It’s inevitable that a MANA member will carefully weigh the value of membership in their association. As they perform that exercise, the answers to several common questions influence their opinions of association membership and participation.

• Is membership worth the annual dues?
• What’s MANA’s value add?
• Can I succeed (as well) without being a member?
• What are my fellow reps doing? What are they thinking?

Only the individual rep can honestly answer those and other questions, but if the experiences of long-time MANA members are any measure of the true value of association membership, prospective members would do well to consider several of their peers’ opinions.

The words of MANA-member Sid Ragona lend credence to the saying, “Hindsight is always 20/20.”

Here’s what Ragona, Ragona Scientific, Rochester, New York, maintains: “I started my business without the benefit of MANA membership. As I look back, I would have been much more successful a lot earlier if I had joined the association and taken advantage of all it has to offer.”

Ragona Scientific sells instrumentation for surface characterization and advanced microscopy, instrumentation for nanotechnology and bionanotechnology.

According to Ragona, “When I first opened my doors, I had never heard of MANA. One day I got to thinking that there must be some group or organization that would bring reps together in a forum to discuss mutual issues. I conducted an Internet search and it wasn’t long before I found the association. I’ve got to admit that as I initially considered the price of membership, I said to myself that ‘I’m not going to spend that money.’ It didn’t take more time than the blink of an eye, however, for me to consider how much money a rep spends on travel and entertainment expenses, not to mention what it costs for legal expertise. I immediately realized that an investment in MANA membership had to be the best value going for me.”

Cost vs. Investment

He adds that “It’s simply a case of cost vs. investment. When you see the price of membership, you might balk. But, then when you consider what is available through your membership, it’s an easy decision. There are very few things I’ve purchased in my life that I’ve been extremely pleased with, and MANA membership is one.”

Among the various products and services that have caused Ragona to be pleased with his membership are:

Legal Counsel — “There was an occasion when one of my principals refused to pay the commission I had contracted for and earned. I made use of the free legal service that is available to each member. The attorney took a look at my contract with the principal. He pointed out the weakness in my contract and looked at the expenses I’d incur to get the commission I believed I was owed. The bottom line is that he educated me as to the wisdom of looking forward and not back and I moved on. I may not have appreciated the advice he provided, but it was a learning process and one that was of value to me.”

LinkedIn Discussion Group — “I’ve posed several questions in that venue and have participated in a number of pertinent discussions that have been of help to me.”

Webinars — “I’ve got a fairly short attention span. As a result, I’ve found that the regularly scheduled webinars are suited to my needs and provide me with needed information.”

Agency Sales Magazine — “With very few exceptions I read Agency Sales each month cover to cover. The legal sections, Principal Focus and anything related to contracts are very interesting.”

Ragona also mentioned the continued value he receives from the Fortune magazine insert that MANA co-sponsored years ago. “I still use this document in my dealings with principals. This serves as my bible when I’m speaking with principals about the value of working with independent reps. I’ve added some of my own information to the article when I speak with prospects.”

He continues, “The information I receive from MANA, whether it involves contract issues, legal advice, or the group wisdom that exists in the LinkedIn discussions, allows me to push back in my conversations with principals. It allows me to go beyond being opinionated to someone who is truly informed.”

Tom Halpin, Titan Group NA, LLC, explains that it was on the advice of a rep friend, “a trusted advisor,” that he made the decision to join MANA about three years ago. “Probably the major reason I joined was that the association does a great job of promoting the rep way of conducting business.”

Headquartered in Grosse Point, Michigan, Titan Group NA’s current product portfolio consists of tool steel, in-die tapping units, part marking solutions, mold and die components, custom mold bases, work holding solutions and stamping lubricants.

MANA’s Website

Halpin says that “because we’re a multi-person agency with an expanding footprint, it was a wise decision for us. The association does a great job, and there’s a ton of resources there to help the rep. Considering just the website (www.manaonline.org), a rep could spend weeks working their way through everything that’s there. ” He also points to the value of regularly conducted webinars, Agency Sales magazine and manufacturer seminars. Commenting on the latter, Halpin notes that “A major concern is the fact that not all principals know how reps work or how to work with them. When you get right down to it, it takes the right kind of principal to take advantage of the seminars — you need someone who’s willing to learn. I can remember when one of my principals attended a MANA seminar in Chicago. They learned things there that they never forgot. All in all, when principals attend the seminars it increases their knowledge of reps and how they operate and ultimately improves the relationship.”

