When Ask Roger!, Dutch integrator of IT solutions, decided to expand into Latin America, the company asked Aexus for help. Fabien van ‘t Woudt, Business Development Manager at Ask Roger! met with Chris Gerretsen, CEO at Aexus, and Bernard Noël, Managing Director Latin America at Aexus.
Van ‘t Woudt: “Our objective was to develop a channel in Latin America, through the Microsoft Teams resellers network. It may sound very straightforward, but we did not have any experience doing business in LATAM. This is why we decided to ask Aexus for support. During the meeting Aexus explained their experience in this field, the importance of knowing the local corporate culture and having a network in place. Working with them would allow us to test the market, and quickly see if there was a product-market fit for us”
When Ask Roger!’s CEO gave the go-ahead, Van ‘t Woudt organized a training for Noël and his team. This was a very positive experience for all parties. “They quickly understood our objectives and requirements and they were able to tie this in with the local market opportunities.
“The team did not just listen but provided very useful feedback as well. Which is exactly what we want from our partnerships”, says Van ‘t Woudt.
Just after Ask Roger! provided more information about the kind of company they were hoping to partner with, the Aexus business development team started with the channel development. While salespeople from Ask Roger! sat in on the first meetings, the autonomy of the team at Aexus quickly increased. After a short while, they did not need to participate – only when a prospect required an in-depth demonstration of Ask Roger!’s offering.
Van ‘t Woudt: “We received some very positive feedback about the Aexus team from our new partners in Latin America: they tell a very clear story and give great presentations. As a result, we were able to already sign partners in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina and hope to sign two more relatively soon.”
After signing a partnership, the new partner cannot immediately start closing deals; they first need the proper support and training. This was also well-covered by Aexus. One of the Brazilian partners has recently completed this phase and is aiming for 24 deals in the coming 12 months.
The team at Ask Roger! is happy about the partnership with Aexus, says Van ‘t Woudt. “There is a lot of mutual trust and understanding. We receive a report every other week and we meet to talk about progress and strategy, but for urgent and more operational matters, we can always and easily contact them. They do not shy away from sharing their opinion or providing suggestions. We really enjoy working with the team at Aexus.”