By Ashley Willis
AUSTIN, Texas — Supercircuits, a manufacturer and distributor of video and audio surveillance equipment, has enhanced its Authorized Dealer Program to offer lead referral services to its members.
SC's dealer program offers aggressive discounts on products and shipping, dedicated sales and technical support teams and an advanced replacement policy. The added value of providing a lead referral program came at the request of the dealer membership, company chief marketing officer George Farley tells SSI.
"We have a direct relationship with our customers, and we're always listening to their feedback," he says. "When we talk to dealers, we always discuss margin opportunities, and we're frequently asked to bring them leads. Because we market directly to end users, we generate thousands of calls every week, many from customers requiring pre- or post-sale support that SC can't provide. We have the opportunity to bring in a dealer partner to meet those customers' needs."
The Authorized Dealer Program is now broken down into three tiers, incentivizing partners based on their level of commitment to the company. Additionally, the program provides dealers with dedicated account management and field sales resources, innovative marketing tools, plus pre- and post-sales engineering support. The tiers include:
- SC Dealer (SCD) — As the lowest level in the program, SCDs have no revenue commitments to the company; however, SCDs must be in good financial standing and must present a reseller's certificate. SCDs will receive 20 percent off all demo gear, as well as Tier 1 discounts on products.
- SC Authorized Dealer (SCAD) — Unlike SCDs, SCADs must sell $10,000 worth of SC products annually. SCADs have access to training through online resources (e.g., Webinars). In addition to 20 percent off all demo gear, dealers in this group will receive Tier 2 discounts on products.
- SC Strategic Alliance Partner (SCSAP) — Required to sell $50,000 worth of SC products annually, SCSAPs are eligible to participate in the lead referral program. This group will also market to a semi-exclusive territory and will receive interactive remote training. SCSAPs will also receive 25 percent off all demo gear, as well as Tier 3 discounts on products.
Certain SCSAP level dealers may qualify for the Digiop Certified Integration Partner (CIP) program. Both SC and Digiop, a video and data management software (VDMS) development company, are owned by the same parent company, Observint Technologies. SC is a primary distribution partner for Digiop, and leverages its dealer program to identify qualified DIGIOP dealers and integrators.
"To effectively sell Digiop products requires an educated reseller partner," Farley says. "When SC identifies a potential Digiop CIP, we work with Digiop sales managers to qualify that customer, provide mandatory on-site training and field support."
One thing that sets the dealer channel apart from other programs is that SC sells an exclusive product line that integrators cannot purchase anywhere else, according to Farley.
"We offer an exclusive product line and protected pricing for our dealers, so their margin opportunity is directly tied to the discount level we provide," he says. "You can't just Google our products and buy them at significant discounts to MSRP like you can for competitive products. This reduces the dealer's opportunity to make money reselling those products."
To reach potential dealers, SC has launched a social media and E-mail marketing campaign highlighting program elements and benefits. Additionally, the company will release a dealer-focused catalog in January that features products most popular with SC dealers.
Farley notes that the company hopes to attract integrators with interest in selling IP-based equipment; however, SC continues to provide an analog offering and is introducing a new HDCCTV line in January. Additionally, he says that the dealer program is not simply a marketing ploy, but a way to help dealers grow their businesses.
"There is an internal commitment to growing our dealer channel, and we've made great investments to do so," Farley says. "This is not something we take lightly. We live in a very price sensitive environment, and we feel that our value proposition has never been more appealing. We offer aggressively priced, reliable products supported by industry-leading warranties. And most importantly, we offer our dealer partners the opportunity to make more money."
For more information, click here.
Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.