MANA’s “Steps to Manufacturers’ Agent Professionalism” Program

MANA defines itself as the association for professional manufacturers’ reps and those who aspire to be professional. We believe the more professionally you operate your business, the more successful you become. The greater your professionalism level, the higher the quality of principals you sign up. The higher their quality, the greater your sales and commissions.

This issue of Agency Sales magazine examines professional manufacturers’ agents representing quality principals with whom they work as trusted partners in profits.

MANA members and associates may access the various articles and other presentations that address the importance of reps and manufacturers working with business plans by visiting the “member-only” section of the MANA website (www.MANAonline.org).

Educational Resources

Special report: Selecting the Right Representative or Principal — included in this publication are some of the indicators that the match between rep and principal is effective. Signs of a good match are: regular meetings to review past performance; concrete plans for the future; assigning action plans to achieve mutual goals.

Webinar: Selecting the Right Principal — The reasons relationships succeed and fail are examined by MANA’s Jerry Leth. Obvious areas of importance are these: communication, mutual planning and identifying changing goals.

Teleforum: In Selecting the Right Principal MANA staff, as well as consultant Nicki Weiss, cover the basics of what reps must do in order to find and select the principal that is the best fit for their business.

Word document: 18 attributes allow reps to consider important criteria when considering new principals. Each attribute is rated on a scale of 1-10. When rating is tabulated, it serves as a guide as to whether the rep-principal are a good fit.

Excel document: A short, simple form allows reps to rate and evaluate potential principals. Criteria include commission potential, brand recognition and integration into manufacturer’s sales team.

Agency Sales articles:

“How Reps and Principals find Each Other” — Manufacturers and reps interviewed by Agency Sales magazine discuss everything from referrals, maintaining a solid business reputation and conducting due diligence as reps and manufacturers continue the search for the right fit.

“The Rep-Manufacturer Rules of Attraction” — The attributes that make for an effective marketing match are discussed from both the rep’s and the manufacturer’s point of view.

“Revamping the Selection Process” — As a manufacturer wrestled with the frustration of getting the same result in his selection process, he considers changing what he’s looking for in the manufacturer-rep relationship.

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