Distribution: A broad scope of opportunities

Distribution is an incredible learning pool for all business people. It has a broad scope of opportunities covering all aspects of business management ? from debtors and creditors, to managing working capital, working with vendors and key stakeholders as well as sales and product management.

So says Traci Maynard, who looks after executive marketing and Microsoft software at Axiz. "Marketing in distribution in the IT channel is a fantastic place to understand the dynamics and fundamentals of go-to-market and I love all of this. On the flip side, being an importer of hardware products and boxed software from mostly US dollar-based vendors means distributors are at the mercy of the rate of exchange against the ZAR.

"It's a tough one and how we manage this is by being vigilant on our stock levels," she adds. On the software side of the business, the non-stocking aspect of virtual software has allowed Axiz to see a daily return on equity. In this way, she says virtual software from vendors such as Microsoft, VMware, Adobe and Citrix is less challenging to manage.

Maynard, who describes her career as "solid progress with an abundance of learnings", got into the ICT sector by contacting the Star Workplace during her final year of marketing studies. She asked how it could help address the challenge for students who need working experience in order to find employment.

Her photograph and an article on the experience versus graduate dilemma featured on the front cover of the paper, and as a result, Maynard received nine job offers, and took the one in IT. She describes this as a defining point in her career.

Would she have done anything differently? "I probably should have considered majoring in finance and accounting, and done marketing as second level subject. But the potential boredom of accounting put me off. I am glad I made my choice in sales and marketing."

Speaking of Axix's channel programme, Maynard says: "We don't have a channel programme per se; we are guided by our vendors and offer niche programmes to targeted channel segments."

In terms of what she thinks is a challenging trend in the channel today, she says it is difficult for partners to embrace the fast pace at which cloud adoption has taken over most vendor speak.

"How do they become experts in their fields if they don't embrace it? Most importantly, how do they make money? Axiz needs to ensure we continue to help them on this journey. The cloud will change the channel we serve, the vendors we partner with and the resellers we are actively trying to take on this journey with us."

Giving some advice to channel partners, she says: "As a partner, it's time for a seismic shift in your value proposition. Technology is no longer the lead; end-customers need to know that you can help them. If you don't have a value proposition, get one, and remember it must focus on specific business benefits that your services bring to end-customers. That means you have to market your company and a key point would be to put customer referrals on your Web site as those are validating."

So what are the three most important things Maynard believes partners need from vendors to be successful? "Cost reimbursement for technical competencies, deal registration on a deal brought to the vendor, and deal protection for qualified and certified partners when a large number of different resellers respond to opportunity."