Comcast Closes More Sales with Interactive Sales Tools

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OPPORTUNITY

Comcast needed a sales tool that could accomplish the following:

1. Make the sales process more consistent. Best practices needed to be translated into an easy-to-follow, repeatable model. A consistent sales process would capitalize on winning behaviors and empower more Comcast Connection Specialists to be successful in Best Buy stores.
2. Establish instant engagement. As with any sales role, Comcast Connection Specialists need to immediately break the ice, build credibility, and establish rapport. In a retail setting like this, every minute with the customer counts.
3. Educate customers. To understand how a product works, most customers need a quick visual demonstration—that's why businesses often use brochures and one-pagers. However, Comcast wanted to leave their print materials behind and introduce a more dynamic, interactive, and compelling way to teach customers about their value proposition and help them make a smart buying decision.
4. Measure customer interactions. Comcast didn't have a way to measure what happened during conversations between Connection Specialists and customers. What packages did the Connection Specialist show the customer? How long did they talk? What were the customer's needs? Who was Comcast competing against? The Comcast team wanted a way to collect insights to drive future product training, sales, and innovation.

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PARTNERSHIP

Comcast saw Unboxed as an ideal partner for several reasons. First, they knew we'd be nimble, quick, and responsive. Working with a firm of our size meant we would pay close attention to the project and adopt a consultative approach from start to finish.

They didn't [just] take direction and go for it. They challenged us a bit in a good way. They really listened to the request of the sales team. That is what they delivered.

“They didn't [just] take direction and go for it. They challenged us a bit in a good way," said Rob Simek, Executive Director of Sales Channel Marketing. "They really listened to the request of the sales team. That is what they delivered." Building an interactive sales tool was new territory for the Comcast team, and they knew they needed a partner with an extensive retail background. They didn't just need a vendor to create software—they needed a partner to advise, develop, and support the training and execution of a new experience from a retail perspective. We teamed up with Comcast to understand their current sales process, pain points, customer needs, and Connection Specialist needs. This involved the following:

• Meeting with field representatives and visiting Best Buy stores to understand the obstacles to closing a sale
• Rapid prototyping to show preliminary designs to Connection Specialists and get their input
• Hands-on training for Connection Specialists in the pilot stores
• Observation in stores and weekly calls to gather and apply feedback and make changes

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SOLUTION

After a thorough discovery process, we applied what we learned to create the UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) for the XFINITY Sales Tool. The app has two components:

Guided Selling

Advisor's guided selling tool helps a customer navigate through qualifying questions and provides a personalized product recommendation.

Interactive Demos

Advisor also uses interactive simulations to demonstrate the features and benefits of XFINITY products and services.

It was exactly what we were searching for. It made everything simple and easy to understand.

RESULTS

The XFINITY Sales Tool has a simple, elegant design that's easy and fun to use. More importantly, it gets results. Pilot stores experienced a 60% year-over-year improvement in sales, and productivity climbed 40%. The app allowed Connection Specialists to effortlessly log valuable customer insights. The app also boosted Connection Specialists' confidence and engagement skills. Qualitative feedback indicated the iPad provided a professional appearance, making it easier to approach Best Buy store guests. They called the app a “knowledge backup” that lets them focus on the customer. They also said it drives upgrades and helps close sales faster. “98% of a transaction can be done on [the] app, the rest [can be done] after the guest leaves the store,” said one Connection Specialist. "It was exactly what we were searching for," said Simek. "It made everything simple and easy to understand."