4 Steps To The Right Reps

As a small channel reseller, we have to be specific about which manufacturers we select to represent. We have limited resources to learn and support product lines and we obviously can't resell and support all of the products out there. During the manufacturer-selection process, not only do we have to believe that we can sell this new product, we also have to "sell" to our engineers, sales managers and account managers that it's worth their time to learn a new product. Over the years, we've developed our own way to evaluate manufacturers. Each of the four areas below are weighted equally in that process.

1. Good products with consistent technologies. We focus on product lines that have consistent offerings from the lowest to the highest level. This includes having similar user interfaces and features. This will minimize support requirements. Not only do we expect a "road map" of a product's lifecycle, but we also expect the manufacturer to stick to that road map.

2. Good channel program. Having a good channel program means being able to position our company beyond being a box- pusher. We should be able to make decent margins if there's a good channel program in place. A good channel program should also have a simple ordering process, which means we'll have lower overhead in dealing with the manufacturer. Our purchasing agent loves simple product lines, one form to fill out and the ability to accept credit cards for payment. One thing that all resellers dislike is when the manufacturer contacts their clients for support or warranty renewal. It's a real turn-off to discover your clients were contacted by a manufacturer directly.

3. Good tech support. Tech support is just as important as how good the product is. This includes documentation, and with emerging products it's not easy to keep up with all of the documentation. Without tech support, there is no good product.

4. Good people. We look for manufacturers that have good people who communicate with us--being available to talk and listen to our opinions regularly. When a manufacturer has good people with good communication skills, it instills confidence. It's a bad sign if a rep or channel manager has a high turnover rate. It usually means that the manufacturer doesn't know how to deal with the channel or its resellers.

From experience I can say, even if the product isn't the best, the other three criteria can still make selling the product worth the time.

Eddy Wong is president of New York-based GG Group.