Vendors find surefire way to motivate partners

Vendors have realized that giving away exotic gifts is a surefire way to motivate partners. This is precisely why every vendor
worth its salt is giving away prized possessions like cars and free foreign jaunts to its
top-performing partners.

Samsung India Electronics Ltd (SIEL), which had recently started the "$Dollar Program", witnessed participation from over 4,300 systems
integrators. Of these, DCom Computers from Mumbai won a brand new Hyundai Accent. The program was aimed at enhancing the profitability of all the IT
resellers and system integrators in the country. The lucky cheque number that was chosen randomly in the computer was DSA-0328800, which belonged to
D Com Computers.

According to SIEL national product head-volume IT Sonal Anand, "The tremendous response we got was because we didn't
restrict the participation and there was no minimum slab. Even by purchasing one unit
of 15 inch monitor rewards can be won." 

He added that schemes like these keep partners enthused in going all out to maximize sales. Rewards schemes can also be
used to push the partners in selling higher-end products, where the margins are better. Says SIEL VP
Vivek Prakash, "It is very important for resellers to focus on value and not quantity as today it is the smart reseller who would make more margins.

Partners should ensure that they lower their inventory."

Canon India OSS - volume senior marketing manager Som Gangopadhay said that promotional schemes help them in
achieving, and at times over-achieving, the sales targets set for a quarter. "The recently concluded for laser MFDs
helped us grow by more than 100 percent within one quarter. Almost 150 partners participated in this program, and each of them got some goodies
from us," he added. Presently, Canon has started another scheme for laser MFDs and is hopeful that this would also assist them in gaining more
marketshare in this product category.

HP India is yet another company that had launched the Mobile Moghul Program to boost sales of its commercial notebooks.

Country manager - commercial channels Sanjeev Wad says that at least 45 partners participated in this
scheme and the company gave them back-end benefits for meeting sales targets in a particular quarter. "This particular promotional scheme
has helped us grow our notebooks business by 40%."

Wad also adds that there are various other schemes, which are been run by the company, and the channel works more if there
are some tangible benefits attached to selling a product.

Atanu Kumar Das

New Delhi