I absolutely love to hear reps tell stories of great selling situations and their resulting successes. Even if it was years ago, you can hear their enthusiasm, feel their passion, and see the excitement in their eyes as if it had just happened yesterday. Think of your own big hits and major wins in the rep business and let yourself drift into those emotions again. Do you remember the details and how it felt?

Today is certainly different — the big wins are much less frequent and much more difficult. Selling, in general, has changed, and many of you have made necessary adjustments to continue on the path of success. Human nature makes us creatures of habit, which in turn can make “change” difficult or uncomfortable at best.

Many people operate with a “scarcity” mentality and truly believe that there is not enough pie to go around. As a result, they feel the need to grab their pieces while they can. The good news is, today there are fewer rep companies, and fewer reps mean that there actually is enough pie to go around, especially for the good reps that survive and thrive.

Reps are skeptical animals. It can be difficult to get them to share good information about changes they’ve made, what they’re doing differently, and especially these days, to tell you about their sales successes. It’s important to remember, however, that your fellow reps are not your competitors. Your real competitor is direct sales. And this is precisely why you must share information, network, be part of the rep community, and actively participate in the association that strongly supports your function (MANA, or any one of our sister associations).

“So,” you ask, “where do I find and share all of these great ideas and success stories?”

Well, I’m glad you mentioned it. Here are a few places that you can start:

• Agency Sales Magazine — Write to us if you have something to share or read articles from past issues.
• Webinars, Teleforums, Blogs — Access great sales tips, success stories, new ways of doing things — by phone or internet.
• Publications — Books, special reports, contract guidelines and manuals are available online and in print.
• MANA Chapter Meetings and All Rep Events — A great opportunity to tell your story in person and learn from the experiences of your peers.
• MANAfest 2009 — Save the date for this great learning experience — productive fun with fellow reps.

Links to all of these (and much more!) can be accessed in the Member Area of MANAonline.

So, have no fear. Go out and network, share freely, and compare selling successes — in the name of rep success!