quirky
and humorous – brands are like people and odd or
unexpected behaviour can be unsettling.
One element that I always insist upon is to write the
marketing plan in the voice of the customer, so don’t
set goals in your own voice; think about what you would
want your customer to say about your business in twelve
month’s time. The marketing plan should be for them,
not for you.
Content is really just another word for a story, so write
some new ones about topics that are important to your
customers and then make them work really hard for you
– tell the stories on your website and direct people there
using social media. Re-tell the story in direct mail and
newsletters and why not generate some PR and press
coverage, locally or in suitable trade press. People will
engage with stories that have a more personal element
and every business has something interesting to say –
what’s your biggest story right now?
My final tip would be to pay some attention to your
website. Do you need to invest a bit of money in the first
port of call for your customers and prospects? Do you
need some dedicated headcount to make sure that it is
always fresh and topical – an out of date, or empty news
section does not say good things about your business.
BT and EE
In complete lack of surprise news, the planned £12.5Bn
acquisition of EE by BT has gone ahead, presenting a
brand conundrum comprising only four letters and while
the comics would have us believe that the new name will
be B-TEE (cue, Maureen Lipman’s return), it is far more
likely that the EE name will disappear over time. Quite
right too – if you have been there with them from the start
you have had to endure Mercury, One2One, T-Mobile,
Everything Everywhere and thanks to CEO, Wolff Olins,
who though Satchi and Satchi plus Fallon’s creation,
“silly,” the abbreviated form, EE. What is it about mobile
phone networks that they like a strange name - you may
recall that in 2001, BT also gave birth to mmO2, which
became the slightly less mad, O2. What will happen if
and when 3 and O2 get together?
Plan for Success
I was somewhat dispirited to read that the nation’s
favourite sports personality, Andy Murray, has a plan for
success in 2016 that involves Novak Djokovic being a
bit less good than he was in 2015. Is he being realistic,
or defeatist? An acceptance that being the best you can
be may not be good enough feels rather timid to me.
While there will always be a bigger company with a larger
marketing budget, then I never lose faith in the ability of
the team around me. We have the capacity, inspiration
and desire to be a sensational business and we plan to
succeed – I heartily encourage you to feel the same way.
atthemoon
Group Marketing Director, Mark Saunders, strategises for the year ahead, comments
on upcoming industry changes and plans for success.
5

Openreach are going to stop supplying their current
VDSL modem for any new Fibre broadband orders
placed after the 15th March 2016 but will continue to
support installed Openreach VDSL modems until the
end of March 2017.
The good news is that this means that new orders will
no longer require an engineer’s visit to the end user’s
premises. Openreach will go to the primary connection
point to set the jumper to the cabinet, and an engineer
visit will be available to order at an additional cost for
those customers who require manual connections or
whose wiring needs an uplift.
Any orders placed with Nine on or after the 16th March
will require a modem / router device compatible with
the Openreach network. We will offer the Technicolour
TG589vac on the iBillie portal for this, and maintain
a list of compatible equipment; you will also need a
microfilter which is included with the router. These
items will need to be on site before the connections go
live in the same way as ADSL installations.
If you have any questions about this get in touch with
your CDM - we can help.
Industry-wide changes to
Fibre Broadband installation
NEW PPP benefits
We’re welcoming in the New Year by offering some incredible new
benefits for our Purple Partners. These value adding discounts are aimed
at increasing your margin, improving sales and ultimately making 2016 a
superb year for your business.
Marketing 101
We’ll be holding Marketing
101 workshops in both the
North and the South of the
UK this year. Keep an eye
out for your invitation.
What’s your view on marketing?
A fundamental part of your business plan, or a fluffy toy to play with when you have the time?
Too often, Marketing gets overlooked, particularly within a small business. However, when
done correctly, it can play a key role in creating sales.
All of our Purple Partners are invited to attend our Marketing 101 workshop which will take you
through the role of marketing in a modern organisation, including:
+ Taking a creative look at traditional brand marketing
+ Customer engagement and creating sales
+ Lead generation and digital marketing
Not a member of the Purple Pa
Get in touch with your CDM tod
for 2016!
How easy
was that!
6

