There’s hardly a stereotype of the manufacturer who attends MANA’s Manufacturer Seminar, according to Hank Bergson.

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As he and Kris Hefley approach their time as presenters of the seminar for the seventh time, Bergson notes, “We’ve got any number of types of manufacturers who are looking to work efficiently with independent manufacturers’ representatives:

• “There are those who are brand new to working with an outsourced sales force and maybe couldn’t even spell ‘rep’ before they attended.
• “There are some who are contemplating changes in their rep network make-up and how they go to market. They’re looking for what’s the best or proper way to work with reps ethically and legally.
• “Then you’ve got those who’ve had a rep network for years but are now looking to pick up some new tactics and refresh their approach.

“Whatever their needs, our plans are to present them with timely and relevant information that they can put to use.”

Scheduled for October 13-14 next month at the Holiday Suites, Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Illinois, the seminar will follow the same day-and-a-half format that it has in the past.

Bergson explains that in addition to plenty of time for question-and-answer sessions, there will be a wealth of take-home material aimed at covering everything from finding, interviewing, hiring, keeping and motivating a rep sales force.

Based on his past experience, Bergson says that the approach of each seminar varies according to the needs of the audience. “One thing we’ve always done — and will continue next month — is to ask attendees at the beginning what their expectations are for the seminar. We write down those expectations and, naturally, at the conclusion, we’ll ask them if those expectations have been met.”

He continues, “Manufacturers are interested in how to communicate effectively with reps. Quite honestly, there’s quite a bit that manufacturers don’t know whether they should ask their reps. The question is: ‘At what point am I asking my reps to provide too much information about their operation that quite frankly is none of my business?’ We’ll let them know what they need to know so that they can effectively aid their reps in selling the manufacturers’ products.”

Bergson notes that achieving a level of quality communication allows a manufacturer to become the rep’s “emotional favorite.” It’s meeting that level of communication that can result in optimum performance by the rep sales force.

He promises that during the course of the seminar, “We’ll talk about everything from:

• Hiring and terminating reps.
• The importance of evaluating reps.
• The importance of reps evaluating principals.
• The kind of questions that should be asked so the manufacturer and the rep know when it’s time to say ‘goodbye’ to each other.
• What are the various legal implications of working with reps?
• What kind of difficulties could you get into and what situations should you stay out of when working with reps?

“We also make sure we cover the subject of communication between manufacturer and rep. We try to help them define the importance of developing a high level of quality communication so that if and when the rep and principal begin going in different directions, the delta doesn’t get so great that a change has to be made in the relationship. As difficult as it is to anticipate, it’s important to avoid reaching the point in the relationship when you may be riding a dead horse into oblivion.”

MANA’s Manufacturer Seminar

The association’s day-and-a-half seminar, scheduled for October 13-14, 2016 at the Holiday Inn & Suites, Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Illinois, provides manufacturers:

• Sales and marketing tactics to employ when working with independent agents.
• Tips for leveraging synergistic products.
• Time-tested techniques for selecting, recruiting and hiring the right agent for your organization.
• Explanations of partnerships and expectations.
• Information on how to motivate an outsourced sales force.
• Tips for implementing effective communication with agents.
• Directions for planning, pioneering and achieving top performance.
• Directions to avoid multiple-line conflicts.

MANA’s Manufacturer Seminar will be conducted by industry veterans Hank Bergson and Kris Hefley.

With more than a 40-year career in the electrical industry as both a manufacturer and the CEO of the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Representatives Association (NEMRA), Hank Bergson currently works as a consultant helping manufacturers enter the marketplace with the assistance of independent manufacturers’ representatives.

Kris Hefley has more than 25 years of consulting experience working with agents and manufacturers that work with independent representatives to go to market. He has worked with and conducted seminars for NEMRA, ERA, MAFSI, PTRA and MRERF. Hefley also is an associate professor of marketing at Johnson & Wales University, Denver, Colorado, where he specializes in B2B marketing and sales management.

For more information concerning next month’s MANA Manufacturer Seminar, visit the association’s website, www.MANAonline.org.