The Importance of Building ‘Rugged’ Reseller Relationships
Strong, reciprocal reseller relationships help Panasonic maintain its leading position in the rugged device market, with a range of European partners attending the latest TOUGHBOOK European Configuration Centre Experience.
written by: Holger Gies, Partner Account Manager (DACH-CEE) at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK
Panasonic’s TOUGHBOOK reseller community is vital in supporting customers across Europe, and there’s no better way to strengthen key channel relationships than a three-day visit to Panasonic’s European Configuration Centre in Cardiff.
Seventeen decision-makers from nine Panasonic reseller partners were in attendance. Travelling from Germany; The Netherlands; Austria; Italy, Croatia; Poland; and Turkey, they provided a fantastic cross-section of customer requirements across different territories and industries.
In Cardiff, our partners’ deep dive into all things Panasonic TOUGHBOOK began with an interactive tour. This enabled partners to get hands-on with our core ruggedised solutions – including witnessing how TOUGHBOOK devices and accessories are pushed to the limit in a series of punishing temperature, shock, and vibration tests. They also had the opportunity to peek inside our devices and discover why their rugged design goes far beyond the hardened magnesium chassis.
This was followed by an update of the core Panasonic market overview, and its suite of mobility services – we’re so much more than just a hardware provider.
A Valued European TOUGHBOOK Community
Panasonic takes pride in facilitating new relationships between existing partners, enabling them to explore potential new revenue streams and business opportunities with each other.
Highlighting the collaborative spirit, the profiles of each reseller and the sectors in which they primarily operate were shared with each partner prior to arriving in Cardiff – with on-site networking activities further encouraging synergies where possible.
Furthermore, getting to know our partners over a relaxed dinner and an international rugby match between Wales and Italy in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium demonstrates our investment in building unbreakable relationships with new and existing resellers outside the workplace. My Italian colleagues were especially happy that Wales were been beaten on home soil!
A Reliable Companion in Any Industry
Our reseller partners know their industries inside out and understand what their customers require from their rugged mobile computing solutions to be as efficient as possible.
After getting hands-on with TOUGHBOOK devices, our partners attended a roundtable with Panasonic experts to discuss what they need from Panasonic as an OEM partner. This also provided an opportunity for them to reiterate the product features that their customers are asking for, which will eventually be incorporated into the product design process for the next TOUGHBOOK!
Whilst the modularity of the existing TOUGHBOOK range provides unrivalled product customisation and flexibility for end-users, a number of partners mentioned that they have never heard an OEM ask for this type of input before. That’s always great to hear!
This is far from a new concept for Panasonic; it has been championing the Voice of the Customer (VoC) concept since the business’ inception over 100 years ago; it is one of Panasonic’s founding principles. However, it’s still as true today as it was then – allowing our partners and customers to be our biggest critics and trusted confidants is vital to continuous improvement.
The Comprehensive TOUGHBOOK Partner Programme
Core to Panasonic’s relationship with its European channel community is the TOUGHBOOK Partner Programme, and its dedicated partner portal. This offers channel partners of all sizes a great range of benefits, including early access to TOUGHBOOK news, dedicated training workshops and webinars, and Marketing Development Funds.
New special features within the dedicated partner portal include the exclusive TALKING TOUGH podcast, dedicated to our partner community where we discuss key trends and hot topics; and dedicated, sector-focussed sales resources, enabling partners to utilise the decades of expertise that TOUGHBOOK brings to a variety of mission-critical industries.
Tried and Tested Relationships
The entire European Panasonic TOUGHBOOK team recognises the importance of building and maintaining close, personal relationships with our channel partners. Understanding their customers’ needs helps them to react and respond to end user and prospect requirements when needed. Our partners give us a voice to reach the thousands of hyper-mobile workers who require customised, rugged mobile computing solutions, increasing productivity and efficiency in any environment.
We’re truly grateful to have such an enthusiastic and engaged group of reseller partners across Europe. And that’s exactly how we view them – partners. Here's to the next partner experience in Cardiff!
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