Goal-setting, incentives, empowerment and fair reward for performance are critical to successful channel partners` businesses, according to Laurica Kok, channel manager at payroll and HR software specialist, Softline Pastel Payroll, for the past five years.
The company has almost 2 000 channel partners countrywide and branches in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town as well as a distribution centre in Pretoria.
"We have 240 channel partners that hold the Pastel Payroll Certified Installer (PCI) qualification. This is an internationally recognised certification with the ICB (Institute of Certified Bookkeepers). To maintain the PCI status, channel partners have to pass an annual refresher examination. It sounds tough, but by doing so they ensure they regularly receive leads from us and qualify for rebates on annual client renewals.
"Our channel is both sales and service orientated," adds Kok. "We offer rebates to all Pastel Payroll Channel Partners who are Certified Installers, if their customers renew their licence fees with Pastel Payroll."
Channel partners also receive discounts off all software and secondary lines, including training courses, workshops, seminars and payslips, to name but a few. These monetary perks (rebates and discounts) help channel partners to grow their revenue lines, which in turn expands their business.
Kok says in addition to the monetary benefits, channel partners receive sales assistance, such as sales techniques and other soft business skills, to help maintain constant but unobtrusive contact with their existing and potential customers.
"We give channel partners the necessary support marketing documentation such as brochures, PowerPoint presentations, branded clothing, e-mail signatures and printed materials, to make generating new business so much easier."
This marketing collateral and the sales tools are available on a Reseller Zone, located on a portal on the Pastel Payroll Web site. This enables channel partners to view, track and investigate all information regarding their customers. "Happy customers renew every year, which leads to a greater annuity rebate paid to the channel partner."
Kok adds that formal discussions with channel partners are conducted every October when targets for the year ahead are discussed and agreed. Other opportunities for direct interface are at annual road shows and quarterly information sessions on a national basis, where there are open forums for discussions.
"The current local environment for payroll is healthy and channel partner numbers are increasing," says Kok. "The reasons for this include SA Revenue Services adopting a much higher public profile, accompanied by regular tax legislation changes and new submission systems, and this has created a fertile environment for payroll software as companies and individuals move to ensure easy compliance."
Businesses in international markets are now tending to go the direct sales route and Kok says Pastel Payroll has always made direct sales as well as working with the channel, a model that has proved highly successful.
Kok concludes that being transparent in setting goals, offering fair rewards and incentives, results in a very coherent and successful channel, always striving for the next sales challenge.
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Softline Pastel Payroll
Softline Pastel Payroll, a member of the Softline group, is the leading developer of payroll and HR software solutions and services in South Africa. Skills, experience and innovation in this field accumulated over more than 20 years in business confirm Pastel Payroll`s leading position in the SME market. Pastel Payroll provides a wide range of software solutions from start-up to medium as well as large sized enterprises. Easy-to-use, feature-rich and flexible payroll and HR software ensures businesses are kept up-to-date and fully compliant with changing legislative and SARS Employer Filing Submission requirements. Let our payroll and HR software do it all for you.
The Sage Group
The Sage Group is a leading global supplier of business management software solutions and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized enterprises. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has 5.8 million customers and more than 14 500 employees worldwide. We operate in over 26 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For further information, please visit http://www.sage.com.
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