It was unavoidable that the words to the 1968 song “One is the loneliest number” came to mind during a MANA special interest group teleconference earlier this year devoted to the concerns and problems faced by single-person rep agencies.

As the words to the song go:

“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
Two can be as bad as one.
It’s the loneliest number since the number one.”

Owners of single-person rep firms are faced with the daunting task of doing everything themselves, whether it’s strategic planning, searching for prospective principals, travel and entertainment related to selling to customers — not to mention the number-one task of selling.

Over a period of three days, participants in the teleconference shared experiences and came up with solutions to other MANA members’ problems.

Underlying all of the discussions that took place was the question, “How do you get everything done?” When that question was posed one rep offered, “When I worked at a larger agency, I was able to delegate any number of tasks to others. That’s simply not possible when you’re on your own. I’ve also found that I no longer have time to plan strategically or manage expectations. It’s reached the point where you successfully shoot one goose and then simply move on to the next.”

Being able to successfully multitask is hardly the only concern for the owners of single-person agencies. As the teleconference progressed, among the other subjects they said they deal with were:

• Locating and contacting prospects

This is a concern that naturally was exacerbated during Covid. Simply stated by one rep, the problem is, “How do you find people? When you call a company, often there’s no receptionist and no by-name directory. It’s an amazing experience when you dial into an automated receptionist and the response is, ‘There is no one here by that name.’”

In partial response, one participant in the teleconference offered that MANA’s line finder directory is a help, and then there’s the sales navigator function on LinkedIn, but you have to pay extra for that.” She added, “If I’m dealing with a large account, I generally keep an eye on the news from that company and look for contacts that way. In addition, I try to look at who follows various people on social media and see who they are connected to. I then move on from there.”

• Technology

If Covid has resulted in an increase in working remotely and making contact with customers more difficult, one positive change that has resulted from the pandemic has been the increased ability of reps to electronically demonstrate products. Here’s how one rep described the change: “I deal primarily in high-end scientific equipment. Prior to Covid, if a customer wanted to see the equipment firsthand, that would necessitate a hands-on demo. The equipment had to be shipped and installed. This was all very time intensive and expensive. With the advent of Covid, almost by default the only solution was to demonstrate equipment remotely. And we found out very quickly how easily this could be done.

“Let’s assume a customer in Canada wants to see a demonstration from a person who was located in Albany, New York. Added to that, the equipment we’re talking about is in California. The Albany personnel were able to remotely operate the California-based equipment for the customer in Quebec. No one had to travel anywhere. The demonstration was shorter and more power packed. On top of that, only so many people can attend an in-person demonstration. The numbers who can attend a remote demo are unlimited.”

• Quality leads

When the group was asked how many of their principals supplied them with qualified leads, responses indicated a general dissatisfaction with what manufacturers considered a “qualified lead.”

According to one rep, “I haven’t had much luck with what they provide. I’ve had some that provide leads and I attend trade shows on their behalf, but not much has developed. I just try to work on selling more products to existing customers. However, in general, I’ve found that following up on leads is a little like spinning your wheels.”

Another rep offered that while “I welcome any and all leads, I’m quick to let the manufacturer know not to expect any answers regarding each of them. Bottom line is that I know much more about the leads they’re offering me than they do.”

On a positive note, another rep said, “That while the majority of leads don’t pan out, many times they wound up providing me with referrals that allowed me to work with distributors. I think it really depends upon the market that you’re selling into.”

• Connecting with prospective principals

“I’m always open to add companies to my line card,” noted one rep. “The problem recently, however, is that in the last two years it’s been difficult to bring in new companies. There haven’t been the number of trade shows or interactions we normally enjoy with people during Covid. That type of networking is easy when you’re walking a trade show floor. Recently I’ve interviewed with a few new companies but I’m finding the energy isn’t necessarily there.”

When it comes to signing on with a new principal, another rep admitted, “I’m getting a lot more choosy when it comes to working with principals. At the same time, I’m actively reducing the number of principals on my line card. Basically, I just want to work with companies that I want to work with vs. having a whole bunch of manufacturers on my line card. I subscribe to what MANA advises when it comes to eliminating the manufacturers who occupy the bottom space of your line card. Perform a line profitability analysis and you’ll find the companies that are the most valuable to you.”

• Territorial development fees

The first rep to comment on this subject explained, “Looking back I could have dozens of principals on my line card, but I’ve become very selective. First up, I won’t take on a principal that doesn’t have business in the territory without a pioneering fee. There’s always got to be a good reason to bring on someone new, but if the principal isn’t willing to put something into the relationship, then it’s not a good fit for me.”

Next, another rep offered, “I’m finding that with certain types of manufacturers, they expect the rep to work for free. I even had one manufacturer tell me he wanted to travel with me on some sales calls and maybe I’d get paid. Naturally, I didn’t sign on with him. This is just indicative of the fact too many people don’t know what reps do or how to work with them.”

Finally, another rep explained that “In my initial conversation with a prospective principal we’ll talk about a retainer. If they’re not willing to talk about it then we’re done. There’s a big world out there and we have any number of choices.”

• MANA

The fact that so many reps participated in the MANA-sponsored special interest group teleconference showed the value they placed on their association membership. One member explained, “I made the serious mistake of not joining the association at the beginning of my career. There are so many tools and resources such as videos, presentations and Agency Sales magazine that I’d be lost without the information provided. On top of that, the type of discussions we’re having today are very important. We’re able to talk to each other and learn how others have solved problems. It’s so much better than just reading something out of a book.”

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

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Thanks to the MANA Special Interest Group Teleconference Participants

Alfonso Portugal
Alfonso Portugal
Palm Harbor, FL

Jamie Benson
Architectural Resources
San Marcos, CA

Tom Buddenbohn
Budd Sales Co.
Arlington, TX

Marc S. Carver
Carver & Associates, LLC
Lake Oswego, OR

Craig Deerman
Deerman Sales
Birmingham, AL

Jim Hammon
J.D. Hammon & Assocs., LLC
Indianapolis, IN

Lisa S. Wilson
L.S. Wilson & Associates, Inc.
Bristol, WI

Marshall Maguire
Maguire Technologies
Salisbury, MA

Erik Wandrie
Material Resource Group, LLC
Oxford, MI

Kevin Rehberger
MDB Supply, LLC
Roswell, GA

Ken Brown
MEP Tech Reps
Wellsville, PA

Jeff Busse
OEM Associates, Inc.
Buffalo Grove, IL

Rick Pierce
Pierce Marketing, LLC
Dayton, OH

Sid Ragona
Ragona Scientific
Pittsford, NY

Kent Bricker
Southland Water Technologies
Fallbrook, CA

Marilyn Kahler
Tri‑Fab Solutions
Scottsdale, AZ