The “I’m too busy” excuse can sink your independent manufacturers’ representative business. The problem is an epidemic. Reps never seem to have time to work on their businesses. There is always something in the way. If it’s not a principal visit, it is a trade show, or manufacturer training program.

Agents need to figure out a way to focus their attention on their own business. Here is a simple solution — three things to think about that you have to do if you want to be successful as you move forward.

Line Card Analysis — Commission Income Review

Your business is all about commission income. If you are not spending time analyzing your income from your lines, you are operating by “remote control” and might be in for some really nasty surprises.

Do you have a line card? If you don’t — create one, now!

After you have the line card, begin a process of analysis that should become a routine for you every month or every other month for the rest of your life as a rep.

Where does the bulk of your commission income come from? Are there 5-6-7 lines that provide 5 percent or more of your income? I’ll bet there aren’t more than 7.

These lines are the guts of your business. I can give you some very good arguments for dropping any lines that don’t contribute 5 percent or more of your income. That’s another article for another time in Agency Sales.

OK, once you have these “real-producers” isolated, begin a very careful analysis of each line and how you and your team are working that line. Where is the business coming from? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your work for these top-producing lines? Where are you vulnerable?

Reps aren’t paranoid — they just know everyone is out to get them!

Paranoia is part of the rep business. There is always someone at a key manufacturer who thinks that reps are just rich old guys who play a lot of golf.

You have to be constantly aware that someone, somewhere is jealous of your position with the company and will do “bad things.” The best defense is a good offense. If you aren’t taking time to analyze your key lines, you are going to get a nasty surprise sometime soon.

Enough said?

Second — Sales Force Productivity

You are in the sales business. As a part of your regular review of your business you should be constantly reviewing the sales results of each of your sellers and your service personnel. The only thing you have to sell is your sales team.

How are you doing — line by line? Where are the potential pitfalls with one or more of your factories with one or more of your salespeople?

Who had a factory person in the field recently and made one or more mistakes? Who hasn’t produced at the planned level of sales with a particular line? Who have you heard from the manufacturer that they don’t (1) like (2) respect (3) think is doing a good job?

Every little thing about your sales force is critical. As stated — you don’t have anything to sell except the sales force!

What Is Your Backselling Plan?

Do you consciously backsell? Does your firm have a backselling program in writing? Do you work with each of your personnel — from top to bottom to make backselling a vital part of your company’s everyday (and night) business?

Again, if you are not positioning your firm with your key principals, you are leaving yourself open to nasty surprises.

No one appreciates your work!

The problem with the independent agency business is that it looks easy. Heck, you get a few lines, you call on a few customers, they buy, you get commission — and that commission is much more than you deserve for the work you do.

How do you position your firm to be valuable to your principals? Backselling.

The only way to get everyone at each key principal to appreciate the work your team does is to sell your work back up the channel. When you have a major success, you have to “toot your horn” in a smart, savvy marketing-oriented way.

When you produce materials — e-mail blasts, new product bulletins, mailers, trade show activity and every other type of sales and marketing support for your lines needs to be “merchandised” to your principals.

Whenever you are with a person from a principal, every member of your team has to be alert, on the ball and ready to impress. When trip reports are forwarded to principals after field visits, they need to be the best reports that principal gets from any of the reps. In many cases they may be the only trip reports the principal gets. You would be surprised how few reps do a really professional job. That is good for you. Your backselling program will stand out in your principal’s mind.

The Bottom Line

1. Line analysis.
2. Sales force analysis and improvement.
3. Backselling.

These three major activities will help to keep you in business for many years.

Don’t just read this “stuff” — do something about it. You can’t be “too busy” to be successful.

Good luck and good selling.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].