Srabani Sen, with inputs from Rutaksha Rawat and Saurabh Sharma
Tuesday, April 07, 2009: Schemes and offers for channel partners have not only rained during the off-season, they will rule the roost during the coming peak season as well. Manufacturers are gearing up for the heavy-sale period, which will continue till August, with a little dip in sales during the monsoon months. After a grey period of 3-4 months, when sales of inverters and UPS take a nosedive, manufacturers are looking forward to the summer months when they hope to revive all the losses they may have incurred during the lean period. Companies are cracking their heads and coming up with new and innovative ideas to please the dealers and motivate them to keep them ahead of their competitors. According to N K Mishra, CMD, Ekta Telecommunications, says, “To increase share of business it is necessary to encourage the dealer with some attractive schemes.”
“It is very important to offer various schemes to dealers from time to time to push channel sales,“ states Arun Ghosh, CEO, Hita Technology. “Schemes help to stir the saturated market,” says Prashant Vinayak Amare, MD, Swastik Power Electronics (India) Pvt Ltd.
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Srabani Sen, with inputs from Rutaksha Rawat and Saurabh Sharma |
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| LUMINOUS International Cash Bhi Insurance Bhi |
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| What do you feel about schemes for dealers? | As far as the inverter category is concerned, schemes for dealers play a major role for us. We think every company should keep offering newer and more innovative schemes to its channel partner, which would motivate them to work harder. |
| What is the most innovative scheme you’ve offered so far? | The most innovative channel scheme that we had offered was ‘Cash Bhi Insurance Bhi’. This scheme was clubbed with a consumer promo. Under this scheme, we had given cash prizes to dealers who were sending the entries for consumer promos. Apart from this, the dealer was eligible for personal accident insurance policy of Rs 1 lakh for up to three years. As far as innovation is concerned, this was a new concept for channel partners as they were getting dual benefits—in terms of cash and absolutely free insurance. |
| Presently, do you have any scheme for your dealers? | We keep floating dealer’s schemes on a regular basis. |
| Can you specify the number of dealers you have in India? | We have more than 10,000 dealers and the number is increasing. |
| Were there any schemes in the past? | In the past, we had schemes like foreign trips for channel partners, trips to our factory in Baddi and Gagret, a chance to play with international cricketers in London, etc. |
| Are schemes helpful in increasing sales? | Yes, definitely. Channel partners feel motivated and that in return, helps us. |
| Why do some schemes fail? | Channel schemes fail when they do not attract the channel partners. If the scheme is not motivating enough for our channel partners, they take less interest in pushing the product. |
| What lessons did you learn from your past schemes? | Always come up with a scheme that benefits your channel partner so that they remain interested in pushing your product to the end-consumers. |
| Are present schemes modified versions of past schemes? | Sometimes, modified versions of the earlier schemes are also offered depending on their success. |
| Do you intend to continue offering schemes in the future, too? | Yes definitely, we will continue offering schemes to our channel partners. |
| Parker Power Win foreign trips, cars |
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| What do you feel about schemes for dealers? | Schemes for dealers are prevalent in maximum products as it is basically an indirect motivational factor to heighten up sales. Dealer expect something extra above their fixed margins. |
| What is the most innovative scheme you’ve offered so far? | The schemes vary from season to season and they work when you beat the market general trend by offering something unusual. Schemes like foreign trips on sales of a pre-decided numbers has proved successful in the past. The scheme of winning a car on selling material worth Rs 5-7 lakh in addition to their normal routine sale is also a good bait. We also offered an RO water purifier free for the sale of material worth Rs 5-7 lakh. |
| Presently, do you have any scheme for your dealers? | We have lots of schemes—cash schemes, material schemes, etc. It depends on the companies promotional strategy and market conditions. |
| Can you specify the number of dealers you have in India? | We have more than 3,000 dealers all over India. |
| Were the past schemes helpful in increasing sales? | Schemes definitely pay off and the quantum of sales increases due to the extra incentive given. Fortunately, our schemes never failed. |
| What lessons did you learn from your past schemes? | The past schemes had given good sales and the taste of getting something extra remains a memory for the dealer. |
| How are the present schemes doing? | Our present schemes are doing very well. |
| Are they modified versions of the past schemes? | We take feedbacks on the schemes from our dealers and modify then accordingly. |
| Do you intend to continue offering schemes in the future, too? | Definitely, we will continue to offer schemes as they boost sales when market is dull and increase the quantum when the market is booming. They also help in beating the competition if your schemes are better than the competitors. |
| HITA TECHNOLOGY PVT LTD Special ORC |
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| Most innovative scheme | Special ORC given for higher range of products, which are not normally sold through dealers. Dealer product ranges are normally up to a maximum of 10 KVA |
| Current schemes for dealers | Same scheme as above |
| Number of dealers in India | In Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal |
| Schemes in the past | Schemes based on stock and sale and quantity based discount |
| Schemes helpful in increasing sales | In present market situation, schemes are not effective |
| Lessons learnt from past | Have to be more innovative to survive in difficult situations |
| Would offer schemes in future | Yes |
| SU-KAM Scratch and win a car |
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| What do you feel about schemes for dealers? | Schemes for dealers ensure that our products are visible in the market and ensure that the former put in more effort to sell our products. |
