Agency Sales Magazine

How Reps Get and Keep Great, Profitable Lines

Reps who get and keep great, profitable lines usually follow the same two-step process: Become the kind of rep that great, profitable lines would want to have represent them. Make themselves easy to find so that the great, profitable line will know to include them when they come to the territory to interview.

Becoming a Desirable Rep

How do you become the kind of rep that great, profitable lines would want to have represent them? Customers, channel partners, and even your principals say they love to give line referrals to reps who:

• Take the time to become the “go-to” person for that product segment expert in their territories.
• Manage their line cards to create value-adding synergies.
• Organize principal visits to maximize productivity.
• Focus on communicating accurately (and with brevity).
• Create plans for mutual success.
• Maintain the highest ethical standards.
• Develop expertise on competitors’ products.
• Grow their mutual sales.

Making Your Company Easy to Find

How do you make your company easy to find when a great principal is looking for a rep?

• Join MANA and become part of MANA’s online RepFinder database.
• Join any industry-specific rep association where principals you’d like to rep might look for reps.
• Write an article for Agency Sales magazine.
• Maintain a professional website (and keep it current).
• Advertise in Agency Sales magazine.
• Tell your customers and channel partners that you would like to add one strategically chosen principal to your line card.

Somewhat, great principals and great reps always seem to find each other eventually, but if you don’t make yourself easy to find it may take longer than it should, and it may not happen at all. When you take charge of that process instead of just waiting for it to happen, you will build the powerful line card your company needs to grow and prosper.

Additional Insights

In California we have a saying, “The only thing constant about California is change.” Having been a sales rep for a number of years, you can apply that same analogy to the sales representative business. A good sales representative is always on the prowl looking for a good line and working diligently to keep existing principals happy.

A rep once said: “There’s more to getting good lines than just sitting in the boat with your mouth open, hoping a fish will jump in.” The truth of those words was never illustrated better than when Agency Sales went looking for reps who found the magic way to get, attract and keep quality lines. The fact is, there is no magic. All it takes is hard work at best, mixed with being in the right place at the right time, and a little bit of luck.

Whether it’s an agency that’s just starting out, one that needs to fill out its line card under pressure or another that is simply looking for the most effective way to grow the business, the question remains: “How do I find the lines that will allow me to prosper?” There’s no simple answer to that question — no one size fits all — but it’s been asked often enough that MANA has tried its best to provide answers via Agency Sales magazine over the years.

Contact us at: MANA@MANAonline.org