As President of Channel Partner Operations (CPO) for Xerox, I’m constantly challenging my team to look for ways to make it easier for channel partners to do business with us.
Back in September, I shared news about the Innovate to Grow initiative which accompanied Xerox’s new brand campaign.
In this post, I talk with Malcolm Mitchell, Vice President of Channel Services for CPO, to discuss another recent development called the New World of Service (NWS) launched by our European Channels Group in October.
Read on to learn more about the thinking behind its creation, and what we hope to accomplish with its launch.
John:
There isn’t a day that goes by that we are not asking ourselves, “How can we better serve our partners and their customers?” We know that Xerox has some very specific strengths that differentiate us in the marketplace. Tell me how you leveraged those strengths to create New World of Service.
Malcolm:
It started with the realization that by not articulating the “why” behind what we do, we allow our competition to articulate some of our key strengths as negatives; things like our dedication to cutting costs, our practice of sending engineers into the field only when truly needed, and our excellent remote technical support.
The reality is that these approaches to service help prevent customers from wasting their time, and help them solve problems faster so that they can work more efficiently. Because we’re the only organization that does this – the only one – our competitors target us and try to spin our strengths into weaknesses.
John:
So New World of Service goes beyond the bullet points to give partners and customers a closer look at the benefits of choosing Xerox. These are the differentiators that we’re talking about when we say that Xerox can help customers work better.
Malcolm:
Exactly, New World of Service tells our audience in clear detail why we do things and why SMB customers will find a better experience working with Xerox.
John:
That’s a pretty powerful message. As you know, I’m maniacal about execution. Ideas are exciting but execution is what gets results. What steps are you taking to make sure you’re getting that message across?
Malcolm:
We’ve put an enormous amount of thought on how best to deliver against that message, and ultimately found that that we needed to prioritize these three critical areas:
- Automatic Supplies Replenishment
- Remote Call Assistance
- Core Break/Fix Offering
New World of Service delivers training materials on each of these three areas, their benefits, and what’s new.
John:
So you’ve formulated a message that deconstructs the competition’s criticisms and outlines not only the whys behind what we do, but also the benefits – and you’ve developed training materials that help everyone spread the word. That sounds like a pretty good start. What comes next?
Malcolm:
One of the most exciting aspects of New World of Service is the Premium Service Program which launched first in Italy, and went Europe-wide on October 1. It’s a five-point plan that promises our partners:
- A single point of contact
- Monthly or quarterly meetings
- Daily or weekly reporting on opened and closed calls
- Red flag calls for key situations
- Red flag accounts by customer
John:
By creating this Premium Service Program, you’re proving that this initiative isn’t just about clarifying our message or extolling the benefits of Xerox so much as it about showing our commitment to fulfilling channel partner needs and improving the partner experience. What has the partner response been to this point?
Malcolm:
The response so far has been very positive. Channel partners are recognizing that we’re responding to their needs – in this case, to be able to speak knowledgeably about the benefits of Xerox and counter the false articulation from the competition. Channel partners really like that New World of Service makes them look good by helping their customers focus on what they do best, with less hassle. It’s an incredibly exciting initiative and I’m eager to see it in action. I’m also eager to see New World of Service put into action across the globe.
John:
Well you know I’m excited about it too, that’s why we’re here today. I’ve made it clear to my team that I can’t wait to bring this initiative to the U.S. I think it’s going to have a profoundly positive impact on our partners and give them some powerful ammunition to take into the field. You’ve really done something special here. Congratulations.
Malcolm:
I think you’re right! Our team is very excited about it too. Can’t wait to share the long term results as this continues to pick up steam
New World of Service Resources
European based Xerox channel partners can get the New World of Service marketing resources to share with their customers from the SmartCentre. US based Xerox channel partners can look forward to further announcements shortly as we prepare to launch the New World of Service across the entire CPO organization.
Become a Xerox Channel Partner
If you are a channel partner looking for better ways to serve your customers with the New World of Service, visit the Xerox Global Partner Program portal today to find out how you can work with Xerox – together we can do amazing things for your customers.
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Great Execution makes partners stick around. A single point of contact returns to the Xerox of old where we could really help our customers/partners and understand any issues betters.