BT takes Alternative sales approach

BT's retail sales arm is hoping to boost its indirect sales with the creation of a new business unit, Alternative Channels, designed to help the company explore different routes to market.

BT's retail sales arm is hoping to boost its indirect sales with the creation of a new business unit, Alternative Channels, designed to help the company explore different routes to market.

Ray Smith has been appointed as managing director of the new unit, and will occupy a seat on BT Retail's board. Alternative Channels will build on the joint success of BT's Indirect Channels and BT.com.

"We have increased the number of staff in the indirect channel by 20 per cent to 350 and raised marketing spend by up to 20 per cent," said Smith.

Since BT began selling through partners five years ago, it claims to have improved sales by more than 1400 per cent.

Indirect Channels has more than 1000 resellers selling BT's wide portfolio of connectivity products, software applications, and broadband and networking equipment.

Also published in Computer Reseller News