The Changing Landscape of Communication

2024	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2023	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2022	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2021	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2020	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2019	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2018	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2017	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2016	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2015	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2014	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2013	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2012	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2011	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2010	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2009	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2008	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2007	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January
2006	December	November	October	September	August	July	June	May	April	March	February	January

It’s a topic that has been evolving at an ever-increasing pace. Many MANA members can remember when there were three choices for communication between reps and principals:

Write it down, put it in an envelope, seal the envelope, add a stamp, and put it in the mailbox.
Find a pay phone, punch in your calling card number, and keep the call short because AT&T long distance was expensive.
Visit your local travel agent, collect a hand-written paper ticket, and arrive at the airport just before the plane boarded, breeze right through the airport without a concern about security.

Moving ahead a few years, faxes went from exotic to mundane, and then e-mail took the place of faxes. Now, just like a modern paint store with every color available on demand, the options are daunting in their abundance.

Teleconferencing is an everyday event, and continues to grow as it migrates from computer-only to tablet and phone-friendly versions.
Document sharing allows users across the world to collaborate through Google Drive, Dropbox, or Sugarsync.
Social media offers your advocates and critics options not only to communicate with you, but also to share their bouquets and brickbats with the rest of the world. Whether you are getting kudos or a complaint, when someone posts it on your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or (insert any of a hundred different social networking sites here) the whole world will see what is being said about you, and judge you based on how you respond.

And because the options for rep-principal communication are growing at an ever-accelerating pace, MANA made sure to include best practices in communication in our upcoming manufacturer seminar, Best Practices with Reps, Planning with Intent, October 18 and 19 at the American Management Association Conference Center in Chicago.

This issue of Agency Sales magazine includes all the details about this upcoming seminar, which is led by National Electrical Manufacturers’ Representatives’ Association (NEMRA) past President & CEO Hank Bergson and Johnson & Wales University Associate Professor of Marketing Kris Hefley. Hank and Kris are well known for their expertise in the rep industry and long-time friends of MANA, so this will be a great event for principals who want to enhance their rep relationships. We hope to see your principals there!