PHONE+ “YOU” EDITION

PHONE+ will devote an entire issue to content generated by you. PHONE+ readers will contribute everything -- opinions, advice, articles and even photos -- that will appear in the "YOU" edition.

The deadline for polls, surveys and submissions is Aug. 29.

Here’s how you can participate:

WEIGH IN ON POLLS

Got just a minute? Vote in these quick polls. Results are shown instantaneously, so you can see how your views compare to your peers. And, if you feel sufficiently motivated, add a comment. The poll results and the best comments will be published in the PHONE+ YOU Edition.

• Is channel conflict – direct versus indirect – an issue when selling carrier network services?

• Do carriers do a good job of provisioning services for end-user customers?

• Is hosted VoIP ready for prime time?

• Who will win the battle for the business customer?

• What is the next killer app?

• Agents, do you want your supplier's/carrier's help with renewals?

ANSWER OUR SURVEY

Want to find out how your business compares to its peers? Answer our survey. The aggregate data will be published in the PHONE+ YOU Edition.

SHARE BUSINESS AND SALES TIPS

Do you have tips or advice for your peers? Here's your opportunity to share some hard-won lessons. Answer any OR all of these questions. See your answers and those of other channel partners below. The best ones will be published in the PHONE+ YOU Edition.

• If you were forced to use one closing technique for the rest of your career, what would it be?

• What's the secret to hiring the right people?

• How do you best motivate salespeople?

• Of all the lead-generation activities you’ve tried, which was worth your time and which was a waste of time?

• What's one gadget/tool/resource no channel partner should be without?

• As an entrepreneur, what's the trick for balancing work and life?

• What is one piece of business advice you wish someone had told you?

SWAP WAR STORIES

Got a couple of hair-raising or side-splitting stories about the joys of being a channel partner? Here's your opportunity to tell the world -- well at least the PHONE+ reader community. Answer any OR all of these questions. See your answers and those of other channel partners below. The best ones will be published in the PHONE+ YOU Edition.

• Who was your customer from hell and why?

• What was the big one (deal) that got away?

• What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you on the job?

• What's the most unusual or interesting communications deal you ever sold?

• What is your favorite memory from a President's Club trip?

• What's one thing you underestimated about being a channel partner?

• What's the worst sales pitch you ever heard (or threw)?

SUBMIT AN ARTICLE

If you are a closet journalist or have never written an article in your life, this is your chance to get your name in lights. We'd like the benefit of your experience in the pages of PHONE+. Tell us a little more about the article you'd like to write. If our editors agree that your idea will have wide appeal, they'll work with you to get it ready for publication in the PHONE+ Website. The best submissions will be published in the PHONE+ YOU Edition.

To get you thinking, here are some article ideas.

• Voice your opinion on a hot-button issue
• Share your expertise with a "how to" article
• Show how it's done with a customer case study

Have you got something else in mind? Tell us more about your idea, click here. Ideas are due Aug. 29. Articles will be due Sept. 15.

ENTER OUR PHOTO CONTEST

We are looking for photos of channel partners at work and play. Submit your best photo for consideration for the cover or inside artwork for the PHONE+ YOU EDITION.

For contest rules and instructions, click here

The deadline for polls, surveys and submissions is Aug. 29.