Talk to Kevin Downs, director of marketing for Wireless Zone, about mobile phones, and you’ll soon realize you’re really talking about the future.
“Cellular phones have become such an integral part of everyone’s life,” he said. “Everyone has them – what makes Wireless Zone such a great opportunity is not only selling the phones, but offering all the services that surround them. Every day new wireless technology comes out that impacts the way we live our lives and it’s all centered around mobile devices. The next big opportunity in this industry is providing and supporting all of that new technology.”
In the 1990s, store owners were seeing major profits from the cell phone revolution by selling the devices themselves. This trend was updated in the 2000s, when brick-sized mobile phones were replaced by smartphones, essentially miniature supercomputers that allowed users to do much more than talk.
However, Downs and the team at Wireless Zone are now looking at the next big step in wireless technology sales. As opposed to the devices themselves, the next major growth spurt for the industry will be in how the technology can be used by consumers. And more than ever before, consumers will require a service that educates, supports and guides them down this path.
“Wireless technology is only going to become more essential to us in the future,” Downs said. “Most young people already use their smartphones as their primary device for getting online. As time goes on, we’ll use them to communicate with our homes, our cars … everything. In fact, the future of where it’s all heading is already happening now, and that’s why Wireless Zone is ideally placed to capitalize.”
Imagine your phone updating your home security system based on whether you’re on the premises or not. Maybe you even have a device that turns on lighting for when you walk into a room. Or maybe you have a tablet hooked up to your vehicle, and it’s set to automatically regulate the car’s air conditioning based on temperature changes outside.
Things like this are happening now, and will only continue to become more commonplace. However, people need help making sense of it all. Consumers want to know what options are at their fingertips, as well as the best way to fully utilize them. And Wireless Zone is there to help.
With technology changing so rapidly, Wireless Zone’s hands-on approach to keeping its franchisees on the cutting edge of technology is essential, but so is creating a great experience for customers.
“With technology rapidly changing, the wireless customer is yearning for a consultative shopping experience and at Wireless Zone we are focused on just that,” Downs continued. “Our job is to provide guidance that will help our franchisees focus on what’s important and what makes the most sense as far as sales and the needs of the consumer.”
Downs highlighted the significant success the brand has experienced in recent months, and said expansion is something it is very much targeting and budgeting for. However, Wireless Zone also wants to make sure it’s choosing quality over quantity.
“We’re not looking for expansion just for expansion’s sake,” Downs said. “A lot of phone companies used to open up everywhere just to gain as many points of distribution as possible. That’s no longer a viable model. The wireless customer wants more than just a cell phone; they want all the different add-ons, to be educated on what is available and how to use it. The future is beyond just the device itself. If you look at any of the metrics, our stores are doing phenomenally well and the opportunity is strong. The right strategy mixed with high demand is why we’re growing.”