C2000 increases number of managed account VARs
Distributor implements SME growth team to move 50 of its reseller partners to managed status
Computer 2000 (C2000) has set up an SME growth team to ramp up its focus on its unmanaged partners.
The team will select 50 resellers that have previously had no account manager and will provide more hands-on support and resources.
John Doughty, sales director at C2000, told CRN: “The objective will be to move VARs from unmanaged to managed status within six months or sooner.
“Many SME resellers find they are doing well, but not quite well enough to attain the managed account status that would give them the additional support they need to move up a gear. By giving them that support up-front, we can help them make that transition. They will then be able to enjoy the benefits of being a fully managed account on a permanent basis and hopefully, continue to grow their sales from that point on.”
Doughty added that C2000 currently has between 500 and 700 SME managed accounts, but is aware that these resellers do not cover all of the SME market.
“[This initiative] is for those resellers that already buy from us but do not have an account manager and for new resellers,” he said.
The move follows the announcement last week that rival distributor Bell Microproducts Europe is injecting millions of pounds worth of credit into the UK channel to help SME VARs climb the credit ladder (CRN, 4 September).
Eddie Pacey, director of credit services at Bell, said: “C2000 is effectively doing what we’ve already done. A lot of distributors have tended to focus more on the bigger resellers, but I’ve always believed that the SME sector should never be ignored.”
Leanne Gravil, branch manager at reseller CBC Computer Systems, said: “We’ve had managed account status with C2000 for years. We spend about £1m a year with C2000. It is very useful from our point of view to have one point of contact to deal with.”
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