Brian Lang, Managing Director SATO talks with European Reseller
Hello Brian.
Thank you for taking the time to explain SATO's approach to your channel partners !
1. How would you describe what SATO International Europe does? SATO is a pioneer and leading global provider of integrated Automatic Identification and Data Collection Printing solutions that leverage barcode and RFID technologies. SATO manufactures innovative, reliable auto-identification printing systems and offers complete solutions to businesses by integrating hardware, software, media supplies and maintenance services.
2. What territories are they represented in?
SATO is represented throughout Europe with offices in the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Norway and Spain. The company also has offices in North and South America, Canada and throughout the Asia-Pac region. It’s a truly global business.
3. You signed a deal with Bluestar recently, how has that gone?
The relationship with Bluestar is extremely positive and through them we have been able to take on new business partners into our Prestige Partner Programme (PPP) at Affiliate, Champion and Premium level.
4. What developments will there be in the future for your relationship with Bluestar?
We see our business expanding with BlueStar’s current operations and expanding as Bluestar expand theirs. They are recognised as being an acquisitive business and we will support that and grow with them in the new regions which they are looking to expand into.
5. How would you describe SATO’s past year’s performance?
In the last financial year we saw growth in Europe in both the top and bottom line. There was growth in most regions and significant growth in specific markets such as for price management solutions for retail applications.
6. What is your forecast for growth of the next FY?
We expect this year and next year to grow in revenue and operating profit across all regions. However, this is not just going to happen on its own and we have plans in place to support channel growth such as the new online portal ‘SATO BP Marketing Online’ (SBPMO), a brand new online portal that will help support lead generation and increase sales for resellers by providing approved partners with a simple–to-use tool to access the latest SATO sales and marketing materials.
As well as working more closely with the channel we will also be looking to expand the distributor channel in regions which are currently under represented, such as Eastern Europe. Additionally, maintaining our strong reputation for having the best technology, we will launch specific products for specific applications which will enable our channel partners to grow their business.
7. How has SATO previously been working with the channel?
Historically SATO has not worked very closely with the channel and each country was able to manage their business partners as they saw fit. However, with the launch of PPP and the SBPMO we now have a consolidated offering across Europe and therefore the approach to resellers will be totally integrated and uniform.
8. What are SATO’s plans to develop in the channel?
We will continue to evolve the framework of the channel and to add additional products and services that partners can access. One example would be the printer maintenance service which resellers can now sell to their customers as an additional margin opportunity.
Also, we will introduce some limited access products which will only be available to the truly specialist resellers to help them grow their businesses.
9. What is SATO looking for in terms of business partners?
We are looking for business partners that offer firstly, geographic reach and secondly, access top specific markets or applications. In niche market applications we are looking to add new business partners across all three levels of the PPP from the irregular affiliate to the specialist AIDC reseller.
10. Why do you think that now is a good time for resellers to work with SATO?
I truly believe that now is a great time for resellers to get involved with SATO for the first time or to re-engage if they have done business with us formerly. The PPP is one year old and is now an established programme offering some great benefits. Plus, and perhaps more importantly, SATO’s products are not over-distributed and therefore there are really good margin opportunities for those that do and with the additional revenue generating elements such as service there is a genuine opportunity for rapid business development on a large scale.
11. What can resellers expect from SATO if they sign up?
Resellers that sign up to the PPP can expect a great amount of support. They have immediate access to SATO BP Marketing Online through which they can spend their accrued ‘co-op’ marketing budget on a diverse range of SATO branded or co-branded items.
The advanced user-friendly functionality of the portal allows channel partners to easily design their own bespoke lead generation tools using the eye-catching templates which SATO has designed. SATO has invested greatly in producing templates with very high quality production values giving partners’ lead generation tools such as emails, trade advertisements and direct mail pieces an ultra-professional feel.
As well as items that require ‘co-op’ budget there are a large number of sales support items that partners can download free of charge from the fully-automated site including PDFs of product data sheets and brochures, logos, product images and corporate identity guidelines.
12. What can resellers expect from SATO in terms of new technology?
We are hoping that a large number of the new resellers we sign up will gain a huge amount by being able to distribute the Application Enabled Printers we have, such as the TH2, into the retail and quick serve restaurant markets. We will also be moving further along the path of environmentally friendly and recyclable products and labels which will be way ahead of anything currently available.
Thank you Brian !
