It happens more times than not that in the course of an interview with a MANA member, the member will offer a compliment about the association’s services.

For instance:

• Elsewhere in this issue of Agency Sales, one rep notes, “What’s been very helpful to us is that in its wealth of information about how reps can become more professional, the association offers valuable information on how to effectively evaluate the performance of principals via line productivity analysis.”
• It’s commonplace for reps to note that they’ve been very successful in locating new lines or having prospective principals find them via the MANA online directory.
• Then there’s the always critical area of legal services that so many MANA members have found valuable. According to one rep, “The free one-half-hour consultation that members are entitled to, coupled with the list of 25 rep-savvy attorneys that are affiliated with the association, have come to my aid at times when I was at wit’s end trying to solve some sort of a legal problem.”

All of these comments lend credence to the statement one association member offered as to the value he places on his MANA membership: “The value of my membership can only be determined by the effort I make to search out and use the products and services offered. It’s one thing to join an organization, but quite another to realize how valuable your membership is. Thankfully I more than get my money’s worth
every year.”

In the past year alone, there have been any number of innovations offered by MANA to enhance the value offered to the membership. For instance, special interest groups for women rep agency owners and aerospace OEM reps allow like-minded reps to get together and share best practices. Other association special interest groups include a Professional Development Council (PDC) to ensure that MANA provides sought-after professional development resources for its membership and a Young Professionals Special Interest Group (YPSIG) to provide a forum to explore areas of interest for younger reps. And earlier this year saw the creation of a MANA networking group for members in Eastern Canada. Then there’s the steady stream of popular MANA/SalesWise teleforums that address topics such as “Opening Doors for Women Rep Owners,” “Hiring Salespeople” and “Employment and Sub-Rep Contractor Agreements.”

Additional Services

In addition to the many services introduced by MANA this year, it’s always worthwhile to review many of the traditional offerings that association members have available to them:

• RepFinder® and LineFinder®

Perhaps one of the most-used services of MANA remains the RepFinder® directory. Easily found on the MANA website (www.MANAonline.org) the directory allows reps to find principals and sub-reps, and manufacturers to locate prospective rep agencies.

• Agreement Guidelines

As noted by one MANA member, “If we lost a line 30 years ago, we could replace it in days or weeks with a like kind or even a better one. Today, given the diminished number of principals and independent manufacturers’ representatives, reps are 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 a principal.” That’s why the recommended contract guidelines (which may be found on the MANA website) are so valuable.

• Manufacturer Seminars

On an annual basis MANA conducts day-and-a-half manufacturer seminars that are crafted to specifically address manufacturers’ expectations as they begin or continue to work with an outsourced sales network. An important component of these seminars is the question-and-answer sessions at the end of the seminar that are geared to examine manufacturers’ expectations and to ensure that those expectations have been met. The seminars are constructed to cover everything that a manufacturer needs to know about working with reps. Who are they? What makes them tick? How can you become their emotional favorite? What are some of the legal implications of working with reps? How are territories established and how do they work? What about house accounts, or the lack thereof?

Advance notice and registration information for interested manufacturers will appear in Agency Sales magazine well in advance of the next scheduled seminar.

• State Commission Acts

A quick visit to the MANA website allows visitors to access the 37 states that currently have commission protection laws on the books.

• Publications

While Agency Sales magazine remains MANA’s most constant printed (and online) presence, the association offers any number of additional special reports covering everything from Starting a Rep Agency, Strategies for Rep Success, Open Doors by Building an Effective Rep Council, and other matters of importance to the membership.

• Counseling

The free legal counseling provided by the association isn’t the only one-on-one counseling members can make use of. MANA executives are always available to deal with principal-rep questions or to provide detailed information about any and all of the association’s products and services.

MANA’s legal counseling service continues to be one of the association’s major member benefits. The 25 rep-savvy attorneys listed on the association’s website provide members with an annual free half-hour consultation with one of them.

The purpose of this session — which often exceeds the half hour — is to provide members with a quick answer to a general legal question. It is not intended for detailed legal advice or services such as contract review or even a contract clause review. If the attorney believes the consultation does not fall under the no-charge member benefit category, the attorney will notify the member and allow them to decide whether or not to proceed. This notification should include the hourly rate and an estimate of the amount of time involved.

• Social Media

Among the several social media tools of use to the association, the MANA LinkedIn discussion group regularly devotes itself to discussion of timely subjects that members face on a daily basis. In the past months, subjects covered include everything from how to locate dependable legal counsel, succession planning or finding qualified employees. It’s not unusual for members to contact MANA staff with a question or problem and that can be quickly referred to a discussion that’s already been covered on LinkedIn.

In addition, MANA’s presence on Facebook features a number of videos on subjects such as starting an agency, how to use the MANA RepFinder® and how to handle a proposed commission cut. And finally, Twitter is a location where the membership can make concise comments on agency activities and the association’s varied products and services.

• Association Networking Efforts

MANA is not alone. There are a number of other rep associations serving reps in specific industries. Among those associations are AIM/R, ERA, HDMRC, IHRA, ISA, NEMRA, NMRA and PTRA. MANA members and association executives regularly meet with those associations to share solutions to mutual problems and exchange best practices — all in the interests of better serving their mutual constituencies.

But There’s Much More

In addition to the products and services described here, by visiting the MANA website (www.MANAonline.org) association members can find a wealth of information on:

• Discounted Products and Services.
• Professional Development Opportunities.
• Online Classified Advertising.
• Links to Rep Sister Associations.
• Links to MANA on Social Media.
• Special Reports.
• MANA Member Toolbox.
• And much more.

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