Rick Pierce’s path from college to heading his own rep firm could be described as more “typical” compared to so many other agency owners who have been profiled in Agency Sales magazine.

So many others have begun careers in far-flung ventures covering everything from teaching, law enforcement, and even professional sports. For Pierce it was an entirely different story. After studying marketing in college, he began a sales career with a manufacturer. In his words “I began working for a manufacturer as number 32 in their sales force of 32. I left 14 years later as number two.”

His reason … Read the rest

The continued benefit of in-person contact with prospects and customers was stressed during the course of a MANAchat when reps who participated constantly pointed out that nothing beats “face-to-face, belly-to-belly” selling.

According to one rep, “Here’s the problem that’s been going on for 20 years now: You go to a website to check out a company or a product and everything you read tells you that the company producing the product — or the product itself — is absolutely fantastic. You never read how something is mediocre or performs poorly in the field. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that … Read the rest

For the startup of an independent manufacturers’ representative firm, selection of manufacturers the agency decides to represent is critical. For an established agency, seeking the right manufacturers to add to existing lines is important for continued success.

Decide on an Industry

For a single-person rep agency, it is important to select manufacturers from the same industry. For a multiple-person agency, adding manufacturers from more than one industry is fine, but each salesperson should focus on one industry alone. A successful independent manufacturers’ rep must clearly establish in each customer’s mind the best rep to call for technical assistance, service and … Read the rest

Some regional sales managers have little or no experience with reps. How do you educate them and make them an ally?

It’s very common for reps to face a new regional sales manager for at least one of their major lines every year. And, it is probably safe to say that often they are not very knowledgeable about your business and how they are supposed to work with you. Some may even think that the job is to “manage” you.

Sometimes a regional manager is well acquainted with the real beneficial activities they can contribute to your rep firm and … Read the rest

One of your biggest challenges in selling may be how to reach the actual decision-making customer.

Tip #1 — Start Higher up the Ladder

The higher you start up your customer’s chain of command, the more likely you are to reach someone with the authority to say yes. Unfortunately, sales reps often settle for easier-to-reach lower-level managers who aren’t authorized to make significant operational changes or large purchases. In other words, in order to say yes to your offering, they’d have to ask a higher-up for permission. They are however, empowered to say no. So, it makes sense to start … Read the rest

Sales success can be broken down to an almost mathematical equation that works every time. There is a direct correlation between work and results when it comes to sales success. If you do the proper amount of work in three key areas, you pretty much guarantee sales success. If you don’t do the proper amount of work in those three areas, you will struggle and may fail completely.

Tip #1 — Start Higher up the Ladder

The higher you start up your customer’s chain of command, the more likely you are to reach someone with the authority to say yes. … Read the rest

Since salespeople are always in the “Selling Season” it’s always great time to do some networking. Go into the world and use networking as a prospecting tool.

It’s also a great time to bolster your personal brand. Make no mistake — you are a brand. You’re a business of one, a business unto yourself. As a “personal business,” you need to deliberately project your brand to your target audience.

The better known your personal brand is in your marketplace or industry, the more successful you are. When you leave messages for prospective clients, they’re more likely to call you back … Read the rest

A genuine smile can change everything — for the customer, your colleagues, and yourself. It’s powerful and critical to providing superior customer service.

Why is a smile so important? Because it fosters a positive attitude and forms a good first impression. It sets the stage for everything that follows, and it costs nothing. A smile invites people in. It says, “I like you. I care about you as a person. I value you. I care about your needs. I’m ready to help.”

A smile helps you build a positive outlook and attitude that is contagious. When you have a positive … Read the rest