Batboard

Ok, here's a good question. How can someone like me, who is already in the communications and computer industry, become a Motorola authorized dealer. The local dealer (next town) is really rippin into the local vollies for service and pricing. I've been doing radio service on one agency7 for a little over a year and I'm pretty savvy with maxtracs/P1225s/CDMs/VISARs. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi:

If I were you, I would reconsider for the
following reasons.

1. There is a very poor profit margine on there Two way Equipment ( 25% ) and if you hunt around, many times you can find a
dealer that will sell t you 5-10% over cost.

That is to say a 450.00 Retail radio, probably sells to the dealer for 325.00
and the competition ( Horrible ) and to make
things worse, persons " Import" radios from
outside the US, and sell even cheaper.

What that means is that you have to meet a sales quarter minimum ( about 25,000.00 )
in gross sales even to open the front doors
of becomming a dealership.

And with all this new stuff going on, I suspect the margine will even be less.

If you are already set up in business, I would recommend just getting a NSO account
for what ever that is worth for smaller Motorola items only.

Lots of paper work required, business front
required in the majority of the cases, and
you are really not alowed to sell outside of your area.

If another dealer hears you selling radios
outside your area, that can be a reason for
suspension...Best to remain independent, and there is not much they can do, and you can
sell, service whatever you wish

MS

Yep....and if you get a local dealer to work with you, it will benefit them because they can't sell out of their area and you can (with their radios).

Why do you have to be a Big M dealer to work on Big M radios????? Aren't you already doing that without the dealership? Then why go for the added headaches?

Keep going the way that you already are, shop the internet for radios, establish some contacts with these internet dealers, and go to town!

more wiggle room on the price, and if Big M comes knocking on your door... what are they going to say or do? "Stop selling our product. We don't want to make money. Dealer "X" is complaining that you're providing a better service at a cheaper rate. You're going to cause him to cut out his morning doughnut."

That's when you tell them to 'not let the door hit them where the good Lord split them'.

Besides... Kenwood is putting Big M to shame quality wise in the Public Safety end nowadays. Always have in the HAM end. kenwood is also much more 'user friendly'. Better watch out Big M, your quality ain't what it used to be.

I only to radio work for one agency which owns the licenses on the radio software, I haven't done any work on any of the other agencies. They're stuck with the local dealer. However, I'd prefer to gnaw my own foot off than deal with my local dealer, I could probably get away with selling cans with string and stay competative. Every public safety department in the area I've talked to has indicated that the dealer is the only "local" company that can do it. And don't forget, we here are slaves to the god Motorola. I just want to know what would make me more "legit" to be able to sell and service M radios outside of my own agency. Cause I know the local dealer is making more than 25% markup. And you give them six radios to program and you'll get back six differently programmed radios. I have found one internet dealer that kicks ass, I'm looking foreword to dealing with them in the future. But I'd like to be able to sell my company as "autorized yada yada".

Thanks in advance.

On 2002-02-04 08:19, mavericknet wrote:
I only to radio work for one agency which owns the licenses on the radio software, I haven't done any work on any of the other agencies. They're stuck with the local dealer. However, I'd prefer to gnaw my own foot off than deal with my local dealer, I could probably get away with selling cans with string and stay competative. Every public safety department in the area I've talked to has indicated that the dealer is the only "local" company that can do it. And don't forget, we here are slaves to the god Motorola. I just want to know what would make me more "legit" to be able to sell and service M radios outside of my own agency. Cause I know the local dealer is making more than 25% markup. And you give them six radios to program and you'll get back six differently programmed radios. I have found one internet dealer that kicks ass, I'm looking foreword to dealing with them in the future. But I'd like to be able to sell my company as "autorized yada yada".

Thanks in advance.

If you're going to bid on a municipal
maintenance contract, you'll need a lot
more than just good intentions and doing
work on subscriber equipment (unless all
you want to do is just sell boxes out the
door).

Typically a township (at least the smart
ones), will put out an RFP for bids on
the entire communications system. This
includes infrastructure, as well as the
vehicles and portable subscriber units.

You'll need to post a bid bond (typically
just a formality, easy to acquire), and
demonstrate how you meet the criteria that
might have been established by the township.

For example, your company may need to prove
you have a certain number of certified techs
and service vehicles available for 24 X 7
callouts (especially on the infrastructure).

Do you have a spare inventory of Centracom
cards ? Do you have an answering service for
afterhours calls, etc, etc.

This is the usual route your 'competition'
no doubt went through to become the dealer
in your area. Service usually is a foot in
the door to continual sales.

Unless you have a LOT of accounts, this is
a formula for ruin. Since I've seen bids go
in for monthly maintenance on say a mobile,
at $6.00 each. You are taking in insurance
premiums and betting that you won't have to
replace a high cost part over the lifetime
of the contract.

So unless you have many accounts (with lots
of equipment), to amortize the risk over, it
simply is not worth it.

You may dislike that dealer in town, but they
probably got there through some degree of
risk, and hard work. Regrettably, it seems
obvious, they've gone downhill from what you
describe.

Our municpality doesn't RFQ for anything much, and most of our consoles are mobile flopped onto power convertors, our repeaters go up and down like christmas trees, and we get cross talk from three counties away. I'm looking for the people to see at motorola or the numbers to call.

If you are only looking to under cut the local dealer, you won't get very far with Motorola. A 25% margin is reasonable when you expect that dealer to provide full warranty support for the product.
Anyone can sell at a cheaper price, but often a cheaper price is not in the customer's best interest.
A Motorola dealer is required to produce business plans and meet quarterly and annual quotas.
Motorola does not look for dealers to "push the boxes" but for a long-term relationship.
I suggest that you open a dialogue with your local dealer, identify the issues and work on a plan to address the problems.
I'm sure that he would be happy to work with you to provide a higher level of service.

Good luck with your venture.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alan on 2002-02-22 00:46 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Alan on 2002-02-22 00:49 ]</font>

Mavericknet,

Send me an email outside the board here. I would like to discuss your repeater issue with you.

[email protected]

Jim

Mavericknet....send me you email address to
[email protected]