[abridged, directly from notes]
Internet Service Providers are faced with a multitude of pressures - first and foremost are falling prices. Everyone would like to charge more for their service offerings. But how? Hopefully throughout this session, we will be able to touch on a few ways that you can actually raise your prices by being a better business - while keeping your customers happy.

I have created a quick list of ten practical ways that you can charge more, oversimplified perhaps, however I have full faith that this group is endowed with the capability to reason through these ten points and implement them in some fashion withing your organization.

Who Am I? Ross Wm. Rader Director of Digital Retail Services TUCOWS Interactive Limited 5415 Dundas Street West, Suite 106 Toronto, Ontario M9B 1B5 t. (416) 239-9095 f. (416) 239-8409 ross@ebarn.com     Speaking Engagements Engagement   Date Doing Business On The Internet   05/12/95 Doing Business On The Internet   08/15/95 Doing Business On The Internet   01/22/96 Online Commerce; Fact or Fiction?   05/10/96 Golf & The Net   08/06/96 Everyone is New - Getting Around the Net   02/06/97 Fall ISPCon '97: Making Money through Content Services   08/23/97 Spring ISPCon '98: Making Money through Content Services   03/08/98 Fall ISPCon '98: 10 Ways To Charge More & Keep Your Customers Happy   08/29/98

10. Initiate Be a leader in your market. Simply wake up tomorrow morning, put your feet on the floor and drive a stake in the ground that flies a proud flag reading "I AM NUMBER ONE IN THIS SPACE". You'll be lying to yourself, but business realities usually start out this way, or as dreams, but you'll find that lying to yourself from time to time is more productive than idly dreaming . Further, don't be afraid to take chance in "the information vacuum". We all know that there is no such thing as perfect information in this industry, so don't wait for it. Running an ISP has always been a "Ready, Fire, Aim" situation, get used to it. Lastly, don't be afraid of the audacity of your claims. If your lie to yourself states that you have the best value and best service in town, then so be it. Just don't sit back waiting for your claims to come true - you wouldn't want anyone to find out that you're a liar while you're waiting now would you? 9. Instigate In order for your lies and dreams to become a reality, you are going to have to get off of your ass. Not with regards to servicing your customers or building infrastructure, but with regards to creating deals. Chances are that you will need strategic partners that will assist you with your goals. Problem is that none of them know this until you tell them that you need their help. And never, EVER, be afraid to call on the big guys in your search for partners. Worst case scenario is that they will hate your plans and tell you that they aren't interested. This is actually a good thing. Once you have been turned down by one of the big guys, go directly to their nearest competitor and let them know about it. The big guys love it when they get the scoop on one of their competitors - help them out with this! 8. Evaluate Some people really believe that talking to salespeople is a tremendous waste of time. I find that this is a tremendous source of free ideas. Often times when they call, you will never buy anything from them, but if one salesperson gives you one great new business idea each month, think of where your company can be tomorrow? Free ideas are great - simply for the fact that you didn't have to waste your resources thinking of them. 7. Eliminate This is a big one - do yourself a favor and take ten minutes to figure out what your company is truly good at. And then get rid of everything that you are bad at. Turn everything in between into a freebie, a value add for your existing and new clients. This is the single easiest way to make more money from your company. Your clients have chosen to do business with you, not on the basis of what you do poorly, but on the basis of what you do well. And who are you to argue with your clients. 6. Communicate BRING YOUR CUSTOMERS INTO THE FEEDBACK LOOP! I can't emphasize the importance of this enough. When was the last time you picked up the phone and talked with one of your customers? Or more importantly, when was the last time that you picked up the phone and talked with one of your ex-customers? You will be surprised at the wisdom and insight that these people have. Don't discount them, and never underestimate the potential of their contribution. Remember, The single most effective way to keep your customers happy is to ask them what makes them happy - then do it! 5. Over-rate Okay, I admit, I was having problems coming up with a rhyme that illustrate this point, nonetheless...Once your customers have told you what they want, take their needs one step further and surprise them. Exceed your customers expectations wherever possible. If they ask you for the moon, through in the heavens as a bonus. If your competition is already doing this, toss in the earth for good measure. 4. Innovate Some tend to hold to the notion that a solid base of products and services is enduring. These same people also tend to forget that their clients are very fickle and they are playing in one of the most competitive industries in the world. Sitting back and watching the money roll is should never be your primary concern. Once you have established a winning formula, start over, get hypercritical with your offer and try to create a new winning combination. Chances are pretty good that your competition is too busy trying to figure out what you are up to, giving you an incredible edge in your space. Remember, once you have declared yourself a leader, everyone will be out to get you, usually by playing copycat. Keep them confused by continually reinventing yourself. 3. Automate Probably one of the more painful things you will have to do. Take a good hard look at your internal business processes, how you interact with your customers, how they interact with you and try to automate as much of this as possible. Keep in mind that this will allow you to turn your salespeople into customer advocates instead of order takers. This allows them to work on behalf of your clients, generating higher sales rather than worrying about bureaucracy. 2. Affiliate Get a lot of friends. Become as popular as you can with as many people and businesses as your can. VAR's, Trainers, Retailers, Publishers - everyone that is, or may possibly be relevant to your business. Why? Because there are millions of smart people out there that don't work for you. Make it your business to get to know and ally with them. 1. Differentiate If you follow through on the last nine steps, this one will automatically fall into place. Once you have done as much as you can to differentiate your firm from the commodity players, evangelize. Shout it to the roof-tops why you are different and what you do for your clients that no one else does. [questions and wrap-up>