Sammy Kinlaw sheds light on Lexmark

October 26, 2018

The OEM’s VP of Worldwide Channel and OEM Sales has been elaborating on Lexmark’s new product category and “how he is turning around sales”.

As CRN reports, Kinlaw has revealed that Lexmark “already had great products” when he joined the company earlier this year, “but what was missing was a way for the channel to easily differentiate the products” as well as determining which pricing and incentives were available.

Kinlaw’s response was to develop Lexmark’s new Go Line, a range of products “tailor-made for small businesses”, which come with “in-built partner profitability.”

Kinlaw said that, despite only having been with the OEM for 8 months, he had already witnessed success in turning around the company’s revenue and channel approach.

“We’ve had a tremendous run for 2018, and we’re on target to make our numbers,” he stated. “We’re going to finish the year growing above market.”

Kinlaw explained that he liked the new Go Line because “there’s lots of marketing collateral and campaigns that can be built around” it and he said that partners could expect future incentives focusing on this new product category.

Kinlaw stated, “This is a feature initiative. It’s built to simplify Lexmark’s go-to-market campaigns through the channel. I’m excited. It’s a way in which we’re going to keep marching to serve our channel partners for quarters to come.”

When asked what products are incorporated in the Go line, Kinlaw replied, “At a high level it begins with entry-level mono. Single-function, and it scales all the way to multi-function, colour, high page per minute. So really goes across the gamut of most of our product line.”

As for Kinlaw’s plans for Lexmark’s growth, the VP was noticeably upbeat, commenting, “I’m having a very good year […] I’m growing at a significant premium to the market, and I’ve just scratched the surface […] I’ve had a good 2018. I’m going to have an even better 2019.”

Concluding the interview, Kinlaw explained that he had “planning sessions right and left”, in order to ensure Lexmark is correctly positioned for the coming year.

“What are the other investments we need to make? What’s working? What’s not working? Those are the questions I’m asking,” he said, adding, “Those are all things that I’m asking of my team, because I’ve got the support of our CEO and CFO and CRO to make strategic investments.”