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There have been innumerable articles in this publication and others concerning the communication that manufacturers should expect from their reps. There’s another side to this subject, however. When several reps were asked what they truly value in the types of communication that they receive from their principals, here were some of their reactions.

“While most of our principals are fairly small, putting out a regularly scheduled newsletter would obviously be a major undertaking for them. What they do, however, is to religiously let us know anything and everything important that’s happening with them that can impact our work in the field. I’d make the point that the form of communication isn’t really all that important. What is important, on the other hand, is communication — and the more the better. Whether it’s a text, email or a handwritten note, as long as they keep us in the loop, we feel as if we’re one of the family. If anything, it strengthens the relationship we have with them.”

Another rep offered: “We have a number of fairly large principals who have done what I’d consider a good job of communication with us via their newsletters. Where once these were printed publications that were mailed to us, today they are generally electronic publications. It makes no difference to us as long as we’re communicated with. As to the subject matter contained in the publications, it’s generally market statistics, current sales levels for the products we sell, articles on the company and the people we work with, and occasionally a message from one of their top executives that describes trends or short- and long-term plans for the company. No matter what the subject matter, just keep it coming.”

Adapting to Change

While he was quick to admit “texting” was hardly his thing, when a manufacturer heard from several of his reps that texting was the best way to communicate with them, he was quick to adapt. “Maybe it’s a generational thing. I’d much rather talk to someone in person or, failing that, over the phone. But, given the pressure of work, that’s not always possible. So, when I asked some of my best reps how they would prefer to hear from me, as one they all said by text. One of them put it best when he said: ‘When I receive a text message on my cell phone, I know it relates to business. If it’s a question or a problem, I know I had better drop what I’m doing and respond immediately. If I’ve got to get something done on the phone or in person, there’s too much small talk. By texting, we get right to the point — it’s business only.”

How We Get What We Need From the Relationship

As he looked back at more than 15 years of working with a network of independent reps, one manufacturer noted that high on his list of expectations was that his reps would assist him with territory, customer and market research. After a few false starts and some pushback from his reps, he recalled that he was finally able to settle into a process that resulted in all that he could ever have expected from his reps. Here’s part of his process:

• “Ensure that the lines of communication concerning the expected research are open both ways and that they are easy to navigate. If the rep has a question, be sure there’s always support staff in the office who can provide the needed answers.”
• “Once a research project is complete, let the rep know all the results. Don’t hold anything back.”
• “Continually let your reps know how you’re using the result that he’s gathered.”
• “Whenever I have a need for detailed research, I’ll let the rep know in full exactly what I’m after, why I need it, and how this information is ultimately going to help both of us.”
• “In addition to compensating reps for their efforts, be sure to thank them and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts and cooperation.”

Taking an Unexpected Call

A manufacturer was certain he had all of his bases covered in that he had representation in just about all of the major industrial areas in which he had interest. That’s why he was more than a little surprised when completely out of the blue he received a call from a rep asking to represent him in a virtually “dead” area. Feeling he had nothing to lose, the manufacturer aligned himself with the rep and the two signed to work together. According to the manufacturer, “What I didn’t know, however, was something the rep was aware of. Because of his contacts in the territory, the rep knew that a major manufacturer was slated to move into the territory, and that represented a tremendous potential for our product line. When the manufacturer made the move about a year later, the rep had already established himself as the go-to source and since then he’s become one of our top reps.

“If I could tell other manufacturers anything, it would be if someone calls to represent them, even in the most remote area, take the time to listen to them.”

Making All the Right Moves

A manufacturer that was new to working with reps let us know recently that they were joining MANA. Obviously, we think that’s the right move to make, but that’s not all he did. “When we contract with a rep, we’ve made it a practice that within a week of signing on the dotted line, someone from sales and someone from engineering visits the rep for at least two days. We’ll spend the first day going over details and the second in the field visiting with customers. If they want us to stay longer, we’ll accommodate them.”

The manufacturer continues that their approach not only establishes solid relations with reps immediately, but the reps bring in business a lot faster than they might if he didn’t work as closely and quickly as he does with them.

The Problem With Inconsistency

After one of his longstanding direct salespeople left the company for another position in the industry, a manufacturer reflected on the subject of the importance of having continuity in the field. “We’ve been working with a hybrid sales organization for quite some time. It’s worked well for us, we have few complaints, and we really don’t expect to change our approach. One of the major differences between a direct and rep organization, however, occurs when we have a change in the sales force. When a rep firm makes a change, such as merging with another firm or adding or subtracting from their sales team, there’s really little impact in the territory. That’s because the agencies that we work with have been in place for years, and their brand remains strong and constant even after changes occur. With a direct salesperson, however, there’s an immediate reaction. If we’ve been lucky enough to have a direct person in place for five or more years, the customers really feel it when he moves on because that salesperson has worked long and hard on building relationships. Then to compound the problem, if we run several salespeople through a territory over the period of a couple of years, we have little chance of maintaining relationships.”

The Old “Quid Pro Quo”

When the subject of responding to a rep’s request for help came up at a rep meeting, one manufacturer offered the oft-repeated warning: “Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it.” He continued to explain that he’s always been quick to respond to reps’ requests for assistance, whether it’s for someone from the plant to visit a customer in the field, product samples, literature, support for attendance at a trade show, etc. However, there’s another side to that coin. “We’re there and always will be there for our reps, but when they ask for something, I want something in return. I’m not just going to shovel literature out the door to that rep unless he tells me why he wants it and demonstrates his plan for what he’s going to do with it. Likewise, if he wants some help (financial or otherwise) at a trade show, I expect some sort of a report concerning results to follow.

“I’ve found that since my reps know I want to hear back from them, they’ve been much more careful in what they ask for. But at the same time, when I’ve supported them, I get results.”

A Note to Reps

When a manufacturer with a longstanding business strategy of working with independent reps was asked to share his thoughts about continuing with reps in the face of a challenging economy, he responded this way: “Reps have never come with a higher recommendation than they do today. The fact that we — just as so many other businesses — are looking for ways to contain expenses while increasing our market share, causes us to depend upon our network of reps more than ever.”

While this manufacturer is not one that has to fill many holes in his rep network, he admitted that there have been occasions when he’s had to replace a rep or find one to cover a territory that hasn’t previously been covered. “When that happens, one of the first things we do is determine whether the rep is a member of a rep association, and it helps if we find he belongs to MANA and an industry-specific association.”

If that provides a positive start to what hopefully will be a long-term relationship, he continued that he and his company look for a bit more. “Does the rep have a marketing plan? Is he able to share it with me? If he has such a plan, does he effectively execute it? All of these questions have to be answered before we can move ahead.”

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