Just when I think I must have touched about every market that’s served by manufacturers’ representatives, somebody comes along and teaches me about a market I’d never seen before that is well-served by manufacturers’ representatives. Any time that happens, it’s a great day. And that’s what happened when Bill Yorston of MANA representative member Yorston and Associates called me a few months ago to teach me sign language.

No, not that sign language. I’m talking about the language of the sign industry, where Bill and other manufacturers’ representatives make a major sales impact on behalf of sign industry manufacturers and enhance the image of outsourced sales forces.

What kind of impact do companies like Yorston’s have on the image of representatives? A very positive impact, says Sales Manager-Sign Products Joe Walsh of Orange, Connecticut-based Voltarc. “I will say that manufacturers’ representatives’ professionalism has increased dramatically over the years. So when I meet a manufacturers’ representative who knows every sign company in a six- to eight-state area, the ins and outs of what they are working on, and their typical customers, I know that’s a professional. And I know that I’m unlikely to find a new hire as a direct employee who could match that expertise.”

Jim Perritt, North America Sales Manager, Product Assembly Adhesives, of Uniontown, Ohio-based Lord Corporation is quick to cite the advantages manufacturers’ representatives bring to his company. Says Perritt:

• They have established relationships with local distributors.
• They know the local end users for our products that are our distributors’ customers.
• They are more local to the distributors and the distributors’ customers.
• They understand the applications for our adhesives.
• They help us achieve a lower cost of doing business than we could achieve with direct salespeople.
• They create synergy with the lines on their line cards. Our adhesives bond to substrates, so if they have a customer for substrates that customer is a candidate to buy our adhesives, and if they have a customer for our adhesives that customer is a candidate to buy the representative’s substrates.

Perritt continued, “If we move into another market we will absolutely look for manufacturers’ representatives in that market. I really believe in taking our products to market with manufacturers’ representatives.”

Without Yorston’s call, I would never have known about this robust ecosystem of manufacturers’ representatives and manufacturers in the sign industry. Is your industry one with which most MANA members may not be familiar? Call me at (949) 427-3027 like Yorston did; I’d love to learn more!