| What is the most innovative scheme you’ve offered so far? Why do you feel it is innovative? | The most innovative scheme has been our consumer scheme. It was a scratch card scheme and people won Mercedez, Corolla and Honda City. It is innovative because people are given the chance to own a luxury car. |
| Presently, do you have any scheme for your dealers? What are these schemes? | Presently we are running slab discount schemes. |
| Can you specify the number of dealers you have in India? | Presently, we have over 6,000 dealers all over India. |
| Were those schemes helpful in increasing sales? | Yes, they were quite helpful in pushing our products further. All of them have been successful, so far. |
| What lessons did you learn from your past schemes? | We have realised that every time we float a scheme it has to be more innovative than the earlier one. Then only will it attract dealers. |
| How are the present schemes doing? | They are doing well and helping us increase our sales and market share. |
| Are they modified versions of the past schemes? | Yes, sometimes. |
| Do you have one scheme at a time or run several schemes parallel to each other? | It depends. Sometimes it could be a national scheme, some times it is statewise. |
| Do you intend to continue offering schemes in the future, too? What would those schemes be? | Yes, definitely. Schemes are very helpful. But we cannot disclose further details at this juncture. |
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SWASTIK POWER ELECTRONICS – No innovative schemes
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Most innovative scheme |
No innovative scheme as such |
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Current schemes for dealers |
Other than normal quantity discounts, wall clocks on small size machines are offered
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Present schemes are modified versions of the past |
Mostly |
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Number of dealers in India |
More than 230 dealers across India: Maharashtra-192, Gujarat-14, Karnataka-9, Chennai-11, and the rest in Andhra Pradesh
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Schemes in the past |
Many schemes in the past, but nothing innovative |
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Schemes helpful in increasing |
Sometimes they are very helpful, but at times have no impact
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Lessons learnt from past |
Schemes should meet expectations of the channel partners. The mantra is not to be loud on promises, but deliver as much as possible without boosting their expectations too much |
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One scheme at a time |
Mostly, one scheme at a time is floated |
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PUREVOLT PRODUCTS PVT LTD Not innovative schemes |
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Most innovative scheme |
There is no innovative scheme as such. Normal schemes are target based, 2-5 per cent cash discount |
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Current schemes for dealers |
Same as above |
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Present schemes are modified versions of the past |
Mostly |
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Number of dealers in India |
20 all over India |
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Schemes helpful in increasing sales |
Very helpful |
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Lessons learnt from past |
Schemes are mostly offered in peak season to |
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Would offer schemes in future |
Target based, 2-5 per cent cash discount |
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PALM TECHNOLOGY Laptops, overseas trips |
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Most innovative scheme |
Free products on sale of a 100 units, laptops/desktops for sale of 1,000 units, trip to Bangkok or Singapore for sale of more than 1,000 units
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Current schemes for dealers |
Incentive on turnover, product per product |
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Present schemes are modified |
Mostly |
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Schemes in the past |
Incentive on turnover, product per product |
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Schemes helpful in increasing sales |
Yes, they increase sales |
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Lessons learnt from past |
Schemes should only be offered during the |
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BEST POWER EQUIPMENT INDIA Trip to Bangkok |
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Most innovative scheme |
Two-day trip to Bangkok for bulk sale of |
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Current schemes for dealers |
Same as above |
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Present schemes are modified |
Mostly |
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Number of dealers in India |
300 across India |
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Schemes helpful in increasing sales |
Very helpful |
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Lessons learnt from past |
Successful schemes can be forwarded in future |
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Would offer schemes in future |
The same schemes will be carried forward |
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EKTA TELECOMMUNICATION & SYSTEMS Take away a Maruti |
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Most innovative schemes |
Turnover discounts; gifts like mobile phones, |
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Current schemes for dealers |
Maruti 800 car for sale of Rs 50 lakh worth of |
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Number of dealers in India |
50 dealers across India |
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Schemes in the past |
Turnover discounts, mobile phones, gifts for dealers’ near and dear ones, etc |
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Schemes helpful in increasing sales |
Yes |
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One scheme at a time |
Generally, several schemes at a time |
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Would offer schemes in future |
Yes |
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