Allan Dukeshire
Marketing + Industry Awareness Committee Member
Nidec Motor Corp.
How does a closer partnership with manufacturers benefit EASA distributors/service centers?
EASA distributors/service centers deliver exceptional value to end users through various means, including trusted application expertise, reliable repair service and replacement product availability. Naturally, EASAns have developed valuable relationships in delivering on their commitments as solutions providers and, in many cases, as an extension of their customers’ operations, maintenance and quality assurance functions.
In turn, EASA distributors benefit from a front-row seat to their customers’ interests and issues, often requiring a significant investment of time and resources.
As a motor manufacturer, we recognize the pivotal role that EASAns play in the market. We rely not only on their capabilities in distributing our product to the end user but also on collaborating as a trusted partner to maximize the overall value offering as efficiently as possible.
One important facet to maximizing this value is fostering close communication across various levels of both organizations. In doing so, distributors can access helpful resources from manufacturers to support their business development. This may include co-op marketing resources to actively promote their capabilities in the marketplace or operational support to meet an aggressive project timeline. A foundation for this activity may include setting mutually beneficial goals to identify opportunities and bringing visibility to support the common objectives.
Another result of building trust with manufacturers includes the distributors' impact on new product development and their preparedness for emerging technologies. By sharing the end users’ valuable voice, distributors may influence research and development efforts by shedding light on opportunities to reduce installation costs, increase system efficiency or improve quality. In turn, as manufacturers bring new technology to market, a trusted EASA distributor will receive close communication of its features and benefits and can capitalize on it as a valued launch partner.
Teaming up with the manufacturers’ sales team on joint sales can supplement the distributors’ efforts with additional product experience and an expanded network of support. Added benefits include custom training programs developed and delivered by manufacturers but facilitated through distributors. By pulling manufacturers closer into the fold of this relationship, they can more effectively support distributors in delivering additional value to their customers.
Through a closer relationship with EASA distributors, manufacturers gain greater insight into the goals of end users and a better understanding of what hurdles stand in their way. In doing so, manufacturers are better equipped to support EASA distributors’ relationships with end users by providing marketing resources, new product development, training seminars and sales support. By sharing in this partnership, distributors can gain efficiency and deliver even greater value as trusted solutions providers.
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