In MANA’s LinkedIn discussion group, consultant Bob Cangemi points to the association as the ideal source for members to get problems solved, questions answered. And in an interview with Agency Sales, a portion of which appears in this month’s issue, he continues to cite MANA as a valuable resource for reps and manufacturers who are aspiring to place themselves in that “ideal” marketing partner category.

There are a number of resources that are available to MANA members that not only allow them to perform their jobs better, but to also improve relationships between reps and manufacturers.

MANA Website

Travel to www.MANAonline.org. That Internet address serves as the portal to virtually all of the products and services available to MANA members. It’s there that members will learn about what’s happening in the association, get information about the latest meetings, seminars and learning opportunities, gain access to past issues of Agency Sales, and learn how to use MANA’s RepFinder and LineFinder — and much more.

MANA Seminars

This month in Chicago, the association conducted another of its Manufacturer Seminars, a day-and-a-half program providing manufacturers with the opportunity to learn about working with reps. Manufacturers who attended the previous session last fall report that what they learned not only increased sales but enhanced their relationships with their reps. The obvious goal of the program is to provide manufacturers with the tools and tactics they need to allow them to enter that “ideal” principal category. As additional future seminars are scheduled, detailed information will appear on the MANA website and in the pages of Agency Sales magazine.

MANA Manufacturer Seminar in the Factory

MANA now offers seminars for manufacturing executives at the corporate office or plant location. “Starting From Scratch” and “Effective Rep Sales Force Management” can now be presented to manufacturers’ entire staff and management team at their location at considerably less than the cost of bringing the entire team to Chicago for these valuable programs. Ninety-eight percent of all manufacturing managers who attend these seminar programs report improved relationships with their outsourced field sales force after the program, but many have commented on the need for additional employees to attend the program.

• “Starting From Scratch” is designed for companies who are either new to the use of multi-line reps or have been in that mode for two years or less.
• “Effective Rep Sales Force Management” is considered to be the more advanced course and is designed for executives who want to improve the level of performance of their field sales team.

Mentoring

A year ago MANA announced “Pathway to Rep Success,” a mentoring program for its reps members as a way to “smooth the way and advise new reps how to avoid some common errors.” The program comprises 6-8 members who meet with an experienced rep as follows:

• An initial one-hour phone conversation.
• Six conference calls with all the reps.
• Intermittent question and answer sessions by phone or e-mail.
• A final one-hour exit interview.

Among the more common subjects in these sessions are:

• A review of the rep’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Need of a sound business and financial plan.
• The importance of having a board of directors comprising a banker, CPA, financial planner, insurance adviser and an attorney.

Teleforums

A current schedule of teleforums for MANA members is available on the MANA website and in the pages of Agency Sales. Topics covered run the gamut from business planning to negotiating contracts to house accounts, split commission and other territory management issues.

Agency Sales

The association’s monthly magazine presents reports on the latest happenings in the profession, trends affecting reps and case histories of reps and manufacturers working together.

MANA Attorneys and Legal Counseling

An important and extremely useful benefit for MANA members is an annual one-hour consultation with an attorney known to the association as being experienced and knowledgeable about the manufacturers’ agency business and laws that govern rep-principal relationships. The purpose of this short consultation is to enable members to get a quick answer to a general legal question. It is not intended for specific legal advice or services such as a contract review or even a contract clause review. Attorneys on the list are known to MANA as being experienced and knowledgeable about the manufacturers’ agency business and laws that govern rep-principal relationships.

Online Training For Reps

MANA offers a number of online professional development programs for members. The topics covered are:

• Business Planning for Reps
• Selecting the Right Principals
• Negotiating Better Contracts
• The Legal Contract
• Marketing Your Rep Firm

These are all one-hour online audio/visual programs that can be viewed at members’ convenience.

Networking

MANA members who join and participate in the association’s online LinkedIn group are never alone. Participants pose and share the answers to business questions, share information, knowledge and wisdom about rep business best practices.

Insurance Programs

Take advantage of discounts on Term Life Insurance and Disability Insurance.

Promotion of the Rep Way of Doing Business to Manufacturers

MANA dues support efforts by the association to get the word out concerning the benefits of using professional reps. MANA has conducted programs all over North America and in India, China, South Korea and Germany.

And, there’s much more. What’s listed here is by no means inclusive of all the products and services offered by MANA to its independent rep and manufacturer members. It’s those members who research and avail themselves of these products and services who stand the best chance of placing themselves in that “Ideal” rep or manufacturer category.