Bernat Riera

Since he’s the relatively “new guy on the block,” Bernat Riera can’t be blamed for having the normal concerns that any start-up rep firm has. Attracting quality principals, gaining a presence on the Internet, negotiating exclusivity with principals in the territory, etc., are all matters that keep him busy.

But if anyone has the qualities that will make it work, it should be MANA-member Riera, who heads Les Produits BR, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

Before beginning his journey as an independent manufacturers’ rep earlier this year, Riera packed several years of selling experience under his belt. Ten years as a pharmaceutical rep followed by a year as an insurance broker preceded time spent on the manufacturing side of the desk. “I was the sales and marketing manager for a local industrial equipment manufacturer here in Quebec. During that time I familiarized myself with MANA as I used the association to locate reps in various territories in the United States. It was that time spent speaking with reps and providing them with product training that I got to learn what the true role of the rep was in the selling process.

“When the time came that I changed jobs, becoming a rep myself made sense. The fact that I had several years of experience in sales at different levels, coupled with the fact that being a rep would provide more flexibility for me to spend time with my family pointed me in that direction. I really enjoy being on the road, visiting industrial facilities and meeting new people. In addition, now that we’re in this era of lean management and continuous improvement, helping customers find the products they need to increase their business performance is something that attracts me.”

Still at the beginning of his rep career Riera explains that his single-man operation “…carries the line of industrial equipment of my previous employer, mainly machinery for material handling and stretch wrapping. I’m also negotiating with three potential principals in the field of biodegradable cleaning and janitorial supplies. These lines reflect my expertise and offer major potential at this time when the local industry seems to be booming.”

Time and Patience

As a manufacturer Bernat Riera (left), seen here with one of his principals, Sebastien Richer from Torus, was no stranger to MANA as he located several reps through the association. Now the Canadian rep finds himself on the other side of the desk as he reps manufacturers of industrial equipment.

Asked if he’s encountered any unexpected surprises since he’s opened his agency doors, Riera explains that one thing that got his attention was the time it takes to negotiate agreements with principals. “It’s certainly nothing that happens quickly. I’m finding that it takes more than a few meetings and a great deal of patience. With experience, however, it’s getting easier and once the principal realizes the value I bring and the value of going to market with reps, the process speeds up a bit.”

An obvious ongoing effort right now by Riera is to locate additional lines. To that end he explains that “Being a MANA member provides me with a great deal of exposure to prospective principals. In addition, I take my time to conduct research and make contacts with principals I locate through the association. On top of that I conduct market research on the bestsellers in my specialty and try to find other less-known local manufacturers.”

Agency Sales readers might recall how in the June issue Riera has also been accessing MANA via his efforts to start a local MANA chapter in Quebec. Two meetings have already been conducted by local reps and more networking events will be planned for the future.

In all of his contacts with prospective principals, Riera emphasizes, “My message to them is that I offer them a competitive advantage in the territory.” As he communicates that message, however, he’s also sure to communicate the importance of having a written contract with any principals. “That is something that is very important to me and to the principals. Sadly, not all of the manufacturers are open to the premise of having a written contract. In the failure of working with a contract, I’m always sure to ask for written confirmation with major lines that spells out areas such as the territory to be covered, payment of commissions, definition of the line of products that I’ll be selling and the level of support I can expect from them.”

Working Both Sides of the Border

In addition to his interest in local businesses, Riera explains that “I’m very interested in working on both sides of U.S.-Canadian border. In the past I’ve traveled often from Virginia up to Vermont and I found that there are great new product opportunities. I’m interested in working with American principals to develop them for the Canadian market especially in the field of maintenance equipment and supplies.”

If he’s obviously enthusiastic about working on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, Riera also keeps an eye on what’s happening worldwide. “With the new CETA trade agreement between Canada and the European union there are plenty of opportunities with small- and medium-sized manufacturers to develop the second largest market. (CETA, or the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, is a free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union and its member states). Before CETA, only 25 percent of EU tariff lines on Canadian goods were duty-free. With CETA, 98 percent of EU tariff lines are now duty-free for Canadian goods. Once CETA is fully implemented, the EU will have eliminated tariffs on 99 percent percent of its tariff lines. Also, the Canadian dollar is much lower than the Euro, so Canadian manufacturers should start considering adding reps to develop the European market and European manufacturers should do the same since Canada is a major importer of international goods.”

As he continues to monitor opportunities on both the North American and European continents, Riera emphasizes how he is practicing something that MANA has long espoused, that is the sharing of information with prospective and existing principals. “I’ve made it a point to craft a business plan and I share that and my business strategy with principals. I also make sure to communicate my sales forecasts for every line that I represent.” And, he’s not done there: “After every three-month sales cycle, I provide my principals with a detailed report complete with the highlights and comments from customers, information on upcoming tradeshows and events and my own comments on how to improve the line in terms of marketing support, branding and pricing. I find it’s important that I make use of my experience in marketing and sales in this manner. Also, I’m developing a website (www.monfournisseur.ca) as a support device for an online catalog. From that location customers will find all the technical information and specs that they need.”

Complementing his efforts at maintaining a presence on the Internet with an agency web page, Riera says he also plans on making use of social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook. “Both of these tools will serve to drive traffic to the web page. The former obviously will offer information on why it’s effective to go to market with reps and the latter will be more of a personal approach and include interviews with principals describing their experiences with reps.”

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