Before we can execute on international opportunities, we have to win them, together.
We’ve worked directly with both buyers and VARs — there is a difference.
When we work with buyers ourselves, there is less confusion and lag in the sale. We can ask all the relevant trade and compliance questions and we know our story better than anyone.
When we first started working with VARs, they lost 80 to 85% of the opportunities. This was surprising to us because we had a 85%+ close rate with our buyer clients.
Upon further investigation, we found that our internal sales reps assigned with VAR partnerships were only communicating with the VAR and not the buyer. The VAR salesperson would try to regurgitate what they believed FGX “did,” FGX’s positioning, costs, etc. to the client.
When we found this out, we suspected that FGX not having communication with the buyer was the problem. It wasn’t the job of the VAR to sell FGX wholesale. That’s FGX’s job and what we do best for this unique service offering.
Our sales team’s job is to sell FGX, ask the right questions, and to explain why the U.S. VAR + FGX partnership works. Closing the deal is what FGX trains our sales team to do.
The VARs job isn’t to close the sale. It’s to open the sale.
So, we created a process that resulted in a close to 70% close rate (for qualified opportunities) when working with our VAR partners:
- An initial discovery call between an FGX sales rep and the VAR partner. This call is to get the VAR up to speed on what FGX does and for us to learn about the opportunity.
- The VAR will arrange a call with the proper contacts at the client’s organization and FGX.
- FGX and the VAR take the call together. FGX will explain our position in the market and ask any relevant questions so we can proceed to next steps.
After the call, the client will understand what FGX and the U.S. VAR are competing against. They’ll also understand all the benefits we detailed in the last piece.
What Happens After the Call?
After the call, we usually quote out the deployment.
You will get the list of what the client needs and build a domestic quote for them. Once we have that quote, collection and delivery addresses, we’ll produce our own quote.
We’ll send back our quote, and with that, the client will be able to decide which route is better for them.
If the client proceeds with our solution, you will sell them the hardware, like you normally do. If you, or the client needs to stage the equipment, no problem. Once the equipment is ready, we’ll move it to its delivery address.
What we’ve described is a general process, and will differ based on the project. No matter the situation, we’ll be able to provide guidance on how to manage these projects.
But, that’s it. It’s simple — you sell the hardware as if it was an everyday, typical domestic transaction. FGX handles everything to make the deployment happen. FGX will also offer guidance on warranties, power supplies etc.
If you have clients who ask if you support international, you can now say yes.
You can follow up with all the client’s who’ve asked you in the past and tell them “things have changed”. You now have a real solution for them.
You can now actively sell your new capability to your multinational clients. Our most successful VAR partners are the ones that include FGX as a core part of their value-add.