50
BEACH
PPP BENEFITS
THE HUB
Connectivity
This year we’re offering not
one, not two, but three brilliant
connectivity benefits:
+ 9% discount on Fibre
Broadband monthly rental
+ Free router and free install or
migration for the first 6 months
of 2016
+ First month free on Fibre
Access (GEA FTTC)
Mobile
We are offering Purple
Partners a £200 connection
bonus for the first 50
connections made during
2016 - eligible on new and
ported connections on the
O2 Business Choices tariff
(DISE)
Inbound Call
Management
We asked what new training you required, you told us and
here it is!
For the duration of 2016 we’ll be holding free Inbound Call
Management accreditation workshops worth £250 per
person for Purple Partners. Dates coming soon.
If you have any questions about these benefits please get in
touch with your CDM.
There are so many other incredible benefits to joining the
Purple Partner Programme that we have a brochure full of
them! Ask your CDM for your own copy.
Introduction
to Telecoms
Have you recently taken
on a new starter?
If you’ve taken on someone with little or no experience of telecoms,
it can take time and focus to bring them up to speed. We can help!*
Our introduction to Telecoms course will help your new starter with:
+ An understanding of the history of the market
+ An insight to the market - the structure, the supply chain and
where your company comes into play
+ A translation of the complex jargon our industry loves so much
+ An introduction to the products you sell, including connectivity,
MiCall (hosted telephony), MiLine (SIP trunks), Inbound Call
Management, mobile and even basic calls and lines
artner Programme yet, what are you waiting for?
day or email purple partner@ninewholesale.co.uk
GO
*Free to Purple Partners.
The cost for non-PPP
members to attend is £99.
Wednesday 10th February
09:00 – 16:00
The Hub, Stonehouse,
Gloucestershire
7

It seems that the Advertising Standards Agency has been
having similar thoughts, according to findings published last
month.
Research carried out in conjunction with Ofcom tested
consumers’ understanding of the cost impact of ‘free’
broadband. You will have seen “Free Broadband for 18
months” splashed all over your television, print and online
from a variety of providers.
Whilst this is aimed squarely at the consumer market, it does
have ramifications within the business sector as SME’s are
rightly asking “why am I paying so much for this service at
work, when I get it for free at home?”
Consumer and business grade products differ - the provision
of static IP addresses, dedicated support and for many
products QoS provision for voice traffic and SLA provision,
for example, but it is difficult to escape the word ‘Free’.
The ASA’s research concentrated on the presentation and
likely consumer understanding of the additional pricing
elements of the free deals, such as discounts, activation
costs, delivery costs, mandatory additional products and
contract length to name only a few. The ASA and Ofcom
have published the following results;
23% of participants correctly identified the total cost per month after the first viewing of an ad when
asked simply to recall as much information as they could about the deal on offer without prompting
In response to the same question, 34% of the total sample recalled pricing information, but only
provided partial information or an incorrect figure for the broadband service or line rental costs
22% of participants, were still not able to identify correctly the total cost per month after the second
viewing (If this proportion were reflected across the population of fixed broadband subscribers, this
would mean around 4.3 million UK households being unable to figure out what they would be paying)
64% of those who couldn’t calculate the total cost per month, despite a second review, thought the
headline price for the broadband element of a package constituted the total cost per month and that
line rental costs did not apply
81% of the sample were not able to calculate correctly the total cost of a broadband contract
when asked to do so
74% of the total sample believed that information about one-off and on-going costs after an
introductory period was either fairly or very unclear
? ?
?
The ASA is recommending the following courses of action
for providers:
• If broadband products require mandatory line rental then
this is included, no more separating line rental out
• That advertisers givegreaterprominencetocontractlength
and post discount pricing
• That upfront costs are given greater prominence
Broadband is certainly under scrutiny right now. Indeed,
OFCOM has also tabled a code of practice for business
broadband providers, which will provide customers with
clearer, more accurate and transparent information on
broadband speeds - before they sign up to a contract.
Signatories to the voluntary Code also commit to manage
any problems that businesses have with broadband speeds
effectively, and allow customers to exit the contract at any
point if speeds fall below a minimum guaranteed level.
Making sure your commercial offers are correctly structured
can certainly be challenging, but our PPP members workshop
can help:
Buy Smart: In our workshops, we have worked with many
channel partners to ensure that resellers are not misled by
promotional offers that when deconstructed, have a total
cost that belies the fanfare headlines.
Sell Clever: Nine would always advocate customer
transparency and our recommendation is that disclosing
the full costs of a broadband service, in addition to any
promotional deals is the right thing to do. Ultimately, your
customers will place more value in integrity and trust than in
a misleading offer that may save them a few pounds up front.
The direction of travel is clear - the regulator is keen to ensure
that customers understand what service they can expect
and what they will be paying for it - hard to argue with that.
Buy Smart: Sell Clever
More workshops are planned throughout the year, please get in touch with your CDM to find out more.
Broadband under scrutiny
Those of you who have attended the Buy Smart: Sell Clever workshops will know that we spend a
bit of time deconstructing competitor broadband pricing to ensure resellers understand that they
are getting the best deal available to them, while also offering advice on how to optimise margin
from their own customers.
8

