The mobile phone market has always been a constantly evolving sector, with changes and innovations having become the norm in this fast-moving technological area of the communications arena. This clearly applies to the devices themselves; we are all very familiar with the constant upgrades as smart phones get ever smarter, but equally, the mobile phone market is also changing and evolving. This is the case worldwide, and it is certainly the case in Italy where transformation of the market has been remarkable.
The transformation of the Italian market in the mobile phone field
Previously, in Italy the main operators in the mobile phone market were TIM, Wind, Vodafone and 3 Italia. Nowadays the market has been thrown wide open by the changes within companies and the mergers which have occurred. The market has also been affected by the entrance of new virtual operators and the arrival of a new foreign player. All of which offers consumers a wider selection of mobile phone devices, various coverage and contract options, as well as different service rates from which to choose.
To mention some of the latest changes within the Italian mobile telephone market will serve to demonstrate the point that competition in this sector is rife. Some recent events that have taken place are:
* the merger between Wind and H3G;
*the arrival, in 2018, of a new French competitor named Iliad. It is worth a mention that the presence of this company in the Italian market and the competitive service rates that they charge has had a significant impact on the cell phone business by subjecting all other players in this field to increased pressure to compete pricewise in the marketplace;
* The birth of Kena Mobile, TIM’s new virtual operator and second brand;
*the arrival of Ho. Mobile in 2017; a virtual operator registered with Vodafone;
*the introduction of the 5G network in Italy and the opportunity presented to all operators to obtain the licences necessary for use of the 5G frequencies;
*the 4G GPS navigation system incorporated by some MVNO’s (mobile virtual network operators).
These factors have all had a notable impact on the mobile phone industry in terms of the services they can offer consumers and on the ability of service providers to successfully compete in the marketplace.
Vodafone and Ho. Mobile
A new virtual phone operator was established in the telecommunications sector. 2017 saw the arrival of Ho. Mobile in Italy. It is, by definition, a virtual operator/worker because it relies on the Vodafone network for coverage. Ho. Mobile is Vodafone’s second brand in Italy, also using 4G technology under the auspices of Vodafone. It has become one of the most competitive operators in Italy and they are working hard to achieve increased visibility and market share.
Settimo Piano for Ho. Mobile
To this end, Ho. Mobile appointed the EFMP partner, Settimo Piano, to help them to achieve these goals. Settimo Piano was initially assigned the task of supervision of Ho. Mobile’s commercial areas in the GDO (Grande Distribuzione Organizzata), the Italian large retail organizations. They now manage many teams at several sales points throughout Italy.
The client brief from Ho. Mobile specified requirements for the construction of a stable and effective sales force with an entirely outsourced process. So Settimo Piano became responsible for all aspects of the sales process including market research, recruitment and staff selection, classroom and on-the-job training, project coordination, and human resources administration.
They undertook to meet their client’s specified requirements by creating the best possible sales network which they support with excellent basic training, as well as advanced courses concerning sales techniques, through their e-learning platform and webinar. The feedback incorporated into this process is essential in order to measure the effectiveness of the techniques introduced during the training phase, in the everyday operational life of the sales teams. The sales forces trained by Settimo Piano provide consulting services, SIM activation, and conduct sales. Their operations take place at the Ho. Mobile outlets at all the main shopping malls in Italy.
In order to continually provide quality services to their client, Settimo Piano also invests in the professional growth and personal development of their people. This is done, in part, by the availability of extra ‘refresher’ programs concerning basic sales techniques. Sales teams in the field are thereby enabled to refine or update their skills. The teams are also supported by a supervisor who monitors their progress and also assesses the development of each team member via the e-learning platform.
EFMP partner, Settimo Piano, is thus well placed to perform optimally and currently they deliver on and fulfill the brief from Ho. Mobile. Furthermore, by association, they have become major players in the sales and marketing of the extended Vodafone network in Italy. And given the complexity of this rapidly developing sector, this is no mean feat!
