Dear Sir:
I read your editorial in the April issue entitled "Finding help" with great interest. As an independent distributor, here are my thoughts regarding our business.
We carry many lines. Without any affinity to specific manufacturers, we try to solve customer problems with the best available technology. Manufacturers may attempt to persuade a customer that their components or image processing solution is optimal, when it in fact is not. Distributors have may products, they usually don't just have a solution, but rather an optimal solution.
Most of the independent distribution companies have personnel with large amounts of industry experience and little turnover. At 1stVision, we have an average of over 25 years experience. Therefore we can understand the applications, markets and technology needs of our customers very well. This may or may not be true with the manufacturer depending upon who you are speaking to. Many sales people at the manufacturers are on 'career tracks', and only stay a few years at a single company or in a sales position before moving up the management chain. I don't believe we know the manufacturer's technology better than they do - we have multiple lines so are not going to know every nuance of every manufacturer's products. But we do offer a consistent high-level servie to help clients solve their problems.
Finally, as prices of imaging products continue to fall, what is baffling are manufacturers that adhere to a direct sales model. In other industries, as prices fall and products commoditize, distribution is the preferred model. In 1989, you could call 3Com and probably obtain an Ethernet card directly. Imagine calling Linksys today and trying to buy a card. They would say, ''do you mean 10k a month, or maybe a week. If not, try Staples, Best Buy, or D&H computing''. As some cameras are now well under $500, as a stocking distributor, we have close to 1,000 various types in stock and we will sell 1 or 10 or 100 a month to customers.
I may sound biased since I am an independent distributor. I do believe that a direct sales model makes lots of sense for very large purchases, for customized products, and for highly-technical, long-term sales. However, I believe that by offering multiple brands of cameras, lenses, lighting, and cables, we are better versed at solving a customer's problem by recommending a variety of vendor's products, not just by selling a camera, lens, or light piecemeal as manufacturers often do.
Scott Israel
President
1stVision Inc.
Andover, MA, USA
www.1stvision.com
