The headset market is booming, and one of the biggest drivers is that office professionals are now far more likely to be comfortable using cordless headsets, because they are now familiar with using headsets with mobile phones.

The use of headsets with mobile phones having increasing dramatically in the past two years, people in general are more likely to adopt headsets in other areas of their lives, including their workplace, and this has diminished previous resistance to headsets in offices. Headsets are no longer seen as simply the province of the contact centre. Big opportunities are opening up, particularly as unified communications devices become more popular. While UC as a term has been around a long time, manufacturers are now developing a greater range of products to allow users to adopt this technology, and that includes headsets.

The biggest opportunities in the headset market, according to the suppliers, are in the office space. Handsfree working increases productivity. It also lessens the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI), which is a useful additional selling point. Companies are also growing more concerned with health and safety and are having to take notice of new regulations about noise levels in the workplace. Awareness of both noise and RSI, combined with greater general use of headsets and the productivity gains from being able to have both hands free while making calls have all helped drive headset sales.

Cordless headsets are selling particularly well, but in offices where employees are primarily desk-based and are unlikely to have to move away from their desk while making a call, corded headsets are also being bought. Distributor Nimans says cordless headsets are the obvious and correct focus for selling headsets into smaller offices, because it gives users the freedom to move around the office.

But companies on a tight budget are more likely to adopt corded than cordless, so resellers should always be ready to push corded headsets as an alternative, since, if sold correctly, they fit into an office environment as easily as cordless headsets. Resellers should focus on selling the benefits of handsfree calls and the subsequent headset sale can then be adapted according to budget.

"Corded headsets are an opportunity that can, at times, be overlooked," says Philippa Parish, head of handset and headset sales at distributor Nimans. "The corded headsets have a lower price point than the cordless, which can turn resellers off, leaving them pushing only the cordless variants." That's a mistake, says Parish: "The reality is that while corded headsets do have a lower price point, it is possible to sell a minimum of five times more corded than cordless."

Plantronics and GN are the two suppliers that dominate the UK headset market. Globally, GN with its Jabra brand is larger, but in the UK, Plantronics has been the biggest supplier for many years. "By market share, we aren't number one, but we like to say we're a very strong number two," comments Dale Peters, Managing Director of GN UK.

The biggest-selling product in this market is the Supraplus corded headset by Plantronics. It's used in most UK contact centres and is the best seller for larger organisations, according to Nimans. The GN 2000 has proved popular since its launch in 2005 and is the best-selling Jabra brand corded headset, says Nimans.

When it comes to selling headsets, price is important, but Parish advises resellers to look carefully at the products available and consider selecting products that sit just below the best sellers. By avoiding the most popular cordless models, such as the Plantronics CS60 and the Jabra GN9210, resellers may be able to optimise their margins, she points out. Products such as the Plantronics CS70 or the Jabra GN9350 could be useful alternatives to the best sellers.

As UC products become more popular, manufacturers are developing more and more products that allow users to adopt this technology. "As the manufacturers' product ranges expand to include compatible items, so too will the popularity," points out Parish. "Resellers selling compatible products now are future proofing their customers, increasing customer trust and loyalty."

Resellers should also be talking to their customers about the new noise at work regulations. This legislation can be complicated, but Parish, at Nimans, says the distributor can offer advice on talking customers through it. "The regulations should be seen as an opportunity to increase the depth of the customer/supplier relationship, and with price becoming more and more of an issue, added value services can prevent competitive activity in resellers' accounts," she comments. "The key message for resellers is that headset adoption is increasing, so don't miss the opportunity." Include headsets in proposals for systems, and assume customers will want them, she advises. This will stop competitors going in afterwards and making a sale.

Peters at GN UK agrees that the greatest potential for increasing headset sales is in the general office environment. GN has reorganised its sales force to help its partners go after these opportunities and has added five new sales staff to its team in the past six months, as well as working with distributors on supporting channel sales and looking to increase its reseller base. "Initially, we went broadbrush, because we weren't entirely sure what the reception would be," explains Peters. "We know that resellers have a plethora of people chasing them. But we were pleasantly surprised."

GN is focusing on three key areas - mobile, particularly demand for Bluetooth headsets; contact centres, where demand for corded headsets remains strong; and general office sales, where it believes the real growth will occur in this market. "Contact centre sales are still very strong and growing at up to five per cent a year, so that is a good core business," commented Peters, "But in terms of market development, we believe there are greater opportunities in the office market."

Some 1,000 resellers have signed up to GN's channel programme, including both mobile resellers and traditional telecoms resellers. But the big rise, says Peters, is in the number of IT resellers. "Everyone's been talking about convergence for a long time, but it is now more tangible and IT resellers see that opportunity, especially with unified communications and products such as Microsoft Office Communicator."

The GN2000 and GN2100 ranges remain the ‘bread and butter' of the company's corded headsets, but for the office market the cordless 9350 (which includes USB connectivity) is a good product, stated Peters. "We sell most volume of the 9330s, but the aesthetics of the 9350 makes if very good for the office and we have a roadmap of development for that product," he says.

Paul Clark, UK General Manager of Plantronics, agrees that manufacturers like Plantronics and GN still need to work harder with resellers to convince them that headsets should be part of all their sales. "People see headsets as a complex sale. We need to ensure resellers understand the opportunities," he says. "The industry has moved on from 10 years ago."

Plantronics has a huge market base in UK contact centres, but it seeing rapid growth in wireless corded headsets. Clark believes the possible signs of a general economic slowdown should not unduly concern those in the headset market. "A headset is a personal item that helps productivity," he says. "When we saw the economy slow down in the 1990s, we as a business saw our sales increase. In times of concern, people want greater productivity and return on investment."

Earlier this year, the company ran a new campaign, marketing the benefits of wireless headsets in the office market, as a result of which it has seen significant increases in uptake. Clark says there is huge potential demand. "About 80 per cent of the workforce population have never considered a headset," he says. "But if you put a headset on someone's desk, 75 per cent of people will carry on using it at the end of the trial. So if resellers can get headsets onto users' desks, three times out of four, they will buy. It's as simple as that."

Plantronics is aiming firmly at a level of professional user who may not hitherto have considered a headset. "More than 60 per cent of managers spend two hours a day on emails," says Clark. "Persuading such managers to use a headset and have their hands free could produce a new slew of sales. Don't wait for the customers to ask. To maximise profits, resellers should take this message out to the customers."