CHANNEL SURFING IN THE COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INDUSTRY
NSCA‘s newest Market Intelligence Briefing™ highlights sales and distribution trends

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, November 8, 2007 — Manufacturers, distributors and systems contractors all have their own ways of doing business. Each has its own “channel” to deliver goods and services. And each depends on other channels to pave the way for their own success.

The sales force — though perhaps often overlooked — is a key player in this interconnected world of supply and demand. The National System Contractors Association‘s Q4 Market Intelligence Briefing (MIB) delivers key findings on channel trends and issues. The 96-page report showcases the importance of sales in the systems contracting industry.

“This report solidifies the importance of the dealer channel in getting product to market,” said Jodi Montgomery, senior director of member services. “As a result, many manufacturers are looking to expand distribution through the channel.”

Manufacturers report they employ a nearly equal combination of a direct sales force and independent sales representatives. Their three top channels for distribution include: systems integrators/contractors, audio visual integrators and audio/music retailers. In addition, manufacturers say they are now or soon plan to add headquarter-based sales and marketing staffs and field support staff.

Distributors say their top three channels are systems/integrators, audio and music retailers, and A/V integrators. Representatives and distributors point to their product line expertise, their skill directing end-user questions to distributors, and their experience providing marketing intelligence to their primary manufacturers.

For their part, systems integrators prefer purchasing directly from manufacturer‘s sales representatives or from independent sales reps who handle multiple products. When making purchasing decisions, systems integrators key in on three questions:
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1. Does the product meet my needs?
2. Is the product reliable?
3. Does the product deliver high-performance quality?

For more information about specific details, and the company type, size and geographic scope of this briefing, please visit www.nsca.org/MIB.

About NSCA
NSCA is the leading not-for-profit association representing the commercial electronic systems industry. With more than 2,500 member companies worldwide, the National Systems Contractors Association is a powerful advocate of all who work within the low-voltage industry, including systems contractors/integrators, product manufacturers, consultants, sales representatives, architects, specifying engineers and other allied professionals. NSCA is dedicated to serving contractor members and all channel stakeholders through education, advocacy, outreach and member services. NSCA University offers a variety of courses on topics such as project management, business, sales, design and technical knowledge. Courses are delivered through a variety of methods including conferences, regional trainings, online learning and webinars. NSCA works in conjunction with a variety of industry partners to provide relevant and meaningful education and certification programs. It also provides leading industry research and market intelligence, insurance solutions, the industry‘s most comprehensive manual of practice, Essentials of Systems Integration™ and other business tools. For more information, please visit www.nsca.org.