This month we spoke to Tim Brooks, Managing Director for the Crane Avaya business to discuss how the programme has been received by the channel.
“The 50 to 200 user market remains a key target market for the majority of Crane’s resellers, new products and pricing structures had provided cause for concern for many resellers in this target market, they wanted the same great products but at the right price for the target market. Crane needed to respond to the demands of the channel and rose to the occasion with the introduction of the Intelligent Communications Program comprising three elements;
- A bundle product offer to meet the needs of the 50 – 200 user market, a key target market for the majority of Crane’s resellers.
- Aggressive pricing – As much as a 25% off RRP, a dramatic reduction in cost for customers
- Comprehensive range of marketing collateral designed to promote the programme and drive sales in the target market.
To develop this programme Crane took a consultative approach inviting several key channel partners to be involved in the planning phase to ensure the creation of a programme that would really make a difference to resellers’ bottom line.”
Crane reseller Centrix was heavily involved from the start and Sales and Marketing Director Richard Burbage commented, “Crane’s approach made all the difference, we were delighted to be involved in the planning process, we have now got a programme that has everything right. The product was always good, there is no disputing that, but now we have the right Product, Price and Promotional collateral to make this really work for us.
The pricing is such a dramatic improvement, and I do mean dramatic, it’s a good 25% discount on RRP from the original ACM pricing. Also, the overriding principal behind the product offer was that it needed to be simple to configure and price. Crane worked closely with Avaya and in my opinion they have achieved this with the Intelligent Communications Programme.
The simplicity of the bundle and pricing has enabled us to revisit old opportunities as well as explore new ones. We have gone back to customers with outstanding quotes and have had success in closing the sale. The sales collateral has enabled us to target new customers and really sell the Avaya story.
More than anything, the programme, and the way it was planned and orchestrated has given us a renewed enthusiasm for the product. Going forward Crane have indicated that they will continue to take this kind of strategic approach and they seem willing to invest heavily in getting it right for their channel.”
Tim Brooks concluded. “Our business is about growing our channel, our investment in getting this particular program right was substantial as was Avaya’s, so having such a positive reaction from the channel is really encouraging.”