Notebook powerhouse Toshiba anticipates boost in sales with channel promotion

The long-term channel promotion will lead up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, offering quarterly incentives and rewards with the winning salesperson awarded an all-expenses paid vacation to Germany to watch the World Cup final.

With the incentive's final objective to increase sales in the SMB sector Toshiba's regional general manager for the Middles East & Africa, Ahmed Khalil, sees the program as a positive method of growing business as an estimated 50% of total notebook units are already sold by businesses with between ten and 200 employees.

"As Toshiba is a major sponsor of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, our promotion offers an excellent target for our dealers to work towards," explained Khalil. "Distributors have set up a points-based web system for their in-country dealers. Points are awarded on stock rotation, product knowledge and attendance at Toshiba courses in addition to maximizing sales volume."

Khalil notes that the promotion challenges all tiers from reseller through to distributor. "While our front line salespeople concentrate on selling the notebooks, our distributors' goals include building reseller breadth, to increase the number of businesses in their fold," Khalil said. "Toshiba's win-win strategy grows the brand by motivating all levels of our partnerships"

With a reputation for innovation and leadership in mobile computing, Toshiba continues to present a cutting-edge technology to consumers by meeting growing demand for digital convergence and multi-media applications.

Since control of the Middle East region was shifted in April 2000 to the company's European headquarters in Germany, Toshiba's market share has soared from barely double figures to some 25% this year.

"Our sponsorship of such a prestigious event as the 2006 FIFA World Cup is fitting. Football is all about teamwork," said Khalil. "What we see in the sport is reflected in Toshiba's work ethic: competitive, strategic and always striving for first place."