When MANA’s members are asked what benefits they value the most, answers run the spectrum from finding lines to legal counseling to Agency Sales magazine. While the answer to that question may vary, a couple of facts remain consistent.
MANA’s menu of benefits, which may be accessed at www.MANAonline.org, has been put together based on the association’s history of interacting with independent manufacturers’ representatives and their principals. These association benefits, which have been determined over the years, mirror the needs of that constituency.
Association members who avail themselves of the greatest variety of benefits maintain that their dues more than pay for themselves. It’s probably stated best by one member who maintains, “When I consider just the lines I’ve obtained through the MANA Online Directory, I’ve gotten back much more than I’ve paid in dues. Add in the legal and educational benefits and I come out way ahead.
“If I could offer any advice to MANA members it would be to learn all about what the association offers and take advantage of everything — it’s just there for the taking.”
Depending upon an agency’s needs one or more of the benefits provided by MANA are going to prove more beneficial than others. For instance, many agencies — especially start-ups, and one-to-three person agencies — find the match making services in the MANA Online Directory (RepFinder) especially beneficial. Others who have found success by working with written contracts find the association standard written contract to be useful, while others have found financial and legal relief by researching the various state commission protection laws on the MANA website.
The fact remains that while each member doesn’t need everything the association offers, chances are each member will find something to benefit their special needs.
It’s probably safe to say that long-time MANA members would include those who are knowledgeable about the association’s products and services and included in that group would be members of MANA’s Board of Directors. Members of that group were asked to share their thoughts on one or more of the association benefits that they’ve found to be especially useful for their organizations.
- RepFinder and LineFinder
In the eyes of MANA’s Chairman of the Board Tom Hayward, CPMR, the ability for reps to find manufacturers and manufacturers to find reps through MANA serves as a double-edged benefit.
Hayward, United Sales Associates, Cincinnati, Ohio, explains that “Whenever I’m trying to explain the benefits of MANA membership to a prospective member, I always push the MANA Online Directory. But, on the other hand, it’s the primary tool I’ve used myself in the past in order to screen prospective principals that I might want to work with. It’s so easy to search the directory, find manufacturers, contact them and quickly determine that they are all that they say they are.”
He continues: “It’s so easy to access the information you’re looking for and it’s extremely valuable when looking to expand your product or geographical coverage. There’s no learning curve and even a novice can navigate it without any difficulty. I’ve even been able to easily walk people through the process.”
And, Hayward isn’t done yet: “Consider the manufacturers who want to find representation. I’d have to say that’s one of the major reasons that they join MANA. They’ve learned how easy it is to search for agents, download information and generally get access to the membership.”
- Counseling on Relationship Between Reps and Manufacturers
Objectivity and a lack of emotion are two of the attributes that John Sandifer, CPMR, points to when speaking about MANA’s ability to counsel prospective and existing members when it comes to agent-manufacturer relations. According to Sandifer, Sanco Sales, Inc., Crandall, Texas, “When you speak to someone at MANA headquarters (e.g., Charley Cohon or Jerry Leth) you’re immediately speaking with an experienced individual who serves as an objective third party who can provide an entirely unbiased perspective on any question or dispute. This ability to remove emotion from a potential dispute is especially valuable.”
Sandifer adds that it’s not only MANA headquarters that can provide this kind of assistance. “I’ve had occasions — and I’m sure other members of the board have as well — when a MANA member has engaged us in an in-person discussion that might cover some problem they’re having with a principal.”
Sandifer points to the years of experience that MANA staff and Board members have that they can draw upon in order to provide guidance for members. “We’re all reps or have been reps. We’ve encountered many of the same concerns they have. That’s why having us as a sounding board is so valuable.”
- Agency Sales Magazine — and Other Publications
“Any time you have a magazine that is the flagship benefit of your association, you’re lucky,” maintains John Roba, John D. Roba Co., Inc., Clarence Center, New York.
“MANA’s monthly magazine keeps us up to date on what’s going on with the profession. As I regularly read the publication, it occurs to me that no matter how much you think you know abut your profession, you’ll always get a different perspective by reading Agency Sales. I look forward to my issue each month and one of the first things I always turn to are the editorials by MANA’s President & CEO, Charley Cohon, and the members of the Board. It’s there you’re provided a view of a subject from someone who’s actually out there in the field — and it’s always valuable.”
