Looking to help solution providers identify potential sales opportunities with existing customers, distributor Tech Data is enhancing its MyLeadTracker tool with "next-generation" sales alerts—information about devices at customer sites that are reaching end-of-life.
Using that kind of information, solution providers can make recommendations to their end customers about replacement technology—and Tech Data has enhanced the product information on replacement technology to include the products’ "green" rating, according to Mark Livings, vice president of E-Business Information Technology at Tech Data.
"If an HP printer comes to end-of-life, we are recommending the next-generation green product," Livings says. If the product uses less power, that means a cost savings for the customer over time as well.
The new feature in MyLeadTracker adds to a solution provider’s sales tool kit during a time when closing deals has gotten more difficult. As companies look to contain costs, IT budgets are areas often targeted. However, if solution providers can point to a more modern device that saves operational costs, the deal may look that much more attractive to end customers.
Collectively called MyTools, Tech Data’s online tools include MyLeadTracker, MyLicenseTracker (formerly known as MyOpportunityTracker) and MyOrderTracker.
These tools are designed to help solution providers generate their own sales leads in the form of expiring licenses and warrantees, as well as push for hardware refreshes. MyOrderTracker is a private-label service that channel partners and end-user customers can both use to track technology orders.
Tech Data says MyLeadTracker is currently alerting resellers to nearly 470,000 service, warranty and licensee renewals, warranty and hardware add-ons, and hardware upgrade opportunities on products from nearly 60 vendors. The distributor says the opportunities represent more than $40 million in potential sales.