This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of INTERNET TELEPHONY

When I search for the term telecom agent, I receive 244 million results. Telecom broker has less with 12 million. More than 3,300 attended the last telecom agent show. How do you stand out in that crowd? Here are three ways.

Certification

As a TCA Certified Telecom Professional, I am unique. There are less than 200 of these CTPs in the U.S. If you don’t want to take that program, get certified from a vendor. Most hardware and PBX (News - Alert) vendors offer some certification. Certification is proof that you have an expertise in a subject (you are a SME – subject matter expert) and that you finished the program.

 Verticals

I tell all of my clients to go vertical. It is much easier to garner WOM (word-of-mouth) marketing in a vertical, since they talk to each other about business problems. For example, they all need phone systems. How many telecom agents do you think attend an NRA show or a bar association meeting? Each vertical has its own language, which you will learn and become an insider. There are more than 93,000 lawyers in Florida. Just 5 percent of that is 4,500 clients, which is a very healthy practice.

Speaking

The Rotary Clubs, Lions and other civic groups meet regularly and need speakers. It is a great opportunity to practice public speaking. It’s a good chance to talk about the trends and technology that you are seeing. These civic groups usually consist of business leaders. That’s a hot target market. Don’t want to talk tech or trends? How about presenting a case study about a client that you really helped with a complex sale?

Speaking and certification are ways to demonstrate your expertise. Working verticals is a way to become an expert inside a sector of the marketplace. It is a challenge to stand out, but these are three things you could get started on right now to become an expert on telecom instead of one of the millions of telecom agents.