Country Focus
July 2010
Dynamic image helps Significo expand
IN an emerging market eager to embrace the benefits of modern technology, Significo has found an audience that matches its own enthusiasm and desire to succeed. A young, dynamic company set up in 2007 by Zeljan Ferderber, it offers voice and data communications solutions for home and office.
In partnership with VIPnet Vodafone, the second largest telecommunications provider in Croatia, Significo has helped expand their coverage using a three-tiered strategy that makes them unique in the local direct selling industry.
In addition to calling on customers door-to-door, they hold regular sales promotions in shopping malls and supermarkets as well as running a dedicated telemarketing service setting up appointments for Advisors.
“Our strength is that we go direct to the customer wherever they are, offering them a chance to reduce or consolidate their bills and then introducing them to additional services,” said Zeljan. Using this strategy has seen the business grow from 20 contracts a month to more than 3,000 in less than three years.
Prior to 2007 VIPnet was operating through retail stores and growth had slowed. “More complex products and services were becoming available and this type of environment was not ideal to explain and advise people,” added Zeljan. Around this time, researching the market with a view to setting up his own business after working for two international companies, Zeljan saw the benefits of using the direct selling channel at a time when there was no other direct sales operator offering mobile telephony. “VIPnet had the confidence to give us this opportunity and we are proud to be the only Croatian member of the Direct Selling Association,” he said.
“At the beginning we did have a problem with credibility but once we made a sale and people experienced our ongoing customer service then it became easier. Today Significo is a fast-growing business offering a wide range of voice and data-related communications solutions. We are a relatively young team with experience, knowledge and a remarkable pro-active service mentality. We are committed to our own professional and personal development in order to better serve our customers and we have the best-equipped sales team with laptop, Blackberry and printer. It is impossible to sell sophisticated systems with a ‘hands in pocket’ attitude – image and credibility is everything.”
While revenue this year is expected to reach €3.5 million, one of the biggest challenges is finding the right quality Advisors to keep up with demand. Zeljan puts this down mainly to the legacy of Socialism where people were used to spending their whole working life with one company doing the same job. “In the past 20 years things have changed here in a big way,” he explained. “There is a different reality now but many people find it hard to accept the idea of taking personal responsibility and being paid according to their ability and their own effort. To overcome this we invest a lot of money in training Advisors. We need extraordinary people with special qualities and very often they are not even aware of their potential. We try to demonstrate our model is good for them because they can earn very well once they open their mind to the possibilities.”
Significo’s achievements have been recognised both internally by VIPnet and by the wider business community. Last year it was one of the top three per cent of best companies in Croatia and for two years’ running it has been VIPnet’s top-performing partner in the post-paid segment.
Zeljan admits the past two years have been hard for the entire business world due to the global recession. “This was a challenge to both our current and future business and we focused on cost-cutting and increasing efficiency while increasing sales,” he said. “At the same time we increased our customer satisfaction index which is very rewarding for us all.”
