ViewSonic Enhances ProAV Certified Reseller Program For Channel Partners

"We just wanted to make it more robust. ViewSonic has always been channel central, and we've always wanted to make it easier to partner with us," said April Gillespie, senior channel marketing manager. "We believe that we need to offer and grow our programs, so we are helping our resellers grow their businesses well."

Previously, the ProAV Reseller Program required partners to meet three different criteria to be eligible for different levels of the program. Now, just a minimum of $25,000 in quarterly sales is required to be a part of the certified program.

"We gave benefits to members and changed criteria that makes them eligible," said Gillespie. "It really opens it up to a bigger playing field for the ProAV resellers."

According to Gillespie, rebate details have also been improved. Partners can now gain quarterly rebates and earn up to 6 percent back. Before, ViewSonic only had rebates on the Pro8 and Pro9 series. Now there is a 2 percent rebate on the qualified PJD6 series, a 3 percent rebate on the qualified PJD7 series and a 5 percent rebate on the qualified PJD8 series.

"Partners will have an opportunity to make money by selling ViewSonic," said Gillespie. "It's up to 6 percent, with 5 percent being on the quarterly sales with an additional VIR rebate of 1 percent if they make a certain quota. That's brand new this year."

ViewSonic currently has over 1,000 authorized resellers and is growing every day, Gillespie said, and she expects the new enhancements will double that number by the end of 2013.

There are three different ways to qualify for the ProAV Certified Reseller Program, she said.

"The company has to have an Infocomm CTS certification, or a CDS certification, or a comparable industry training for the ProAV industry," said Gillespie. "If they do have one of those criteria, they fill out a ViewSonic application and it gets approved by the channel marketing department."

The ProAV Dealer program has an addition of a Bounty rebate program, which provides additional incentives. Gillespie states that it will allow up to 50 percent off demo specials, lamp discounts, pre- and post-sales support, and access to customized product webinars, sales trainings and videos.

According to Sally Wang, ViewSonic's vice president of product marketing, within the ProAV program is the Bounty program, which pairs a partner with a ViewSonic employee.

"In this ProAV program we have the Bounty program so if they need help, somebody from ViewSonic's team will go with a customer to provide support," said Wang.

Partners can expect to make 12 percent to 25 percent margins on selling these products, said Wang.

One challenge that partners could potentially expect while trying to sell these products is when a customer specifies a particular technology.

"A challenge they could encounter is regarding what specific technology the end customer specifies," said Wang. "ViewSonic has DLP, solid-state technology, and the reason ViewSonic chooses DLP over LCD is for its greater number of advantages. If an end customer emphasizes LCD projector technology, the partner may have a more limited product offering."

The ProAV Certified Reseller Program will ultimately benefit channel partners and their customers, according to the company. More specifically, Wang believes this enhanced program will help channel partners expand, earn rewards and get the word out on what ViewSonic has to offer.

"With this program, I hope that ProAV partners will see that ViewSonic is a real player," said Wang. "We are relationship driven, and I feel that providing this program will generate interest in new solutions that [partners'] customers will benefit from."

PUBLISHED JUNE 12, 2013

This story was updated on June 12, 2013, at 12:55 p.m. PST, to correctly note the name of ViewSonic's Bounty rebate program and the previous rebate programs for Pro8 and Pro9 series.