On my Google Alert for VoIP this weekend, there were numerous headlines that made me shake my head. They are so misleading that the reader (presumably a prospective buyer) will almost certainly be confused. Don't forget that one part of the sales process is for you to educate the prospect. You have to educate them on the benefits of your service; the difference between your service and the rest of the market; and on any misconceptions that may occur.

One difference is VOI versus VOIP. One is Voice over the Internet, the OTT services. The other is the Voice over IP that runs on a managed network with quality of service in place. You should be talking about QoS, HD, managed, reliability, business continuity and other business worries.

With prospective buyers doing their own research and getting 60% of the way through the buying process without a vendor, salespeople will need to learn what the buyer knows - and what misconceptions they hold.