3 Ways Value-Added Resellers Can Support Clients with New Digital Technologies
As the world of retail continues to evolve, you should expect that many of your customers will need to make a transition involving new digital technologies. With an array of value-added resellers (VARs) to choose from, it’s essential to make your business stand out as one that can support clients through their digital transformation.
Whether this includes incremental changes or an overhaul of embedding digital technology into their business, it’s crucial to ensure your products and services attract attention. Especially in retail point of sale (POS) systems, digital technologies are vital to enabling businesses to respond more effectively to changing market requirements, access new revenue streams, and drive efficiencies. Here are three ways you can stand out as a value-added reseller when supporting clients with their new digital technologies.
1. Use the 5 C’s to Help Clients Through Their Transition
Initiating a digital transformation can be intimidating, particularly for some of your clients who aren’t familiar with newer technologies. That’s why as a value-added reseller, you have to plan on helping them through the process from start to finish. Consider this process with just five easy steps: Care, Communication, Competence, Collaboration, and Completion.
Care: Start by establishing a relationship with your clients and show your investment in them. Show them that they will have a reliable partner to lean on as you both go through the process.
Communication: Keep communication lines open and available for your clients. They’ll likely have many questions as they set up their digital technology. With the impacts of COVID-19 and the new need to communicate while maintaining social distance, this may mean you have to keep communication lines open in unconventional ways.
Competence: While you’re making yourself available to answer questions with open communication, it’s also vital that your team of professionals shows complete competence throughout the process. Make sure not to leave any cause for doubt in your client’s mind that you and your team are the best fit for helping them make this transition.
Collaboration: Work with your client and make sure your teams collaborate as you set up and show them how to use their new technological systems.
Completion: Finally, helping your clients get this transition done in a timely and efficient manner is essential for ensuring the best customer experience.
2. Provide Current Information and Technology
As a value-added reseller, you need confidence in the products you introduce to your customers. Ensure you partner with a digital technology and POS provider that you can trust. For the latest in digital technology, you should be offering clients:
Cloud Capabilities
With cloud capabilities, your clients can provide their team with increased productivity and the ability to access information where and when they need it. This technology has been rapidly growing; the Cloud POS market exceeded USD 1.5 billion in 2019 and expects to grow at a CAGR of over 27% from 2020 to 2026.
eCommerce Integration
By integrating their stores and website, your clients can expand their audience and collect customer data as they shop. Their marketing team can then convert these data points to create valuable ads and touchpoints. eCommerce allows retailers to integrate several channels into one, with in-store, online, and social commerce coming together on one central POS system.
Diverse POS Applications
Your clients have various needs as a value-added reseller; you should assure that the POS system you’re selling them can adapt to their business with the necessary integrations, such as:
- Inventory Tracking – help your clients manage stores better, split inventory as needed, and avoid stock-outs with increased visibility. Provide a clear picture of inventory location, levels, and activity.
- Loyalty Programs – how customers shop and issue brand loyalty has shifted since the onset of COVID-19. Recommend a POS system with a loyalty program to keep them ahead of the competition. An integrated loyalty program can provide insight into customer shopping history and purchase preferences, customize personalized programs, and bring in repeat sales.
- Reporting and Data Analytics – the ability to capture and analyze data about customers’ preferences, profiles, and buying journey is a critical element of digital transformation. It enables your clients to develop targeted promotions that can increase sales and give customers the sense that they’re known and valued.
3. Ensure Your Client Has Long-Term Technical Support
After you’ve provided your clients with top-notch customer service and the latest technologies, they’ll have new efficient processes, higher customer insight, and the ability to capture data and analytics. However, this can leave your client vulnerable to many breakdowns if they don’t have needed technical support. Make sure as a value-added reseller that you equip your team or the merchant with the essentials to cover these systems with the required sales, software, and hardware support.
You can provide this through training videos, in-person support, 24/7 phone support, or remote access to clients’ POS systems. Also, talk with your provider and see how you can split the responsibilities of providing technical support, so your team clearly understands what follow-up technology-based services they need to be prepared to handle.
Final Notes
In the new, digital age of retail, standing out as a value-added reseller can be challenging, putting you under additional pressure. We understand all your frustrations and concerns, which is why we’re here to help. Let us help present you as a one-stop-shop value-added reseller, with quality customer service and the hardware/software to back it all up. You can have clients knocking on your door in no time.
If you haven’t become an Auto-Star Reseller yet and are ready to stand out, check out our value-added reseller success guide or contact us today!
