Cellular Sales, Knoxville-based Verizon distributor, hopes to use its business model to bridge the divide between impersonal, sometimes-confusing online shopping and in-store buying, which can come with its own host of challenges.
“We think with our unique model that we can do for cellular phone shopping what Domino’s did for pizza sales, in that we are uniquely set up where our reps aren’t glued to their desks or their stations,” said Cellular Sales CEO Dane Scism. “They’re perfectly thrilled to come meet you wherever you are or wherever you want.”
How does the strategy work?
When a customer logs on to CellularSales.com, a window pops up on his or her computer screen from a salesperson in the nearest Cellular Sales location. The Web site management system uses customer Internet protocol addresses to notify the closest customer service representative, who is then available online or offline to answer questions. Once the customer has finished shopping for their phone online, they can set up an appointment with that representative to get their phone.The appointment then can be at a Cellular Sales office later that same day, at another time, or the rep can deliver the phone to the customer’s location.
“We believe strongly that the cellular carriers would love nothing more than to sell phones out of vending machines. They would love to cut us and all front-line people out of it if it could possibly be done. But it can’t,” Scism said.
CellularSales.com launches in Knoxville in December and nationwide in January. The company, which has 210 locations and about 20 more under development, was founded in Knoxville. Scism, who worked for the fledgling startup while he completed a University of Tennessee business degree, bought the company - three stores and their office equipment - with his last commission check of $17,000 in January 1993.
Cellular Sales is on track to do $180 million in revenue in an industry that even Scism admits is “one of the thinnest industries out there, one of the most competitive in this year.”The robust sales can be attributed to various reasons, many of them apparently originating with the company’s distinctive business model.
In five years, Scism sees Cellular Sales operating in 45 states but still existing as a privately owned company. The business has posted nearly 50 percent growth in each of the past two years.In the rapidly changing and consolidating indirect cellular sales market, Scism is confident that his redesigned business model of merging customer service with Internet sales and building a professional employee base will allow the company to weather the mercurial cellular industry.
For more info: www.CellularSales.com
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