NEC partner Entel Systems, Inc. Finds the ZINFI Partner Portal a Game-Changer in Automating High-Volume Email Marketing Workflows

Challenges

Entel faces a relatively saturated market for telephone and telecommunications solutions companies. In the New York/New Jersey area, small startup organizations offering telecom systems abound. Potential customers are often just “looking for the next bargain,” says Judi Davidson, Inside Sales Supervisor at Entel. “It makes it hard to convince prospective customers that they get what they pay for when they buy a cheap phone system.”

In this hypercompetitive environment, says Davidson, “Brand recognition is key. You have to get your name in front of the customer as many times as you can.” Entel has found that email blasts are the most efficient way to do that.

Solutions

For the past two years, Entel has been using the NEC partner portal to manage its email marketing programs. The web-based partner portal was developed by ZINFI, a leader in channel marketing automation solutions that include partner relationship management (PRM), partner marketing management (PMM) and partner sales management (PSM). The NEC partner portal serves as a digital gateway to its global partner network and is NEC’s primary means of communication with partners like Entel. The portal also provides a full set of tools that partners can use on their own to increase awareness, generate leads and drive sales, including ready-to-use marketing and sales assets that partners can co-brand and customize for their specific needs.

When Entel began using the portal, says Davidson, “I immediately recognized it’s a valuable tool for sending out email blasts and product information.” The NEC portal quickly “made me a one-woman marketing team.” Before using the portal, it took Davidson and her colleagues much longer to develop and execute campaigns. Now, Davidson simply formats and uploads a prospect list, selects a NEC email template from the partner portal that fits the target audience and the specific product she is marketing, modifies the template with Entel-specific branding and messaging, and schedules a blast. “NEC has some incredible ready-to-use templates in the ZINFI portal, which make it easy to send several thousand emails in minutes.”

Results

In a recent mailing, Davidson sent out 6,900 emails and was immediately rewarded with 900 opens to follow up on. To avoid an overcrowded inbox once the email blast is sent out, Davidson has configured her Outlook account to automatically redirect alerts indicating opens directly into a designated folder marked “NEC Email Blast Responses.” This makes it easy for her to manage the responses efficiently and quickly forward them to team members for follow-up. “The ZINFI portal has helped me reach a large audience with minimal effort,” says Davidson. “This is more valuable than the tools we were using before. It gives me instant feedback. A soon as someone opens an email, I get a response.”

Davidson has only begun to tap the potential of the portal, and is looking forward to experimenting with the integration of microsites into campaigns. She also is interested in integrating partner portal functionality with Salesforce.

Davidson says she would “absolutely” recommend ZINFI partner portal technology. On the rare occasion she has had difficulty figuring out navigation or portal functionality, she has found the ZINFI concierge providing customer support “fabulous, very responsive. The support has been terrific.”

“I think every business could benefit from a portal like this,” says Davidson. “Companies of every size need to boost their marketing and presence in order to secure sales, and the less time you spend designing email blasts the more time you have to generate new leads. Marketing is not my only job. I do sales calls all day. The beauty of ZINFI is, in between sales calls or if someone puts me on hold, I just zip onto the portal and I send out an email blast. The partner portal makes it really easy to multitask.”

About Entel Systems

Entel Systems, Inc. is an authorized distributor of award-winning digital, hybrid, pure IP and hosted telephone and voicemail systems. Meeting the complex demands of today's fast-paced business environments requires Entel­ligent telecommunications solutions. From voice and data technology to responsible consultation… from expert installation and rearrangements to time-sensitive, on-site tech support… from authorized network services to comprehensive training, Entel Systems is your telecom partner for the life of your business. Visit us at www.entelsystems.com.