Comms Business Magazine will be reporting on the wider aspects of distribution activities in a forthcoming issue. However, we have been drawn to a recent press announcement from Nimans that was issued last week which we have only just got our heads around given the furore over their own end user sales web site.
In the release Distributor Nimans is urging resellers to “embrace the ‘electronic age’ or risk the possibility of losing out on significant sales revenue.”
Head of Dealer Sales, Ian Brindle says the internet has revolutionised the way we shop at home and work, from ordering weekly groceries on-line to making a bid on an auction website. He says it is vital for dealers to have an effective online sales presence - and his calls have been echoed by a major customer.
Nimans say that their E-cat has become a key sales tool for North West-based reseller Pennine Telecom who began using the innovative service five years ago. MD Andy Roberts says e-cat is a good way to future proof his business and is particularly suited to selling all peripheral products such as conferencing units, headsets and handsets. He explained: “When you go out to tender people want to see you have this type of service. It’s an indicator of the credibility of a company and its forward-thinking ethos.
“E-cat is easy to manage and links in nicely with our existing website in terms of the content, look and feel. It’s another piece of the jigsaw for us and is growing in popularity.”
Roberts added: “With more and more transactions taking place on-line it’s vital that dealers, however big or small, offer their customers on-line purchasing. Nimans’ e-cat is one of the easiest, fastest, cheapest and most convenient solutions available. The web is going to become the standard way of buying peripheral products. You don’t have the overheads of having people waiting to take a sales enquiry for something as straightforward as a fax machine. On-line is very cost effective.”
Nimans Ian Brindle concluded: “E-cat will maximise the opportunity for peripheral and add-on sales such as headsets and additional handsets. Dealers can use our information and expertise then tailor the site with their individual preferences.”