MANA Members and the Diversity of Products They Represent

If you asked MANA members to produce a list of products commonly found on the line cards of manufacturers’ reps, chances are that crossbow laser boresighters would not be on very many of those lists. And neither would be wine shippers or fashion jewelry. But it shouldn’t be surprising to find a wide range of products on MANA members’ line cards. In fact, it would be surprising if MANA members didn’t represent products in a very wide range of market niches.

MANA members include some of the most aggressive entrepreneurs I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and one of the things entrepreneurs do best is find an underserved market niche and serve it. And many MANA principal members are entrepreneurial too! Entrepreneurial enough to find one of those underserved market niches, create a product to serve it, and then recognize that they should focus on what they do best and outsource the sales of that product to manufacturers’ reps.

It’s the most natural thing in the world for entrepreneurs who are trying to break into new markets to choose the variable cost of a manufacturers’ rep over the fixed cost of a salaried salesperson. That’s why MANA members’ line cards include products as diverse as:

• Clay bricks
• Fireplace accessories
• Hardwood logs
• Playground equipment
• Snacks
• Police badges
• Body armor
• Dust collectors

Chances are, if a product is new and exciting, the first sales force to bring it to market will be manufacturers’ reps. And just like that crossbow laser boresighter, MANA reps make it possible for their principals to hit the target first time, every time.

A scene from the movie Hoosiers came to mind recently when reps selling to varied industries were interviewed about their businesses. In the movie, a small, unheralded high school boys’ basketball team finds itself in the championship game to be played in an arena larger than anything they’ve ever experienced. In an effort to get rid of their fear and intimidation about playing on the big stage, their coach (played by Gene Hackman) takes out a tape measure to demonstrate to them that the dimensions of this intimidating arena are exactly the same as those of their own high school.

Rep Takes Promotional Products On The Road — Directly To The Customer

Even the quickest perusal of MANA’s membership shows that the huge majority of agencies that belong to the association sell what would be referred to as manufacturing or OEM products. These products run the gamut from plastics to machine parts. But a closer look at the membership roles shows that there are a number of independent manufacturers’ reps who sell not only the aforementioned types of products but also those that specialize in everything else from baby products to recreational vehicles and a whole bunch of stuff in between.

Exhibiting further evidence that the challenges and travails of being an independent manufacturers’ representative cross industry lines

Two other reps — one from the furniture industry and the other who sells “green” products — explain some of their concerns and experiences with being a rep. It should come as no surprise that reps working in the fabric/furniture industry — just as their peers in other industries — rely heavily on their personal relationships to serve as the foundation for their businesses. At least that’s the view of Brian Gallagher, Homcraft, LLC. Homcraft, an agency that markets and sells fabrics to the furniture industry.