 |
| The council meetings are part of Linear's ongoing efforts to stay ahead of industry demands and trends |
Linear LLC, a leader in residential and commercial access control, emergency response and security solutions, recently concluded its 2013 dealer council meetings, wrapping up the four city tour with a stop in Phoenix, Arizona. 2013 marks the third consecutive year Linear hosted the regional events. The council meetings are part of Linear's ongoing efforts to stay ahead of industry demands and trends, while providing an opportunity for collaboration and information gathering about products, procedures and training.
Council meetings were also held in Minneapolis and Grand Rapids, along with two sessions in Dallas. Dealers were invited to attend and offer feedback on Linear products, services and the overall direction of the company in a completely interactive and open forum environment. One of the Dallas meetings and the Phoenix session catered entirely to 2GIG Technologies dealers, aiding the smooth transition since Linear's acquisition of the company in February.
"It's important to have great phone and web support, but there's no better way to garner feedback than face-to-face meetings," said Bob Corona, owner of TMC Techpoint Inc. and a Dallas session attendee. "The council format is great way to stimulate collaboration while introducing valuable new perspectives that benefit both Linear and their dealer base. We discussed a wide range of topics from products and training to collateral and technology needs, and I look forward to what Linear has in store."
A major emphasis this year was on training for dealers; including more frequent in-person sessions and webinars, more "how to" videos, and the need to continuously offer education and recommended selling practices for new products. Methods of distributing training materials and content was also discussed, revealing a diverse set of preferences including online PDFs, print materials and interactive digital tools. Customization was another hot topic as dealers expressed the desire to be able to outfit collateral and user interfaces with their own logos, something Linear addressed directly with the forthcoming LinearLinc and NuLinc system.
"The council format is great way to stimulate collaboration while introducing valuable new perspectives that benefit both Linear and their dealer base" |
"The information we gather from our dealer council sessions has a direct effect on how Linear moves forward and also make us a better partner to our dealers and distributors," said Linear President, Michael O'Neal. "The integration of more Linear systems and products with wireless and mobile technologies was a carryover trend from last year and something we've addressed in 2013 with a number of different actions, including the acquisition of Z-Wave lighting products and 2GIG Technologies, as well as the launch of the eMerge e3 Access Control platform."
Dealer council meetings are one element of Linear's broader training, education, and communication program designed to let dealers provide feedback while giving them a better understanding of the company's direction. Linear also maintains a microsite, LearnLinear.com, which has a listing of all training schedules, videos, webinars, product literature and other marketing resources available on demand.
"The dealer council meetings are the best opportunity for two-way communication with some of our most important customers. Over the next year, Linear will expand its assortment of mobile app-controlled solutions as well as products that can integrate with other manufacturers' hardware, something our dealers are very excited about," said Duane Paulson, Linear's senior vice president, product and market development.
For more information about Linear LLC or to find a dealer near you, please visit www.linearcorp.com. Linear can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
