In this age of mobility, it is really astonishing that dealers are hardly using Internet as a platform for interaction with their principals. The channel are content with the correspondence they receive from the vendors through direct meetings or mails. Every retailer feels that the responses they get to their query online or e-mails are mostly answered but they prefer direct communication for most of their interactions. The number of people using the online medium to communicate with vendors is very limited. "Since most of the interaction happens through direct meetings with the local representatives, we don’t bother much about the online response. However, we get our queries answered on time whenever we send them a mail and are completely satisfied with the online updation’s and intimations received from every vendors," said K Vaidhyanathan, CEO, Hash10 Mobiles. Even John Yesudhas, CEO, Wavetel Mobiles reflected the same thought, "Vendors do respond to any of our queries. But not much of the interaction takes place through online media," he opined.
Personal meetings Vs online communication
Vaidhyanathan quipped that he regularly meets vendors or service providers (SPs), and this leaves little chance for online interaction. According to Suresh Wadhwaa, CEO, Music@Charisma, "Direct meetings can’t be replaced with online interactions, as there needs to be a personal touch and feel for products, and certain issues can be only discussed directly, not through e-mails." He said that communication through mails have certain restrictions and much of the things can’t be discussed there at a particular point of time.
Mobility age
Though most of the channel partners deal with high-end handsets that have most of the communication features, they hardly seem to be availing the benefits of the modern mobility era. Subham Poddar, CEO, Joyguru Telecom, accepts that both the vendors and dealers haven’t utilized Internet as an effective medium for communication. According to him, Blackberry is very supportive in terms of the online responses as compared to the other vendors, and is quick in response to the queries or issues.
He felt that it would be really difficult for dealers and vendors to fix up a meet in their busy schedule. "We can’t stick to our offices all the time, as the business demands more activity. So it is better that we utilize the advantages of modern era such as mails, messengers and emerging online communication tools," said Poddar. He cited the example of ‘Apple’, which is taking lots of online initiatives to be in active touch with their dealers. "We need more initiatives from the vendors’ end, and the dealers also need to make sure that they capitalize those features effectively," he claimed.
Sanjay Sawant, Director, Omkar Telecom too supported Poddar’s thought. "Definitely more online initiatives must be brought in by the vendors for the future, and the dealers too should avail those benefits, as everything is going online now-a-days," Sawant said. He also felt that there must be interactive web portal system as practiced by IT traders. "Apart from interacting with the vendors, we can also share our thoughts with our counterparts, and it would be an ideal platform for generating ideas and innovations in sales," Sawant averred. Yesudhas too felt the need for online communication. "As most of the dealers have their own websites, the interaction through online would be an ideal option for communication in the near future," he said.
The change of mindset among the dealers in terms of effectively utilizing the existing technologies is steadily taking place. One shouldn’t rule out the responsibilities of vendors in educating the dealers on the utilization of Internet and other services, and the dealer community in turn also needs to take full participation in such healthy activities.
(sethuramannr@cyberemedia.co.in)