by Douglas Bower You can ask most 20-something-year-old males, “What is your ideal car?” The answer that you would most likely hear is a Ferrari or a car of similar ilk. Ask a sales manager or a principal or manufacturer, “What is an ideal rep?” He or she will most likely answer “one that has […]
by John Davis, Paul Davis Automation We have all been there — it’s 1:30 p.m., the car is hot, the A/C still cooling down the sweltering interior. The taste of a wolfed-down lunch lingers as you growl at Siri or Google to please dial the correct number. It is Thursday, the customer from this morning’s […]
by Jerry Leth, Vice-President and General Manager, MANA First, let me answer the question, “Why does that matter?” Manufacturers’ agents want to represent the highest quality principals willing to work with them. To them, the “ideal” principal equals a quality principal. The higher quality the principals they represent, the more “ideal” and the more they […]
by Ed Juline, CPMR, CSP, Mexico Representation How many times have you encountered a manufacturer’s, customer’s or government’s process and asked yourself, “Why is this process so difficult? Why is this process so bureaucratic? Why is this process making our lives more difficult?” I have yet to dig into any broken or lengthy process and […]
by Craig Lindsay, CPMR, CSP, Pacesetter Sales & Associates We faced a conundrum in our business a few years ago. We were on pace to have a record-setting year when we began thinking about our planning for the next year and beyond. With puffed chests and pride in ourselves based on past accomplishments, we began the process. […]
by Charles Ingram, VP of Sales & Marketing, Eriez Magnetics So you’re a manufacturer and you want to develop new business, grow your sales, perhaps in a new geographic territory, new industry/market, or maybe you have a new product to launch. What are the factors any good manufacturer should consider to maximize the likelihood of […]
by John Haskell When a principal changes its regional sales manager or general sales manager it can spell trouble for the independent rep firm. What can you do to accomplish these changes in a non‑threatening manner? One major caveat — I don’t believe the title “regional sales manager” is an appropriate title for people the […]
by Michelle Jobst, CPMR, Jobst Incorporated Cold calling — It can seem like an old fashioned and inefficient task. I would imagine that most salespeople enjoy other contact points more than this one. So why do it? When it is used as one of the many methods to interact with customers, I find that there […]
by Douglas Bower That’s a very short declarative statement that brings to mind reps and manufacturers skipping through the morass of the business market place enjoying mutual profitability and growth. But underlying that declarative statement is a plethora of details that can get in the way of a successful working relationship. Let me offer this cautionary […]
by Stephen Fowler, President, PERCS A recent film, Arrival, presented a tale of potential catastrophe from disruptive change requiring massive adaptation. Aliens have suddenly arrived on earth, their presence mysterious: potentially benign but possibly threatening. Confronted with a new normal, we had to find the right people with the proper abilities to adapt. The aliens offered […]
by Roger Ralston, Tri-State Components, Inc. Should Your Business Enter New Markets? The answer may be “Yes,” but pause to reflect before making that jump. If you are considering expansion, even targeting new territories or new customers, the odds are you’ve enjoyed some level of success in your current market. You know your market, know […]
by Jerry Leth, Vice-President and General Manager, MANA Why is this important? We all know the definition of insanity, where we keep doing the same things over and over again and expect the results to change. To change the results, we need to act differently. We can change in a couple of ways. Go with […]
by Greg Bruno, President, Midlantic Enterprises, Inc. Sales agencies and principals rely on each other, and our mutual growth is intertwined. Our mutual dependence is obvious for some but not so for others. There cannot be one winner and one loser when it comes to our contracts. The whole purpose of the agency principal relationship […]
by John Beaver, GSA Optimum You have another new regional or national sales manager — and the person is a rep’s worst nightmare. Whether it’s your largest line or a basic bread and butter line, what should you do? Your first instinct may be to push back. Maybe just a little. Perhaps flex your relationships […]
by Jerry Leth, Vice-President and General Manager, MANA I periodically receive phone calls from MANA manufacturer members telling me a prospective manufacturers’ representative requested a fee to take on their line. “I thought reps work on a commission basis only, what’s this about?” they ask. If the manufacturer has little or no business in the […]
by Jerry Leth, Vice-President and General Manager, MANA A main purpose of MANA is to help our manufacturers’ representative members succeed and grow their businesses. A look at our membership shows significant diversity. Our largest member employs 53 outside sales employees, the average is five employees and 20 percent are one-person operations. Forty-one members started their […]
by John Roba, The John D Roba Company, Inc. As a MANA member for over 35 years, I recall many outstanding articles Agency Sales magazine has written, covering everything from “Starting an Agency” through “Succession Planning.” In this month’s issue we key in on the theme, “Professional Manufacturer’s Representatives Working Together with Manufacturers as Partners […]
by John Davis, Paul Davis Automation Just the other week, I was on an airplane traveling to a trade show. Given the close quarters of the typical airline arrangement, I could not help but overhear the conversation between the two gentlemen sitting behind me. One worked for a large consulting firm (you would know their […]
by Tom Hayward, CPMR, United Sales Associates Goal: Organize/Attend a Rep Council If you want to stir up the conversation amongst a group of representatives, ask their opinion as to whether Rep Councils are worth the time investment. Opinions on Rep Councils will vary from swearing by them to cursing at them — and everything […]
by Charles Ingram, VP of Sales & Marketing, Eriez Magnetics “I’m a manufacturer, not a rep agency. Why should my company join MANA?” I hear this all the time. It’s a legitimate question, really. After all, the name of the organization is Manufacturers’ Agents National Association — MANA, for short. Seems like it’s an association […]