ATG Builds "Reseller in a Box"

After months of testing and de-bugging, Advanced Telemanagement Group Inc. (ATG), a reseller and master agent, in July officially launched its Reseller in a Box program. Qualified master and subagents are finding themselves branded with their own company names, so they appear as resellers to end-user customers. Reseller in a Box gives agents back-office support, provisioning, engineers and specialized call center customer service. “We give the agent the ability to appear as more to the customer than just a salesperson,” says Bob Maguire, president and CEO of ATG, the company he coowns with wife Tina.

“The agent looks more value-added to the customer,” adds CFO Brian Maguire, Bob’s brother.

He says Reseller in a Box spurs agents to sell more aggressively, too, because they are marketing their “own” services.

ATG is not accepting just any agent into the program, however, he says. One requirement is agents must bring in anywhere from $50,000-$100,000 in recurring monthly revenue. Brian Maguire says the qualifications depend largely on the services the agents sell. “It has a lot to do with the existing base of customers and potential customers,” he says.

During the testing phase, he says ATG discovered the importance of bringing on agents with committed revenue and solid customers.

Bob Maguire also points out ATG will expect agents to provide solid service, “since they’re going to be the face to the customer in all phases.” ATG will provide ways for agents to offer branded service. For example, Reseller in a Box provides a unique, toll-free number for each agent. Service calls will route to a center, where representatives can tell which agent is assigned to the incoming number, and answer the call with the agent’s company name.

Another benefit of Reseller in a Box is that master agents can recruit subs, and look as though they provide a product a sub cannot obtain directly. “It’s bringing all the advantages of being a wholesaler without having to be a wholesaler,” says Bob Maguire. “They can provide the bill and they can provide the service, and it is a total solution from the view of the customer.”

ATG conducted a six-month pilot test of Reseller in a Box with one agent, whom the president and CFO will not name. But, says Brian Maguire, “the agent is very happy. The process has now been debugged and is working well.” Bob Maguire says ATG now is trying to provide as many services as possible to agents so the company can bring in a variety of channels.

In June, he said ATG was in the process of signing additional agents to Reseller in a Box.

ATG will rely on its proprietary software to fulfill billing and provisioning duties as the company looks to create a wider funnel for itself.

Among the promising new technologies is VoIP.

ATG deals only with businesses, offering IP, long-distance, calling cards, conference calling and more, and predicts VoIP will create a number of other opportunities.

Both Maguires say they are formulating initiatives besides Reseller in a Box, but will not describe those strategies except to say they want the company to be a complete solutions provider. Meanwhile, they emphasize that Reseller in a Box is not for everybody. Says Brian Maguire: “It’s definitely for agents with their act together.”