By Ashley Willis
BETHESDA, Md. — Brivo Systems, a provider of software as a service (SaaS) security management systems, has launched a dealer program to help installing security contractors develop new streams of recurring revenue and achieve long-term growth.
“We understand that we need to go out and help dealers as well as partner together and create market,” Brivo Director of Sales Lee Odess tells SSI. “It’s not just having our dealers take the product and sell it. It’s about educating them and positioning their companies properly on the Web.”
Divided into three tiers, the Brivo Blue Independent Dealer Program offers incentives for new and existing dealers that want to base their marketing approach around the company’s cloud-based access control solutions. The three categories include:
Brivo Blue — As the top level in the program, Brivo Blue dealers are the most committed to creating a marketing development plan with the company.
Gold — Made up of dealers who sell Brivo products, this group does not develop a market plan.
Silver — This tier is made up of new dealers with the goal of moving up to the Brivo Blue level.
“Our product is a little different in regard to recurring monthly revenue,” Odess says. “If you want to make SaaS part of your business, it’s different than just chasing jobs. It’s everything from compensation to even the type of salesperson you have onboard. We’re working with our dealers to help them get into that business.”
Odess, a former dealer, played a big role in developing the program to help give dealers exactly what they need to be successful in the marketplace.
“When I was a dealer, I hated when a manufacturer came in and basically said that I would have to be a square peg to fit into their program,” he says. “I knew my market better than they did, so I wanted them to work with me to put together a plan that worked for everyone. We’re putting that type of format together for our dealers.”
Brivo Blue level participants will receive lead sharing opportunities and Web marketing tools to improve business visibility in the market.
“We’re working on search engine optimization (SEO) and social media optimization for our [members],” Odess says. “We have access to people who are experts in this field, so we’re going to offer some services like Google Adwords to our Brivo Blue dealers.”
Additional advantages include a market development fund, in which Brivo will take a percentage of a dealer’s sales from the previous year to help produce marketing material. The top tier group will also have access to Brivo’s Dealer Council, a consortium of high-level dealers, allowing them to network with each other, share ideas and beta test Brivo products and tools, as well as A&E specification assistance based on certification and training.
To make it easier for dealers to receive the proper training, the company has developed courses that work around dealers’ schedules.
“We want to do whatever makes sense for dealer’s certification and continuing education,” Odess says. “We’re offering training at our roadshows, online or we’ll have one of our guys come into the office and train their people.”
The company also plans to honor independent dealers that demonstrate outstanding leadership throughout the year with its Brivo Winners Circle award.
Brivo, which has more than 300 dealers, initially introduced this program to a small group of its installing partners to work out the kinks. The company plans to make the program available for all dealers within two weeks.
Ashley Willis is managing editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.