Azlan Bites into Services Sector

Distributor chases increase in market share with sales push on services

Azlan has taken the first step in overhauling its structure as the distributor looks to increase margins by focusing more on the service side of the business.

Mike Dodson and Chris Hammans, who were both senior account product managers for Azlan?s principal resellers, have changed responsibilities to sell purely installation and maintenance services to major dealers.

Azlan managing director James Maunder told PC Dealer that he plans to grow its services by more than 100 per cent in the next year by shifting sales staff from the product section to services. He stated that the move was the first step in a mass realignment of a portion of Azlan in an attempt to capture market share.

?I am putting an extra sales thrust into services because I see it as an opportunity to make money and underpin the true value of Azlan,? he said.

A source close to the distributor said: ?Azlan tried to target sales guys on services years ago and it always failed. But now the market has changed drastically with firms such as Datatec and Data Connectivity posing a threat and broadliners like Frontline setting up specialist niche sections.?

Maunder does not foresee any reduction in the size of Azlan?s volume business as a result of its change of focus and has pledged there would be no job losses.

Dodson and Hammans have been replaced by the internal promotion of Clare Hellaway and Nick Edmunds.

Maunder also stressed that Azlan would continue its expansion within Europe and was looking to set up subsidiaries in Spain and Portugal.