John Ahlering, a U.S. Navy veteran, has enjoyed over 30 years refining his business development, sales, engineering and entrepreneurial expertise.
Don’t employ a kneejerk reaction by labeling John Ahlering as a pessimist when he begins to detail some of the many challenges that independent manufacturers’ reps face today. Instead, give him the benefit of the doubt that he is in fact a realist and one who embraces what MANA and Agency Sales magazine have long espoused when it comes to the importance of reps providing value to their principals and customers.
Looking back over a more than 22-year rep career, Ahlering, founder and president of Coastal Technology Group, LLC, is the first to admit the rep-profession landscape has changed considerably. Consider for a moment what reps have to deal with today that their predecessors never could have dreamed of:
A generational change of decision makers among their customers — Today, according to Ahlering, “Close to 50 percent of the customer decision makers are the sons or daughters of those I dealt with at the beginning of my career. They are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to their jobs, and they know the right questions to ask. Here’s a major difference — when I started to sell my lines, I needed a demo unit, a computer and product samples. And, equipped with all that, the customer wanted to see you, they wanted you there. The problem now is, however, that they don’t want or need to see salespeople in-person. The fact is they have a reduced need to see you. Just as the rest of us, they know how to work an internet search engine and most of the time they can come up with the answers to their questions without the aid of a salesperson.”
Is There a Need for a Salesperson?
To illustrate his point, Ahlering turns to changes that have occurred in the practice of buying a new car. “Before going to a car dealership, we all know ahead of time what makes a good or a bad car. As members of an informed society, we’re more than prepared to go through the process of buying a car. Think for a moment about television ads showing how easy it is to buy a car from a vending machine. The last thing we need is a salesperson. They’ve simply become order takers and anyone can do that job. That’s a position a manufacturers’ rep has to avoid finding himself in.”
An inability to easily get face-to-face with customers — Building on the previous point, Ahlering stresses that “These customers aren’t being mean about it when they say they don’t want to see you. They really mean it. They don’t want or need to see you. If you want to leave a catalog or other product information, that’s fine, but that’s all they need.”
Ahlering adds that if you really want to get face-to-face with prospects and customers, trade shows remain your best bet. Admitting that such shows took a major hit during the pandemic, he explains, “When you attend a trade show you don’t even have to be an exhibitor. All you have to do is register, have a badge and walk the show. Then, it’s up to you to meet with prospects and start building relationships.”
A lack of appreciation for the value the rep brings — Ahlering is adamant when he maintains that “We (reps) haven’t failed when it comes to providing value. What’s changed is where we go and who we meet. If they (customers) perceive our value at all, it’s not at the same level that we perceive it.” He continues, “If that’s the way it is, so be it, I’m fine with that. At the same time, when I deal with customers, my goal is let the person talk, and I communicate to them that I’m not thinking about selling them anything. I want to be empathetic to their needs. My job is to ask questions about them and learn where they are. If I’m able to do that successfully, I’m then able to employ my sales tactics when the opportunity presents itself. I can do that because I’ve made the effort to develop a relationship.”
Technology’s Impact
The impact of technology on the selling profession — “If anything our experience in selling during the last two years has shown us that the old ways don’t work like they used to. I did all I could to get in touch with customers when it came to email, phoning and texting. If none of that worked, I simply showed up where I could and hoped I could make personal contact. But, obviously things have changed.”
Dealing with the twin challenges of selling in a post-Covid world and coming up with “work arounds” necessitated by supply chain problems — “For the last three years many of the doors that used to be open to us have closed. There’s certainly an inability to get anyone to answer the phone or email, or see us in-person. This raises the question, if this problem persists, how do we as reps provide value? In partial answer I’d like to think MANA (to which I recently renewed my membership) and other rep organizations can help. As reps we have to come together to discuss our mutual problems and come up with solutions.
In conclusion, Ahlering observes, “It’s necessary to consider whether the position of outside salesperson is becoming obsolete. Look at the statistics. If there were four million outside salespeople two years ago, then some are predicting there will be one and a half million in 2025. I don’t believe everything I read, but given all the changes that have occurred, and combine that with the impact of Covid, the importance of the outside salesperson could be diminishing. Don’t blame me for being the messenger here. What I can say is that the only way we might reverse a trend is to recognize the problem and actually come up with concrete ways to demonstrate our value.
“And finally, instead of using a term like ‘negative’ to apply to this discussion, I’d like to suggest we use ‘realistic.’ The way it is simply is the way it is. We all have to remain positive and have to work harder during these what can be termed, ‘trying days.’”
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