Eyelink's marketing manager Aekarin Palasin said yesterday the company adjusted its strategy last year by offering more attractive incentives to dealers who achieve certain sales volumes, featuring cars, mobile phones and gold.

Fierce competition in the optical market, including eyeglasses and sunglasses, consumer spending that seems to have slowed, as well as a high sales target set by the headquarters of imported international brands, were the main reasons for the adjustment. Before that, the company awarded mainly items related to optical machines and equipment as well as international trips.

Providing more incentives requires Eyelink to increase its incentive budget. Last year, 30 per cent of its expected sales was allocated for incentives.

He said the new incentive programme has boosted performance as the company achieved 40 per cent annual sales growth from an average 10-20 per cent in previous years. The company plans an even more attractive incentive programme this year, including offering new cars, which requires the incentive budget to increase to 50 per cent, according to Aekarin.

Apart from the incentive budget, the firm has also allocated Bt10 million as an advertising budget to help dealers promote the imported brands with advertisements in newspapers and magazines as well as attending exhibitions and arranging seminars.

The company imports almost 20 brands with prices ranging from Bt3,000 to Bt40,000. Aekarin said products priced from Bt7,000 to Bt10,000 sold best.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation