Tamil Nadu based Confed-ITA has recently organized a vendor-partner-distributor meet where the representations from channels and vendor community were there to discuss the road ahead for the channels in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The association had their executive meet in the morning and had the vendor-partner at a private hotel in Coimbatore where the regional and state heads of various vendors and the association members participated. Unlike, their conventional meet, this meeting had the seating position where the channels and vendors were sitting in a position facing each other in a way facilitating both the parties interact with each other.
Three-point agenda:
Muthiah R Pillai, former president of the association hosted the event. Even though the event was to discuss on plenty of things, the association had shortlisted three key areas where they can work together.
- Service and support
- Sales promotion
- Corporate Social Responsibility
Service and training:
Discussing about the post-sale issue, the association put forth all the issues related to DoA, warranty -related service issues and toll-free numbers, including the vernacular language support for the customers who call and more. The association discussed in detail, the legal issues a channel face when it comes on an issue between the customer and partner. Stating some instances, the association said that the Indian legal system is in a way where the seller is suable and many are facing multiple issues even losing the hard-earned customers. The vendors were asked to have a clear cut policy in terms of the instances where legal part comes in. While many vendors gave various responses, the association clearly ensured that no single vendor should be getting squeezed by the jumbled legal process which always indexes the first-level of sale. The association also requested the vendors to have a proper certification policies as in most of the cases, even genuine partners do not have a certificate which boomerang against them at critical situations.
On the training part, the association requested the vendors to give equal importance for the members across the towns
and not just focusing on the top cities. Many members raised concerns that in the recent days, no proper training is happening from the vendors which makes the channel community outdated of the products they sell. The association assured platform for the vendors to conduct regular technical meet (including the hands on training). With the association having different zones in the state, the vendors were told that they can make use of the opportunity to reach out to maximum partners.
Product promotions:
The association was key on protecting the members from the online competition. While most of the participants accepted that the online sale has not succeeded many vendors had decided that the traditional channel is to live against the unethical e-sale. On the other hand the association had also put forth the key expectation that the vendors should ensure that there should be uniqueness for the Confed members. Be it in terms of goodies, offers, margin protection, having a decent MRP. Speaking specially on the festive season, the association requested the vendors to provide an exclusive package for their members to win the customers mind during the festival seasons.
Channel social responsibility:
According to the corporate laws, every corporate organization is supposed to spend particular amoung for the society. The association requested the vendors to extend their corporate social responsibility to their channel partners and their employees. The association believes that the CSR can be used for the welfare of the members, their family, employees in terms of the health and social activities.