Prerequisites for (inter)national success via dealer channel
15 July 2010
There are many misunderstandings about selling through dealerships. It seems to be the easiest method of selling. After training, the dealer goes to work for you and turnover rolls in automatically. Companies with extensive experience in selling through dealers know how much effort and time it takes to set up a successful dealership.
Knowledge transfer
One of the most important keys to success is the transfer of knowledge to dealers’ sales staff. It is often very difficult to make sure that your own sales people have all the up-to-date information on the product portfolio. Disseminating knowledge of products to sales staff you do not employ directly but who work for a dealer, can be much more troublesome.
Correct information
Storing knowledge, therefore, is important – not only for your in-house employees. It is equally important for your dealers to have this product knowledge at their disposal. In this way dealers’ sales forces will have the correct information regarding products, prices and terms and conditions at hand all the time. By making knowledge available in the form of a configurator (via the internet, CD rom or your own network), you guarantee that dealers always have correct information available and always give their clients correct quotations.
Selling more
Changes in product range, prices or conditions can be made available in real time to dealers. That leaves both you and your dealer more time to do what you both want to do: sell more.
Otto van der Tang is Managing Director at Sofon - supplier of sales support software. As Otto has a lot of contact with clients, he has a clear insight into how companies that deliver customer-specific products and services can realize improvements within their sales and quotation process.
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