The Primary Reason Wireless Services and Applications Are 'Pushed' Less Often among the NCER and Regional / Local Agent Stores in the U.S is That They Are Also Selling Other Products and/or Have More Interest in 'Moving' Physical Products.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c53325) has announced the addition of 2007 Wireless Application and Service Demand at US Retail Outlets to their offering.

For this report the author has completed in-depth surveys with 250 wireless sales associates in both carrier stores and independent agents using stratified random sampling to represent the wireless retail channel in the United States.

This report reviews important trends in terms of what specific value-added services and applications end users are currently asking about and the "push" marketing by sales associates.

Some of the questions it answers includes, but are not limited to:

- What percentage of retail associates offer specific value-added services and applications?

- What percentage of customers is coming into the store asking about specific value-added services and applications?

- What percentage of customers is being told about specific value-added services and applications?

- What percentage of customers is signing up for specific value-added services and applications?

- Do associates earn commissions and bonuses for selling specific services and applications?

- How do commissions affect associates' tendency to tell customers about services and applications.

- How do commissions affect the number of customers signing up for services and applications?

- What percentage of stores associates personally use specific value-added services and applications?

- How does the associates' use of specific value-added services and applications affect their ability to sell them?

The applications and services reviewed in this study include:

- Voice activated dialing

- Wireless Internet access 

- Wireless Instant messaging 

- Wireless E-mail

- Multi-media messaging

- Wireless over-the-air ring tones

- Short messaging or SMS 

- Wireless over-the-air games

- Wireless over-the-air music

- Wireless modem access using phone (tethered phone)

- Wireless digital imaging

- Location-based services 

- Voice portal services

- Wireless Wallet services

Sections Include:

Section 1 Introduction

Section 2 Applications and Services

It is evident, compared to four years ago, significantly higher awareness and overall comfort levels in presenting the technologies exists among members of the sales channel. Associates are proactively 'pushing' ALL applications and services more in 2007 than they were in 2003. SMS, wireless internet access and multi-media messaging have been the top three most commonly "pushed" applications/services overall. Although no growth in "pull" has occurred with voice activated, significant growth in "push" has occurred.

A significantly higher percentage of customers in carrier stores than in NCER or regional / local agent stores were informed about most of the value-added services and applications. This distinction is less pronounced for voice-activated dialling, wireless digital imaging, and location-based services. And OTA music is mentioned significantly more often in NCER stores than in local / regional agent stores. The primary reason wireless services and applications are 'pushed' less often among NCER and regional / local agent stores is that they are also selling other products and/or have more interest in 'moving' physical products as opposed to applications and services.

Carriers should unequivocally offer free use of value-added applications and services to every handset carrying sales associate. Even though some associates, particularly those in NCER stores, do not get free phones and services, most have cell phones on to which carriers could throw in value-added services. It will give them greater confidence in explaining and demonstrating applications and services and also allow the associates to draw upon their personal experiences in the many usage scenarios. Wireless digital imaging and location-based services are both good examples of well known 'up-and-coming' services with great potential for growth as applications and bandwidth improve.

The results of this research strongly suggest a significant rise in associate usage of these services will lead to their growth in customer subscriptions. Usage will allow associates to become more aware of the benefits and how important they can be to the customer.

Companies Mentioned:

- Verizon Wireless 

- Cingular/A&T Wireless

- T-Mobile USA

- Sprint PCS/Nextel

- Radio Shack

- CompUSA

- Best Buy

- Circuit City

- Office Depot

- Independent Agents

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c53325.