Upgraded ProAV Certified Reseller Program From ViewSonic

ViewSonic is a visual technology and display provider which has upgraded and enhanced its ProAV Certified Reseller Program so that professional audio-visual resellers will benefit through resources that are available, and will therefore help them to increase profitability. 

The senior channel marketing manager at the company, April Gillespie, said: “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. We believe that we need to offer and grow our programs, so we are helping our resellers grow their businesses well.”

In the past, partners were asked to meet three different criteria on the ProAV Reseller Program, so that they would be eligible for various levels of the program. At present, a minimum of $25,000 in quarterly sales is needed to take part in the certified program.

Gillespie stated: “We gave benefits to members and changed criteria that makes them eligible. It really opens it up to a bigger playing field for the ProAV resellers.”

Rebate details have also been updated, according to Gillespie. It is now possible for partners to acquire quarterly rebates and earn up to 6 percent back. In the past, ViewSonic only had rebates on the Pro8 and Pro9 series. Currently, 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.

Gillespie added: “Partners will have an opportunity to make money by selling ViewSonic. 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.”

There are over 1,000 authorized ViewSonic resellers at the moment, and this number is increasing daily. Gillespie expects that the new upgrades will double this number by the end of the year.

Gillespie also noted that there are three various 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. If they do have one of those criteria, they fill out a ViewSonic application and it gets approved by the channel marketing department.”

A Bounty rebate program is also available via the ProAV Dealer program, and this offers further incentives. Around 50 percent of demo specials, lamp discounts, pre- and post-sales support will be provided, and there will be access to customized product webinars, sales trainings and videos.

ViewSonic's vice president of product marketing, Sally Wang, stated that the Bounty program pairs a partner with a ViewSonic employee. She said: “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.”

It is possible for partners to make between 12 and 25 percent margins by distributing these products, according to Wang. It may also arise that a customer has a particular technology in mind as partners try to sell the products.

Wang said: “A challenge [partners] could encounter is regarding what specific technology the end customer specifies. 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.”

Channel partners will benefit from the ProAV Certified Reseller Program, according to the company. In particular, Wang comments that the improved program will support partners in their own expansions, allow them to earn rewards and spread news of ViewSonic’s offerings.

Wang added: “With this program, I hope that ProAV partners will see that ViewSonic is a real player. We are relationship driven, and I feel that providing this program will generate interest in new solutions that [partners'] customers will benefit from.” (CY) Link