He continues that “Another way to look at the benefits of Agency Sales magazine is to just ask yourself what would you do if there was no Agency Sales? Where would you go for the information we receive each month? There is no other place. One thing I always tell MANA members is that a subscription to the magazine alone is worth the price of your membership.”
- Legal Counseling
In the course of business, the head of the typical independent manufacturers’ representative firm is faced with myriad legal questions, the answers to which will have a major impact on the success or failure of the business. That’s where MANA comes in, according to Tim Ryder, CPMR, Ryder Sales Agency, Inc., Brookfield, Wisconsin.
“Not only does MANA provide 30 minutes of complimentary legal counsel each year, but more importantly, the association is able to draw from a pool of rep savvy attorneys who know the challenges that reps face and are able to offer them proper advice.
“When members are faced with questions on contracts, crafting an agreement with a sub-rep, employee contracts and succession planning, they know what to do. In addition, they keep their advice simple and understandable.”
Ryder continues that the major benefit of working with attorneys who know all about reps is especially beneficial “Because by having that level of familiarity, they’re able to save time and cut right to the important subject matter. They know about putting agreements together and they allow the rep to hit the ground running when it comes to facing legal matters.”
- Agreement Guidelines
“If we lost a line 30 years ago, we could replace it in days or weeks with a like kind or even better,” says Greg Bruno, Midlantic Enterprises, Inc., Pennsauken, New Jersey. “In the late ’70s there were plenty of opportunities for everyone. Today, given the diminished number of principals and independent manufacturers’ representatives, you’d be hard pressed to find comparable lines in order to engage them in representation. Given those shrinking numbers, it’s critical to carefully study any contract before deciding to represent someone. Keep in mind that the days of the 30-day notification and then you’re out contracts have gone the way of the dinosaur. That’s why the recommended contract guidelines that MANA provides are so valuable.
“Here’s the difference between the dinosaurs and the forward thinkers,” Bruno continues. “The forward thinkers are the reps and the manufacturers who agree that negotiating, missionary work, and post termination compensation are important. The forward thinkers are the ones who acknowledge that both (manufacturer and rep) are making tremendous investments and that negotiating a fair contract for both is important. We (manufacturers and reps) have to find common ground — and that can be found by studying the MANA guidelines.”
- Listing of State Commission Acts
“There’s probably not a rep anywhere that hasn’t been faced with the prospect of not being paid by a manufacturer. Whether he’s not paid for an order he got, spec work, or refusal to pay commissions after termination, reps need protection.” That’s the view of Ken McGregor, CPMR, McGregor & Associates, Inc., West Jordan, Utah. McGregor, who was instrumental in getting commission protection legislation passed in his native state of Utah, maintains that he personally witnessed the value of such legislation shortly after Utah enacted the law. “We were terminated by a manufacturer that still owed us money. I notified them of the fact and their response was, ‘We don’t care.’ I followed up by sending a letter to the company notifying them if we didn’t receive the proper compensation, we’d turn the matter over to state officials. Once done, then they’d be liable to not only pay the commissions owed, but could be subject to treble damages. It worked. They paid up.”
A visit to MANA’s website (www.MANAonline.org) educates members to the fact that 37 states currently have commission protection laws on the books.
- Videos, Teleforums and Special Reports
Craig Lindsay, CSP, CPMR, endorses the training and educational efforts made available by MANA when he urges members to take advantage of them and become “masters of your own destiny.” Having said that, however, he encourages those who’ve started their training to follow up, “read all the books you can on your profession, practice your skills in the field and continue to improve.”
Lindsay, Pacesetter Sales & Associates, McKellar, Ontario, Canada, is highly complimentary of the videos and teleforums MANA conducts. “Although they’re different in their presentation,” he says, “all of them are fantastic. They’re short and to the point all make use of MANA staff and individuals knowledgeable of the subject. If someone says they don’t have the time to participate, they’re just cheating themselves — they’re just not interested in improving themselves.”
Another benefit of the programs that Lindsay cites is the fact the videos and teleforums can be accessed from home, office or anywhere. “It’s not like you have to take time away from the territory, get on a plane and book a hotel in some city. Plus they’re free.”
He adds that if the initial teleforum or video presentation is missed, they may be accessed online afterward.
Not everything in the area of training and education is for representatives. “The manufacturer one-and-a-half day seminars conducted in Chicago offer a great opportunity for principals to network together and learn about best practices when it comes to working with independent representatives. There’s a cost and a commitment involved in attending the seminars, but it’s well worth it.”
MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at mana@manaonline.org.