News

Drone Surveying Equipment & Software: The Complete Business Opportunity for Geospatial Distributors


Setting Distributors Up for Success

Through the new Microdrones Authorized Distributor Program, which includes funds for marketing, distributors can better promote Microdrones systems, increasing sales.

by Renee Knight

As seen in the February/March 2021 Issue of Inside Unmanned Systems

 

The Microdrones Authorized Distributor Program

When distributors opt to carry drone surveying equipment from Microdrones, the company wants them to be fully involved with the marketing, training, and educational process and, of course, to be successful. Microdrones is committed to supporting distributors and helping them increase sales—and that’s the driving force behind the new Microdrones Authorized Distributor Program.

Through this co-op, which includes funds for marketing efforts, the Microdrones marketing team will work closely with distributors to create programs that best meet their needs, saving them time while also generating leads, said Bret Burghdurf, Director, Marketing Americas & New Markets.

“We like to really give exceptional support to our distributors; that’s really what this program is all about,” Vice President of Marketing Mike Dziok said. “We’re getting them involved and giving them turn-key materials that are easy to use because they have busy marketing departments or outside marketing professionals that they're working with who may not have a lot of time to invest in this new emerging technology.”


Once the ball is rolling, it really just adds up. The more systems distributors sell, the more funds they have, and the more activities we can do together with those funds.”

Mirjam Baeumer, Marketing Director for EMEA

How it Works

Beginning this year, every Microdrones distributor in good standing will receive an initial co-op marketing fund of $2,500. To claim their credits, distributors must match at 50 percent. Funds will be allocated at a rate of 2 percent each month based on Microdrones product sales.

“Once the ball is rolling, it really just adds up,” said Mirjam Baeumer, Marketing Director for EMEA. “The more systems distributors sell, the more funds they have, and the more activities we can do together with those funds.”

Initiatives must be pre-approved by the Microdrones marketing team, and can only feature the distributor and Microdrones, Burghdurf said. To be reimbursed, distributors simply invoice Microdrones for the correct amount and include all backup documentation, including paid invoices, receipts, proof of performance and pre-approval emails.

“We want to make it easy,” Dziok said. “And obviously distributors need to have skin in the game. That’s part of it. We want them to contribute their time and talents, their energy and their funds, but they can claim those funds when they do pre-approved marketing initiatives.”

Funds must be used before the end of the year, Dziok said. Only December accruals will carry over.

The Process

To get started, distributors will meet with a member of the local Microdrones marketing department who will complete a needs analysis and talk with them about who they’re targeting and how Microdrones can help them be successful, Burghdurf said. From there, they’ll work together to co-develop a program that makes sense for their business. That program might include sending out an email blast to existing customers and creating webinars and videos to target new ones.

“It’s going to depend on what the distributor’s goals are,” Burghdurf said. “If they like to go to tradeshows, we’ll help them with tradeshows and probably join them there? If they’re trying to uncover new customers and leads, then we might suggest doing some specific retargeting and search engine marketing to increase their visibility and to showcase content that’s going to help them find new customers.”

 A Variety of Options

The Microdrones marketing team can work with distributors to co-develop many different initiatives, including email marketing, geo targeted local search engine marketing and local direct mail, co-branded micro sites, event displays and marketing support, “mdTV” showroom displays, webinars, and distributor catalogues and sales flyers, to name a few.

Custom ideas are also welcome, Dziok said. The goal is to work together to make great ideas even better to benefit both the distributor and Microdrones. And if distributor marketing departments opt to create their own materials, those can be reimbursed as well, as long as they’re approved by Microdrones.

Distributors also have access to case studies and other marketing materials already created, Baeumer said, that they can use to show potential customers the benefits of investing in Microdrones products.

“It actually helps them sell our systems to their clients because we provide them with everything they need,” Baeumer said. “They have a big library of information they can pull from when they sit in their meetings with potential customers.”

Continued Support

Through the co-developed programs, both the distributor and Microdrones are notified when a lead comes through, so the Microdrones marketing team can easily provide support and help make the sale, Burghdurf said. Working together, they can ensure potential customers understand how they can benefit from drone surveying equipment and software.

“One of the things we tell all of our distributors is when they come to work and partner with Microdrones, we help them with what we call the four Ps,” Burghdurf said. “We have the people, places, the products, and the programs to help them with everything they need to become a successful distributor. Now we also want to help with their profits. And we think this is a great way and a very resourceful tool to help focus on some of the marketing programs that we provide to increase their business.”

With the new Microdrones Authorized Distributor Program, the company is guiding distributors toward success, working with them to grow sales and expand the Microdrones presence globally. Current distributors are excited about the possibilities and eager to get their customized programs started, with some already thinking about taking advantage of the tradeshow and video options.

“Microdrones is only successful when our customers are successfully using our survey equipment and our software out in the field and at the office,” Dziok said. “We’re always trying to tell that story, but the next step is not just the success in the field, but the success as a business venture. When distributors decide to carry our product, we want them to be 100 percent involved and we want to fully support them so they know what to say and how to present our product.”

To learn more about the Microdrones Authorized Distributor Program, CLICK HERE to speak with one of our Marketing Representatives.