© Graphiqa-Stock | stock.adobe.com

Time management and developing relationship skills were high on the list of topics that were addressed during one of MANA’s latest teleconference chats devoted to single-person agencies.

On the one hand, many of the chat participants made the point that they’ve been able to make sales while they work remotely away from the customer. “It’s unbelievable the amount of work we’ve been able to successfully complete without personally touching base with the customers. It’s interesting that looking back you had to bang on doors over and over if you wanted to be successful. But what we’ve found today is that unless there’s an immediate need on the part of the customer, I simply don’t have to get out of the office, get in the car and go. I can do 95 percent of my work by texting or emailing specs and drawings and then just following up via phone.”

Complementing that opinion, another rep offered, “I’m hardly a stranger to the need to go out and bang on doors. But if I drive an hour and a half to see a customer and then come home, I’m kidding myself by feeling I got a lot done. As a result, I’ll still knock on doors, but at the same time, I try to be strategic in covering my territory and only travel the territory when I have to. Like other reps, I find I can get a lot more done remotely.”

Developing Relationships

When it came to discussing the subject of relationships with customers, one chat participant made the point that “When 9/11 happened and then years later we experienced Covid, everything got grounded. Everybody was talking about how important it was to be able to conduct business via the phone and the internet. That’s all good but you still have to get out there in front of the customer and be belly-to-belly with them. If you don’t do that, then someone else will, and they’ll be the ones who get the sale.”

The point was made over and over during the teleconference that a key to developing personal relationships with customers develops from the rep’s ability to assist customers in solving their problems. “We’re not in front of the customer to just sell a product. We should be there to ask questions, get answers, and provide feedback for their problems.”

She added, “When you’re able to sit right in front of the customer, you’re better able to let them feel comfortable with you. Then it’s a matter of realizing you have two ears and one mouth, so just sit back and they’ll tell you everything you need to learn about their needs and wants. Ultimately, you’re going to become their ‘go-to guy.’ I’ll be the first to admit, however, that today it’s much more challenging than ever before to develop those kinds of relationships.”

Time Management

When it came to the subject of time management and saving time, one rep offered, “I continue to struggle with time management.” In terms of offering advice, other reps explained that they didn’t do invoicing. “I leave that up to the principal. In addition, I don’t inventory products and don’t have a warehouse. I know many others do, but I’ll let them deal with that. I maintain that selling is what a rep is all about and that’s what I concentrate on. Every morning when I start the day, I have a clear vision of what I’m doing to be doing for the rest of the day and I eliminate those tasks that don’t apply to sales. It’s at the end of the day and weekends when I try to get my arms around the non-sales stuff.”

Staying on the subject of time management, one rep described how with the aid of a coach, he changed his time block on his Microsoft calendar from a half hour to 15 minutes. “That resulted in my being able to find time I never knew I had.”

Another rep noted that he had some success by hiring a virtual assistant. “This was money well spent. The assistant performed relatively small tasks for me. The person I hired was able to work on various data management tasks. The challenging part of working with a virtual assistant was reaching the point where you could turn over the task to the individual without having to supervise them. While that remained a bit of a challenge, it was still a great experience and allowed me to focus on tasks I knew I had to get done.”

A final time saver was suggested by another rep who has had success working with something called a ringless voicemail. “I sell through distributors. If my customer has my information on their phone, I’m able to send them a voicemail without their phone ringing. I’m able to record one generic greeting and send that to 20 or more people. Normally, the customer’s phone will be ringing off the hook, but this delivers the message without having the ring sound. If ever I was looking for a force multiplier, this has been it for me.”

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