Sage Software® Consolidates Channel Programs to Ease Sales of Peachtree® Software – 800-475-1047 – Support – Training – Consultant – Reseller
CRN • Atlanta – 4:21 PM EST Fri., Aug. 02, 2002
Sage Software®’s small business division has consolidated nine channel programs into one Small Business Certified Consultant program to better help solution providers sell Peachtree® accounting solutions and other software.
The new program creates one point of contact for solution providers and incents them to sell to new customers as well as cross-sell other Sage Software® products, said Kevin Thornton, senior director of channel sales, Sage Software® small business division.
“The focus is on consistency, standardized certifications, account management, margins and having one face to the customer,” Thornton said.
The program has bronze, gold and platinum levels that are based on solution provider commitments, he said.
Bronze partners must do at least $3,000 in sales. The numbers jump to $10,000 and $30,000 for gold and platinum, respectively. Initiation and participation fees also vary by level, according to the company.
The tiers include increased margins for selling to new customers. For example, a platinum partner could make 27 percent margin selling upgrades to its current install base, but could make 37 percent margin selling to new customers.
“We came down a bit on upgrade [margins], which varied across the nine different programs, but for new customers, it’s up dramatically,” Thornton said.
The majority of sales this year have been upgrades, Thornton said. “That’s what brought about the change in the structure. Our goal is to be the gateway to other divisions for Sage Software®,” he said.
Jennifer O’Brien, president of Accounting Business Solutions by JCS, a Detroit-based solution provider, said the majority of her business is upgrades, but she is beginning to see interest from new customers as the economy improves.
“And [Sage Software®] has positioned our profit margins to give us incentive to find new clients. That’s how you grow,” O’Brien said.
Most of Sage Software®’s 800 solution providers will qualify for the program, Thornton said, but he adds, “in some cases, it won’t fit what current VARs are looking for. We encourage VARs to stay with the program. We want to optimize the output of current VARs. It’s our responsibility to open new opportunities for them.”
Copyright 2001 CMP Media LLC.
©2002 Peachtree® Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Peachtree® First Accounting, Peachtree® Accounting, Peachtree® Complete Accounting, One-Write Plus, Peachtree® 2000, ePeachtree® and Peachtree® Web Accounting are trademarks of Peachtree® Software, Inc. All other brands are trademarks of their respective companies.
For media information:
PRC Media contact information:
Aimee Weaver • Peachtree® Software
800-475-1047 • aweaver@peachtree.com
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