How reps must direct the manufacturers’ thinking by selling the multiple-line selling system.

How many times have you had a sales manager, regional manager or even vice president say “We want a greater share of your time!” That statement is usually followed by comments about the number of lines you have and how their line deserves more time.

Responding with a purpose

What should you say? What do you think the managers you deal with know about multiple-line selling? How often do you remind your principals of the benefits of multiple-line selling? Do you really understand this powerful tool yourself?

This system that makes the independent manufacturers’ rep a great value is not well understood by our most important “customers” — the principals. Today, most of the employees of our principals have little or no previous exposure to the rep system of selling. They certainly don’t learn about it in school.

If you were to question the key people you deal with at each major principal, would he/she even know the term, multiple-line selling? The term itself is not a part of the business vocabulary of the people we do it for. Why? Because we, as reps, have failed to make it a point to constantly preach the values of multiple-line selling. We have failed to consistently remind our principals that what we do is different and better. Too often we find that managers who work with us are either ignorant of how our “system” works or resentful of the presence of our additional lines.

Some reps try to hide their other lines. We have often referred to this as the “mushroom theory” of management. We figure if they don’t see or hear about the other lines they will stop thinking about them and they will stop seeing them as a threat.

The Rep’s Greatest Asset

This just will not work! Multiple lines provide a powerful asset for the rep firm. The multiple-line business model is the most significant differentiator between rep selling and the direct sales team.

Most reps believe, and rightly so, that many, if not most companies currently using reps would prefer to have their own salespeople. Even the smartest sales managers feel this way. Why? Because they have not been exposed to the true value of the independent manufacturers’ rep.

The term backselling was created to describe the process that we have created to sell the rep function, rep services and rep differences to principals.

For a rep firm to be truly successful for the long term, reps must sell back up the channel to the principal. Reps must get the principal’s personnel to understand and appreciate the rep function.

Understanding the line card and branch office concept as key parts of understanding the rep “channel” of distribution is fundamental to a successful relationship between manufacturer and rep.

Multiple-Line Selling

Recently, I spoke with the leader of the entrepreneurship program at a major graduate school of business. He went blank when I spoke about reps and multiple-line selling. This is a person who has been involved with sales and even marketed product through reps. Getting multiple-line selling out in front is a very challenging part of your business. It is also something that you must embrace in order to protect yourself from myths and prejudices against reps. In a recent article I wrote: “We are not paranoid — we just know they are out to get us!” This is the reality of the rep business.

Reps have to get in front of this challenge or they will keep losing out individually and collectively. MANA can and should help. Individual rep trade associations can help. Industry associations like STAFDA (Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association) can help. But, the bottom line is that each rep firm must consistently sell the multiple-line selling approach back to its principals.

Your Line Card Says “Multiple-Line Selling”

Having a line card is not enough. Using the line card as the keystone of your backselling program with your principals is key to managing your relationships with your principals.

You have to be aggressive about showing and explaining your line card to your principals. A regional manager who travels with you needs to know why you have the lines you do. Recently, a regional told a territory manager for one rep firm, “I don’t want you talking about other lines when I’m with you.”

Just say no!

This is not an acceptable situation. Principals who travel with reps need to hear about other lines. They need to see how you handle your customers. They need to understand the power of multiple-line selling.

If this creates a confrontation, it is probably long overdue. A regional who doesn’t “get it” is bad for your business.

Backselling Eliminates “Share of Time” Discussions

When your firm is performing as a true branch office, you are in a position to point to all of the activities that you provide to support your manufacturers’ products in your territory. Work for one manufacturer supports work for another — everyone wins.

The share-of-time discussion is minimized or eliminated by a comprehensive program to show and tell the manufacturers about your activities. This means demonstrating to them what you do to make your operation work to build their sales and market position. Training everyone in your company to understand and appreciate multiple-line selling is the foundation of long-term rep success.

Ideas to Sell With

At a recent sales meeting of a larger rep firm, we invited top principals to address our team. We got them talking about their “partnership” with their reps. In some cases where we have weekly meetings by phone, we invite our key principals to participate in our meeting.

* Face-to-Face Works Best

In many cases, we extend the effort to visit the principal once a year to review the next year’s plan. On those visits we take considerable time to see members of the management team who would not normally know or see us.

* Your Profile and Line Card are Your Best Leave-Behind

We bring a large supply of our profiles and line cards to this meeting. Paper is cheap. We want every member of the principal’s team to know us and understand how we represent their company in our territory. We want them to know that we are the branch office. We want them to know about our other lines and why we package their line with the other lines on our line card.

If you are not selling multiple-line selling, you are not helping yourself succeed with your manufacturers.