Guest
column
Pam Blanchard
Director
What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
The most enjoyable part of my job is having the freedom and
control to make decisions that will affect the future of the
company and the team. Each day presents a new challenge
and with it a new opportunity.
How do you keep your team motivated?
I feel there are three simple steps to motivate the team:
1. Involvement is key, the team are the most important asset
to ICA and so deserve to be involved in the decisions that
affect them, the business and the customers we supply to.
2. Communication, I think it’s fair to say that no organisation
can ever be accused of over communicating and yet in
the industry that provides the very tools to communicate
it is grossly undervalued. As a team we all need visibility of
company performance, challenges, success stories and
feedback.
3. Providing the tools with which to deliver both company
and personal goals. Autonomy to make decisions and take
ownership and to learn and develop from any mistakes that
are made.
What is the biggest change you have seen in our
industry over the last five years?
The speed with which the marketplace has changed and the
growing demand for data connectivity and speed. Whilst the
demand also presents a growth opportunity for the sector, the
pressure is ever increasing for the availability and resilience
of connectivity. Customers are driving the demand for more
powerful devices, ubiquitous connectivity, delivering mobility
through applications and integration into social media.
Delivering Unified Communications and video to the desktop
requires resellers to rethink the marketing mix by reimagining
the entire user experience. With far more reliable connectivity
and powerful broadband, SIP is ever more a viable alternative
to traditional lines and the uptake on SIP Trunking and hosted
telephony has left some providers on the outside looking in as
others have capitalized on the opportunities.
Another major impact in the last five years is the introduction
of Microsoft Lync, and the question of whether this will
replace the PBX.
What is the most valuable piece of advice that you
would give to a start-up reseller?
To determine your goals. Plan how ambitious the goals
are and how they will focus on the customer experience.
Research the market, the competition, products and services
and determine how you will differentiate yourself.
Keep technology in the background and the customer
experience up front, don’t create technology for technology’s
sake; it should be a tool for providing the best experience to
the people using it.
Finally, choose a well skilled team and involve them in the
development of processes, procedures and company values.
At the end of last year we were delighted to be awarded the
Gold standard for Investors in People, joining the top 7% of
accredited organisations across the UK, who believe in realising
the potential of their people.
Having already achieved the Silver standard in July 2013, at the first
time of asking, neatly sidestepping the entry level Bronze standard, Nine
Group has shown an unwavering desire to place employees at the very
heart of their business. Commenting on their fantastic achievement,
Nine Group HR Director, Helen Chamberlain said, “we are a fervently
customer centric business and heartily endorse the maxim that happy
staff are the first step towards happy customers. The Investors in
People Gold standard is an important accolade and a key milestone for
Nine Group, representing a welcome endorsement of our commitment
to staff excellence.”
Investors in People is the UK’s leading accreditation for business
improvement through people management and provides a wealth of
resources for businesses to innovate, improve and grow, with a focus
on good people making great business.
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate
Nine Group on their Gold standard. Such a high level of accreditation
is the sign of great people management practice and demonstrates a
commitment to staff development, showing an organisation committed
to being the very best it can be. Nine Group should be extremely proud
of their achievement.”
Nine Group will now be benchmarking their progress by entering the
prestigious Investors in People awards for 2016 and looking to carry off
the award for Gold Employer of the Year. The journey does not end there
though and Helen Chamberlain confidently predicted that Nine will be
chasing the Platinum standard before too long.
ACHIEVE
GOLD
interesting
stuff like
this...!
Well take a look at our LinkedIn
page! It’s packed with industry
news, amazing images and fun
competitions. If you follow us we
promise to make your LinkedIn
timeline that little bit more
interesting.
Like what you see?
Follow us...
2

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