|
|
 February 08 W4 Alert Hey Distributors - How Far Would You Go??? How Far Would You Go To Help Your Customer Make A Sale? Recently, I was reminded of a meeting I had a couple of years back with a "value added" distributor. When I asked him just exactly what the "value add" from his distribution company was...I got a blank stare, and a lot of hemming and hawing but not much in the way of value add.  This month's issue of VAR Business contains an extraordinary tale of just how far one distributor, improbably enough Tech Data Corp., was willing to go to help one of their customers...a value added reseller (VAR)...make a sale. The story revolves around the VAR, LaSalle Solutions of Rosemont, IL who was trying to sell a hotel chain on a system that they had put together for an in-room entertainment and e-commerce solution. This sale was for a test installation, but if successful, could possibly lead to the system being installed in many more rooms...perhaps as many as 100,000 nationwide. The VAR planned to fly the customer to Tech Data's showroom in Florida, known as their solution center, to demonstrate the system and propose a package for the chain. In speaking with Tech Data to set the meeting up, a LaSalle executive jokingly suggested that it would be funny to set the showroom up as a hotel room to show the system in its element. And so...THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT TECH DATA DID! The staff at Tech Data's solution center brought in a bed, nightstand, lamp, pictures to hang on the wall and built a hotel room on their floor. Tech Data also brought in suppliers Hewlett-Packard, Logitech, and software company Innovative Network Technologies Inc, as well as other vendors to assist LaSalle...AND to convince the hotel that LaSalle had the partners to execute the installation. Tech Data also assisted in putting together a full plan for a national roll-out, showing the hotel chain how they would collectively coordinate and execute such a large implementation. According to LaSalle executive Steve Robb, the hotel executives said, "We get it. The deal's good." Robb went on to say that "You typically think of a distributor for how do you move a box, or can they cut me an extra point off to do the deal, or do you have it in stock today?" But LaSalle clearly credits the over the top support of Tech Data for helping them seal the deal. Jokes Joe Quaglia, Tech Data's senior vice president of marketing, this was the first time a deal was literally "put to bed" in their solution center. "We always try to answer the age-old question whether the distributor adds value." There is no question about that in LaSalle's mind! |
|
|