Venicom Supplies Agents with ‘Free’ BlackBerries

Master agency and Channel Partners sponsor Venicom Inc., a top T-Mobile partner and show sponsor, has a deal it is sure Channel Partners event attendees won’t be able to refuse: Stop by its kiosk at the registration desk or register online for a free BlackBerry 7100T.

The offer includes a hands-free headset, CD with software for synching, USB synch cable, carrying case and a charger. Venicom President Rob Goble also promises agents the free BlackBerry does not come with a sales pitch attached.

The only catch? You have to activate at least one service through T-Mobile. The BlackBerry 7100T accommodates both voice and data services.

Venicom is bringing about $500,000 worth of BlackBerries to the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Giving the devices away for free means the agency can showcase the technology’s capabilities and features and, it hopes, sign a number of new agents.

Telecom channel partners are always on the lookout for incremental revenue, says Goble, and this is one of the best ways to earn it. “We’re talking about big money [for agents] and the corporate world is absolutely excited about this,” he says.

In some cases, agents stand to make more than 90 percent of the available commission, Goble says. He says agents can make up to $350 per activation, which adds up fast if clients are big law firms or corporations. Plus, Goble says, the deal pays “fairly quickly. If [clients] activate in the last week of the month, [agents can] expect to receive commissions in about 45 days.”

When attendees and participants sign up for a BlackBerry, they will pick up the device in Venicom’s Mandalay Bay suite. The company is waiving the $35 activation fee and will have the BlackBerries ready within about 30 minutes of an individual’s request. Venicom will be at the kiosk in the registration area and at the T-Mobile booth during expo hall hours.