Axis Secretly Paid Anixter Sales People To Push Axis NVRs

Decades old practice, more about getting stuck with inventory they can't move as the others subsidize the race to the bottom.

This is nothing new... but hell, if you think that's a big deal, Tri-Ed has been getting paid by Sony for YEARS to have....

[IPVM note: The original comment was wrong and 2 agreed that it was wrong.

The fact is that many manufacturers, including Sony, Axis (many others), pay / subsidize distributors having distributor employee who is the product champion / specialist for that manufacturer. Obviously, having a distributor employee dedicated to a single manufacturer's product helps that distributor think of / recommend / support the manufacturer better, but requires the manufacturer to pay extra for.]

I find it quite humorous that ADI claims no spiffs now...they were traditionally the kings of asking for them from every manufacturer who wanted to boost sales!

Sales Agent: "Hi, I'm Mark, your personal security product consultant, how can I help you?"

Customer: "Let's just save both of us some time and bs ok, what's on spiff today?"

Sales Agent: "I don't know what you mean..."

Customer: "Sure you do... hey, how about we go 50/50 on the spiff, or I go to your boss and demand "spiff pass-thru"?

Sales Agent: "Sorting by spiff amount, one moment..."

It's been a while since I've been involved in distribution, but at least a few years ago everything was open to the highest bidder. Not only spiffs, but the signage in the distributor's office, the hallways and even the break room. (I don't remember seeing ads in the bathroom but that wouldn't surprise me.)

The even charged manufacturers to put their products in the test/support lab. What this means is that only the manufacturers who paid extra would get their products physically in front of the employees who are recommending the products.

Catalog placement was also up to the highest bidder (like I said it was a few years ago.) You want your products first in the listing, just pay more. Want your product to have a color photo? Pay more.

This is just the way it works (or at least it used to.) You have to pay to play.

I honestly don't see this as a huge deal (since it has been commonplace for a while), but I do see one potential drawback. While Anixter and it's subsidiaries are pushing Axis products to get their $150 spiff ADI has been pushing Hikvision. The Hikvision products are so low cost that the $150 is more costly than half their products sell price. In order to subsidize this spiff Axis has to sell the product for a greater price to the distributor, which in-turn passes down the line making them less attractive to the end user.

I don't see any issue with Spiffs. It's part of sales. I don't know why a sales person would need to disclose his compensation for a given sale. That is his personal business and the buyer has no right to that info.

Spiffy aside, what's most interesting is the further demonstration by Axis to push E2E while telling their VMS "partners" no such programs exist

Axis is getting as bad at Lying as Hik

Nice work on this John

It always serves best for the installing dealer to vet his product decisions with installed testimonies from the factory and other installers before asking distributor opinions. This because in more cases than anyone wants to admit, a dealer will reverse course due to a casual comment from a distributor salesperson that the vendor in question "is difficult to work with or that is a special order for us" when in most cases it would be the better solution, but due to corporate agreements, HikVision type vendors are the predominant ones stacked high in the showroom, hogging up the sales flyers AND offering employee rewards whether it be outright spiffs or a redemption program (back end incentive for sales reps.

This can certainly skew the honest, hard working factory rep's efforts, especially those conducting the job walk and doing the BOM suggestions for receptive dealers.