This month Agency Sales magazine explores the question: “Why is membership in MANA important?” And because April is my first anniversary as MANA’s CEO and President, it’s an appropriate time for me to answer that question by posing an even larger question (with apologies to George Bailey in the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life): “What if MANA didn’t exist?”
If MANA didn’t exist there would still be industry-specific rep associations, each individually serving groups like plumbing, power transmission, electrical, casting, and electronic reps. But many of MANA’s services would be too costly for each individual association to duplicate. Consider these scenarios:
The plumbing reps have discovered a particularly effective way to structure their annual conference. Will the power transmission reps find out about it? Without MANA, probably not. MANA circulates best rep association practices not only in the pages of Agency Sales magazine, but also by scheduling an annual Association of Manufacturers’ Rep Associations meeting where key executives from each rep association can share their struggles and successes face-to-face.
A casting rep discovers a particularly rep-savvy attorney who helps her recover unfairly withheld commissions. Will a housewares rep who needs the same help be able to find that attorney? Without MANA, probably not. A database of rep-savvy attorneys gathered only from casting reps would be a much shorter list than the list MANA gathers from reps across all industries. And that critical mass of attorneys in our database allows MANA to:
• Organize an annual “Attorney Forum” where those attorneys can meet face-to-face and share best practices on serving rep clients.
• Secure from those attorneys specimen agreement guidelines as a foundation for individualized agreements customized to particular rep-principal relationships.
• Arrange for MANA members to receive a free one-hour consultation from most attorneys in our database.
A startup rep has talent and drive but not rep experience. Will that startup survive? Without MANA, the odds of success are not as good. Under the expert guidance of MANA ex-CEO Joe Miller, MANA launched its “Pathway To Rep Success” mentoring program that trains experienced reps how to be great mentors and provides them with a structured, formal mentoring curriculum. Matching novice reps with trained mentors gives novice reps the best possible opportunity to succeed and join the community of successful reps. And the larger the community of successful reps available to prospective principals, the more attractive it is for companies to go to market with manufacturers’ reps.
Just like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, MANA would be missed. As tough as it is to be a manufacturers’ rep, without MANA it would be even tougher. That’s why your membership in MANA is important. Thank you for being a member and supporting the rep system of selling.