Coupled with the concern that principals learn all they can about reps, Halpin adds that one of the major challenges he and other reps face today is line turnover. “That’s something we’re always faced with and MANA does a good job addressing what is manageable and controllable. For instance, the association has a lot of information on the best way to backsell, and that’s something we’ve taken advantage of.”

Neal Smith, Smith Automation, Noblesville, Indiana, opened his agency doors a little over a year ago marketing and selling industrial automation, motion, electrical, and power transmission products. One of the first things he did when opening the business was to join MANA — and he’s glad he did. “I’m a recent startup. Before I became a rep, I was the regional sales manager for a manufacturer and I had heard about MANA from several of my reps. As a matter of fact, Charley Cohon (MANA’s President/CEO) was one of my reps. As a result, when I launched my business in May 2011, I was aware of the association’s value and I immediately joined.”

Even as a fairly new member, Smith has found plenty in the association to pique his interest and meet his needs. “I’ve done a lot of searching on the website and have spent quite a bit of time checking out principals who are looking for reps. Then there are the e-mails that are sent out on manufacturers seeking reps, regular webinars and Agency Sales. Staying with the magazine, the variety of articles each month provides great information for reps. I’d have to say that in general I’m not a really big reader, but Agency Sales is one of the two magazines that I read every month.”

Marketing with Reps

If there’s anything that is a regular concern for Smith as he continues to build his single-man agency, it’s how to deal with manufacturers who don’t necessarily know the proper way to go to market with reps. For instance, he notes that when he first started his business, “I was admittedly hungry for business. I had signed on with one off-shore manufacturer that was working with multiple reps in the territory. Unfortunately, I hadn’t followed MANA’s advice about avoiding working with just a handshake agreement. This is the kind of situation MANA, Agency Sales, and the association webinars cover and provide guidance.”

If he’s learned anything through his MANA membership, he says, “It’s that I’m a lot more firm with prospective principals than I ever was at the beginning.” He explains that this stance can be seen when he encounters principals looking for him to develop new business while holding on to house accounts or when it comes to negotiating better termination agreements.

Before leaving the association’s value proposition for reps, Smith describes an experience he recently had with one of MANA’s newer service offerings—the CLC Lodging hotel discount program. Detailed information concerning this offering is available on MANA’s website. Smith described his recent experience with the program. “I recently visited one of my principals in Montana. In doing some advance checking for a hotel, I found that a room would cost me upwards of $160 a night. I accessed the program and eventually wound up paying just $75. This is certainly a program I’m going to make more use of in the future as I visit other principals and travel to see customers or participate in training programs.”

Smith concludes by noting that even after just a few months MANA has already provided its value to him to the extent that he regularly recommends membership to other reps that he knows.

MANA Leads the Way

A MANA member for more than 15 years, Don Elfstrom maintains the association represents “the leading edge of our profession. If anything is going to happen to the industry or be innovative, it’s going to happen first in MANA.”

Elfstrom, president of Kacey Enterprises, Inc., Glen Ellyn, Illinois, notes that over his years of association membership a number of the products and services that are provided to reps and manufacturers have been especially beneficial. “I’d say that the association’s leadership has been very helpful in allowing me to run my business more productively. The networking opportunities that have been available have been very useful and I always find the content of Agency Sales magazine to be right on target. The information in the publication is very solution-oriented and if there’s a way to save money in our business, chances are I’ve read about it there.”

Kacey Enterprises sells lubricants, bearings, and power transmission products.

Overall, Elfstrom maintains that MANA is the number-one advocate for reps in their relations with principals and “the association covers just about everything needed in order to strengthen that relationship.”

He adds that speaking to other reps about association membership is high on his list of things to do. “My primary message to prospective members is that it’s all about getting to the next level in our profession and nothing allows us to do that better than membership in MANA.”

Painting the Big Picture

And finally, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Frank Fein, Associated Marketing, Inc., is looking for something that can provide him with a big picture of business and that’s what he’s found with his MANA membership.

According to Fein, “I’m interested in viewing the world in which we work beyond our own microscope. I joined MANA because the association lets me see what’s going beyond my field of vision and it allows me to see a larger perspective with respect to reps in other businesses.”

Associated Marketing sells plumbing, heating, PVF, irrigation, landscape and turf products.

As to what MANA offers that allows the rep to get his arms around that larger view, he points to the association’s networking opportunities and its efforts at providing members with current information and educational opportunities. “I’ve attended several of the association’s conferences and encountered other reps who deal with the same and different problems that I face. I’ve walked away and been able to profit from their winning experiences. Add to that the continuous educational and learning opportunities that you don’t find anywhere else. Then there’s Agency Sales, which is a terrific product. I value the publication for the articles on leadership, selling techniques and new technology.”