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To: marginmike who wrote (19297)	12/8/1998 10:59:00 AM
From: Ruffian	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

Denso-Phone> The Zsigo Newszwire 11/16/98 In this week's excerpt from The Zsigo Newzwire, Editor Tyler Proctor discusses carrier differentiation through exclusive product distribution rights. Sprint announced last week that it has exclusive rights to market the Touchpoint phone. Tyler addresses the history on carriers using the "exclusive phone" marketing concept to nab new customers. THE ZSIGO NEWZWIRE IS A FREE PUBLICATION COMPLIMENTS OF: ZSIGO WIRELESS - And WIRELESSNOW Tyler Proctor - Editor Sprint PCS Intros Another New Phone sprintpcs.com 9:33:23 AM 10/14/98 Sprint PCS has exclusive rights to market the Denso-made Sprint PCS CDMA Touchpoint phone. This "phone with the mouse" makes text messaging simple for customers nationwide, the carrier says. Says Chuck Levine, chief sales and marketing officer for Sprint PCS, "[Touchpoint's] mouse allows customers to literally point and click their way through menus and options. The large display screen makes it easy for customers to read text messages, and the built-in scheduler helps customers keep track of important meetings and events. Clearly, the Sprint PCS Touchpoint will be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season.'' Touchpoint has a suggested retail price of $179.99 and will be sold in Sprint PCS stores, Radio Shack stores and other participating retailers. For WirelessNOW subscribers, further information is available via RoboReply. Yeah, yeah, you might say, "Another phone. Heck, I've seen a million phones." The difference here is not so much the features of the phone (though they are unique!) it is the fact that Sprint has EXCLUSIVE rights to distribute it! What we are seeing here is a trend toward using equipment as a way to differentiate a carrier in the market. This idea is not new. Years ago, carriers have tried (in vain) to offer some kind of unique phone in order to lure customers. Some of these offerings, such as "exclusive case colors" were laughably weak. Others, like the BellSouth Merlin were ahead of their time. With a glut of phone manufacturers in the market, carriers are looking again at positioning telephone equipment as an incentive to a prospect. The new attention being focused on data applications also broadens the field of specialty phones. From the TouchPoint and the Nokia 9000 to the Qualcomm pdQ, equipment is poised to be in the spotlight. This trend seems to be catching on fast so you need to keep up with the equipment offerings in your market. Hit your competitors Web sites and be sure to check the newspaper regularly. The last thing you want is for a prospect to walk in the door and ask you questions about your competitors cool new phone that you have never even heard of! If you are selling a unique phone or competing against a carrier that is, take a few minutes to analyze your prospects communications needs to determine if the unique features of the phone actually have any benefit to that person. If not, be careful about mentioning the phone. Adding unnecessary options to the decision making process can "muddy the water" and might derail your sale. Remember, confused prospects seldom buy. Got a cool phone? Seen a cool phone? Tell us about it! Post your comments on the NewZwire discussion board. zsigo.com *NEW* NewZwire discussion board!!! Make your voice heard!!! zsigo.com COPYRIGHT NOTICE