Our Clients

Case Studies: Channel Relationship Management

The problem

Having acquired a new technology division and product line, the client faced the marketing challenge of creating an additional route to market for this new product. The client, not having sufficient internal resources to recruit, train, and manage a new channel, had to outsource this process.

The solution

Advanced Alchemy was identified as being the most appropriate outsource for the task. The objective was a true partnership with the client to achieve a specific revenue target, through unit shipment from a reseller channel they did not have before.

The solution concept we provided was to create a client-specific department within Advanced Alchemy, composed of 3 groups:

1. A field team of field channel development (sales) executives
2. A team of internal appointment-setting telemarketing personnel (telemarketing agent to field exec ratio of 1:1)
3. A team of end user lead generation telemarketing personnel

The end user team generates sales leads for the channel; these are then passed to the field staff who pass them to new VARs to forge closer links with the channel. This often means support in closure at the early stages and joint trips to the field. Key verticals are targeted to ensure good quality leads.

The appointment-setting team books on average 2 meetings per day per field person with new VARs. In the preliminary 9 months of the project 450 appointments with new VARs have been set.

Field execs have a dual role, signing up new resellers and helping existing resellers to sell more. A key part of the Field Execs role is to develop their existing VARs by offering further training for the VARs sales force, presence at Seminars, and any further support the VARs may require.

Advanced Alchemy provides regular update reports to the client and arranges monthly meetings to ensure synergy between the two parties. Advanced Alchemy has also established a good relationship with the key distributor in this relationship, which ensures smooth communication among all parties.

The results

Advanced Alchemy has ramped up UK sales significantly through numerous VAR sign-ups. Sales have continued to rise throughout the project with 300 units that are directly attributable to Advanced Alchemy sold to date; this equates to over £80,000 revenue raised. On average, 41 units per month have been sold.

As a percentage of total UK sales for the client, Advanced Alchemy brings in an average of 20% of the total unit sales a month, the high point being May wherein Advanced Alchemy was responsible for 33% of the client's total unit sales.

VAR sign-up to the partnership program has been very high, at around 70%, with a high proportion of these partners buying a minimum of 1 unit.

The hot leads produced by the end-user lead generation program go straight to the reseller partner for sales execution, keeping the VAR motivated, surprising the distributor with increasing pull through of sales, and retaining Advanced Alchemy's position as a key ingredient to the client's Channel Strategy.

As a by-product of the work Advanced Alchemy has carried out, awareness of the client product and brand has also been noticeably boosted.

For more information on how we can help grow your business, please contact us.

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