Johannesburg, 15 Nov 2011
As increasing consolidation continues in the IT distribution arena, a few niche distribution houses are not only avoiding being gobbled up by the giants the consolidation has created, but are growing themselves. Phoenix Software is one of these, exceeding its growth and revenue targets by steadily adding to its customer and product portfolios
Anton Vukic, the company's Channel Director, explains that a big focus area for Phoenix Software is its channel development, as witnessed by its increasing reseller base. "We have added 845 new resellers to our network in the past 3 months. Starting from a very small reseller base of 400, today we have a strong channel of 3000 reseller partners."
According to Vukic, Phoenix Software's reseller growth has been consistent, with the distributor signing 35 resellers a week. "Our approach to our partners has been a key factor to our success. We treat our resellers as true partners, and are reaping the rewards of this strategy," he says. "We invest heavily in hiring and up-skilling the sales, marketing and support staff necessary to ensure our resellers get the best service. In addition to the usual partner benefits, our resellers also get reseller-specific, customised training on vendor products, end-user and channel partner onsite training and demonstrations, and pre-sales consulting, scoping and advice."
The company is intending to achieve equally strong growth in this segment in 2012, and has put plans in place to help achieve these ambitious targets. To this end, Phoenix Software will have a range of promotions and incentives that will run over the next six months to support the channel refresh, as well as to encourage customer loyalty. "We look at developing relationships, not just moving product. This approach has already shown dividends, growing our reseller base and improving customer support. We will continue to nurture the green shoots starting to come through from the hard work of the last twelve months with these initiatives," Vukic adds.
In addition, Phoenix Software has expanded its range of enterprise products, providing resellers with a wider variety and choice of products. "We are using the expertise and partnerships we have established with our security products to introduce complementary high-quality merchandise. This provides another avenue for our resellers to reach their customers. The response to this approach has been extremely positive, and we are looking forward to another year of sturdy growth," he concludes.
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