This operation offers a bespoke service according to the needs of the client, but the primary objective is to leverage contacts and market knowledge to increase sales in countries within EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). The service is particularly useful to the smaller company that may not have sufficient resources to devote dedicated manpower to improve the results in developing markets, says Hollebone. However, it has relevance to any organisation experiencing patchy results and under-performing resellers or distributors.
Hollebone has had recent experience in Russia, CIS, Eastern Europe and surrounding areas but has operated throughout Europe for many years. Those former countries require a different approach but offer huge growth potential if the right partners are located or appropriate marketing activities are undertaken. The attraction of the service for the client is that the cost is minimised because the fees are commission based and expenses are shared between multiple clients. A portfolio of complementary products and companies is being assembled; audio, video and crossover but all relevant to broadcast, post production, film or music recording.
"Growth is not easy to achieve in most mature markets partly because of the financial insecurities but also because customers have already made the transition from analogue to digital and from SD to HD," says Hollebone. "Focusing on countries where these changes have only recently started and in economies that may not be so affected by the downturn makes perfect sense."
"Many companies are so pre-occupied with maintaining sales, they miss the chance to develop the more challenging but rewarding markets. Pro-Sales Solutions saves any increase in headcount where sales will not yet support that investment. Understanding these markets and having existing relationships avoids wasted time and costly mistakes."
Hollebone has led the EMEA operations for a number of companies with a broad spread of products; Sony Broadcast & Professional, Timeline, DTS, Harrison and more recently, Euphonix. Pro-Sales-Solutions will be officially launched at IBC next month and Pro-Sales-Solutions will be attending major trade shows throughout the rest of the year, including PLASA 2010.
The website is under construction at www.pro-sales-solutions.com and will go live in September.
(Jim Evans)
