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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 too many people today have become entirely dependent on technology to do their jobs. For instance, I’ve got a friend who is a rep who’s preparing his children to take over the agency. The problem is the two sons are ‘hooked’ on computers and are uncomfortable getting out to see people in person.”

On the other hand, it’s when you meet someone in person that you learn all you need to know. It’s there that you find out what their needs are or what they think of a company. Compounding the problem is the fact that leaving a voice message or sending an email is a lot easier than going out to meet someone. And, any number of reps have become satisfied with doing that. It’s really quite simple, to really do the job of selling well, you’ve got to see people in person.”

Seeing Customers

One of the problems for reps today, however, is that it’s getting more difficult than ever to actually get in front of customers. “That’s a problem that grew quite a bit during Covid,” explained one rep. “We probably got used to contacting customers via phone or email. Now that the pandemic is over, however, a number of people still work remotely or have moved on from their companies to other positions. As a result, it’s more difficult than ever to get in touch.”

That development begged the question from the group of reps participating in the chat as to whether they have any recommendations for locating customers other than LinkedIn. An aggressive strategy was employed by one rep who explained that “When I find that a customer has disappeared, I’m more like a private investigator than anything else. I’ll call the company and drill down until I find someone who knows where they’ve gone or if they know someone who I can speak with. It may take a bit of time, but I find that approach has been fairly successful for me.”

Time is obviously a major consideration in that process, according to the reps. “Before I even begin the process, I make a list and determine how many hours I’m going to devote to the process. I’ll make sure that I leave any of my paperwork to complete at the end of the workday. Then, if there’s a company I’m looking at, I’ll obviously check out their website and learn all I can. Once you get a name to contact, it’s a matter of determining when is the best time to contact them. With some it’s going to be first thing in the morning and others late in the day. It all comes down to getting your foot in the door. If you’re lucky enough to do that, you’re going to be able to manage your time a lot better.”

Getting Paid

Getting paid in an accurate and timely manner was also a popular subject of this chat. One rep kicked off the discussion by noting, “I located a line of chemical products through MANA about three years ago. But, from day one, I’ve had to chase my commission check every month even though I have a detailed contract stipulating that I’m to be paid 15 days after they’ve been paid by the customer.”

Another rep agreed this was hardly the best situation. “What I’d do is to go in to meet with them and detail your concerns. Unless they have a good reason, this is really showing a lack of respect for you. You work hard and your time is valuable. Bottom line is that there are many other principals out there that would be better to work with.”

An opposite situation was detailed by another rep who explained, “I’ve got one principal who as soon as they’re paid, I get a check from them. It’s not unheard of that I’ll get three checks in a week from them — I can recall one for as little as $14. It’s not hard to stay motivated when you work for someone who’s anxious to compensate you. If you don’t have a situation like that, then move on.”

The conversation then went in a direction of how effective CRM programs were. While several suppliers of CRM services were mentioned, it was also mentioned that in the “Steps for Professionalism” in the member area of the MANA website (www.MANAonline.org) there is a list of CRM software providers. Attesting to the benefits of not only CRM services but technology in general, one rep explained, “While I’ve been a rep for years and consider myself old fashioned, I’d have to admit that I don’t think any one of us could operate efficiently today without computers and cell phones. When I began, and this is no surprise to anyone, everyone needed an office and a secretary. While the entire landscape has changed, nothing beats talking person-to-person with people. When I follow up on a lead, contact the right people and talk to them about their problems and ask questions, that’s when the job really gets done. That’s the real advantage of putting people back into the equation.”

Beneficial Recommendations

After covering a wide range of subjects during the chat, participants couldn’t leave the conversation without referencing a few sources of inspiration from their pasts:

• The first was a recommendation that all reps read a book from the 1930s — How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. It was cautioned to not read the revised version, but to seek out the original. “Read, it, follow the advice, and your business will take off.”
• Next was The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen Covey. According to one rep, “It takes an eternity to build trust between yourself and your customer; and it takes a second to lose it. You don’t have to be a pushover in your dealings with customers, but you do have to be trustworthy.” Citing an example to make his point, the rep recalled a time when he made a call on a customer and the customer’s reaction was “I only buy on the cheapest price. I got up and went to the door, but as I was leaving, I turned around and reminded the customer that I’ve never been one to rely on selling at the lowest price. If that’s what you want, I’m wasting my time. I always sell value. If I sell at the lowest price, then you’re always going to be negotiating down. I only deal with the highest quality products. If I lose on price, that’s okay. Remember, there’s always going to be someone who will offer a lower price and probably accompanying that will be the lowest quality.”
• Finally, one rep made reference to legendary sales consultant Zig Ziglar, author, salesman and motivational speaker. According to the rep, “Ziglar always emphasized the importance of selling value. Remember, your job is not to get an order, it’s to help the customer solve a problem. You don’t do that by bringing out your 20-item PowerPoint presentation on a sales call. As an example, think about the customer who’s looking for a quarter-inch drill bit. That’s not really what they want. What they want is something that will make a quarter-inch hole for them. They’re looking for a solution and your job is to lead the customer to the right solution to their problem.”

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