Technology Reseller - v08

01732 759725 INTERVIEW 34 Q&A marketplace, we continuously have to review how we can best support our partners and we recognised that we could make it easier for them to manage and maintain their earnings. One of the key changes to the new programme is the way we have restructured the rebate model to give our partners more confidence in how they calculate their earnings. Under the new programme, partners will be ranked at either Reseller, Gold or Platinum level, with each tier offering a tailored set of benefits and varying levels of rebate earning potential. Targets are set on a quarterly basis and if partners achieve the same level as in the corresponding quarter the previous year, they will receive a flat rebate. We will also set a ‘stretch’ target, which, if hit, will deliver an additional percentage rebate on top. For our Platinum partners, there’s a third level, where incremental rebates will be paid on sales of selected SKUs and key products. We will also break down all sales and supply each partner with a report that clearly summarises the revenues earned each quarter. The new partner programme is designed to help strengthen and grow channel partners’ businesses and includes sales and marketing support; product promotions; partner certification; incentive schemes and rewards; an improved and easier to manage rebate scheme; and additional rewards for selling MPS. Partners can access these tools and benefits through the online portal, BrotherZone. TR : What has prompted Brother to introduce the new programme now? GM: Our business, and our partners’ businesses, have changed rapidly in recent years as more and more customers turn to procuring print systems as a service. Our new programme is much more reflective of this, rewarding partners who invest in selling solutions and giving them much more visibility of the rebates associated with this. We also wanted to make sure we were taking all our partners on the journey with us, regardless of where their current solution offering stands. The new programme offers greater incentives to sell any of our MPS products, whether that’s a cloud-based ‘low touch’ product or full managed services, helping resellers to play to their strengths. TR : How will the new structure boost resellers’ margins and secure long-term contracts with customers? GM: The new programme offers partners greater opportunities to earn rebates across all key products in our portfolio with some additional incentives built in around sales of our MPS solutions. Procured services open doors for more long-term partnerships with end-users, as they see the benefits of cost savings, more efficient operations and continued insight and support. Our new programme, along with our wider reseller support, better rewards and motivates partners that secure these types of contract. TR : Apart from MPS, what other services and contractual solutions are you offering – and do you plan to introduce more next year? GM: Our current focus is on the continued development of our MPS products, from our cloud-based platform to our full end-to-end managed service. Having said that, we’re continuously reviewing and evolving our solutions, which currently span mobile print and scan and document management. TR : What percentage of Brother revenue comes from services now and do you plan to increase that in the future? GM: Services are one of the strongest growth areas for our business – we’re on track to be 18% over target this financial year. As the industry continues to head towards a service-led approach, we’ll develop our solutions to meet the needs of partners and end users. TR : What sort of resellers are you targeting with your MPS product – are there opportunities for non-printer channel partners? GM: We want to open up MPS to more Technology Reseller (TR) : How does the new partner programme differ from Brother’s old one? Greig Millar (GM): The legacy partner programme operated on a tiered model, with each level structured to support resellers in driving sales of printers or solutions. However, as we worked more with channel partners looking to tap into the growing services and solutions market, it became evident that some changes needed to be made to support that, in particular simplifying and maximising the rebate earning potential. Historically, resellers would earn a tiered rebate dependent on the device sold – a high-end model would attract a higher reward than an entry-level printer, for example. This didn’t necessarily encourage the reseller to upsell and look at solutions. Although there were no major problems with this, in a changing In November, Brother UK overhauled its partner programme to encourage resellers to sell more contractual solutions and services. Technology Reseller asks Greig Millar, general manager for sales, what the change means for Brother’s channel partners and what it says about the company’s plans for the future Greig Millar