Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Fourth Edition - Lifecycle ...

286 BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS INTERNET MARKETING
If appropriate, you could use the affiliate marketing model to offer
resellers the ability to generate revenue by becoming an electronic conduit
to your order generation system. For example, Amazon.com’s Associates
program passes through the orders from an associate’s site via
a link to the company’s central order processing. The link identifies the
associate with a code and the book ordered, connecting the two so that
the associate can be credited for the sale.
You could provide each reseller associate with a unique order page
on the Web, reflecting the special arrangement you have with that reseller.
This can be done by setting up a basic Web page, modifying it for each
reseller, and then linking the appropriate page through each reseller’s
site. Alternatively, you could authorize your resellers to use special pricing
and part numbers on their sites so that the orders automatically
pass through to your Web site and order fulfillment system.
Another possibility is to explore partnership opportunities that
link your organization together with key resellers. Joint e-mail campaigns,
combination banner ads, cooperative lead and order generation
Web sites, and Web communities or super-sites benefiting several
noncompetitive organizations are just a few of the possibilities. Review
Chapter 9, “Developing Internet Partnerships” for more about
this selling model.
The Sales Force Model
If your company relies on your own telemarketers and/or a direct sales
force to sell products, you are accustomed to the ongoing need to feed
them qualified leads. In previous chapters, we discussed how the Internet
can be used to generate and qualify leads, attract qualified prospects
through Internet events, and instantly provide information to prospects
and customers through electronic fulfillment.
Although the sales force model is likely to survive, it is undergoing
dramatic change as b-to-b companies feel the pressure to cut selling
expenses and improve sales efficiency. Sales force selling will always
have its place in consultative and complex selling situations. It is difficult
to replace a live sales call when it comes to selling highly technical
or high-end products and services, yet the Internet holds real promise as
a tool for enhancing the sales process and for continuing the sales cycle
in the absence of the salesperson.