Talk to husband-and-wife Johnny and Laci Davis about their growing rep firm and the word that surfaces the most is “grit.” That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given the agency name. But it’s important to understand how they came upon that name and what it means as they continue to grow their agency.

In 2022, after a 16-plus-year career in the pool and spa industry, Johnny Davis, the agency’s CEO and co-founder, together with his wife Laci, made the decision to build something of their own.

According to co-founder and Chief Content Officer Laci Davis, before they … Read the rest

If participants in a MANA single-person agency special interest group discussion earlier this year learned anything it was that they’re more alike than they are different when it comes to the challenges that they face.

That conclusion is borne out from the variety of subjects that were introduced by the group, all of which showed that just about every one of them shares the same concerns and challenges as the others. Whether it was having difficulty getting appointments with customers, pulling timely quotes from principals, or dealing with manufacturers who are anxious to have reps conduct pioneering work for them, … Read the rest

I am not aware of any recent studies detailing what percentage of independent manufacturers’ representative businesses are single-person or multi-person agencies. During my 46 years as a rep, I met hundreds of reps at manufacturers’ sales meetings and rep councils. Most of them owned single-person agencies or agencies that included family members.

Business Model

Prior to launching my agency in 1975 I had earned both industrial engineering and MBA degrees. My work experience included nine years with two Fortune 500 companies where I managed sales teams and inside sales support teams. A multi-person agency was a logical business model for … Read the rest

Knowing everything about your customer opens doors. Selling is about relationships. No one questions that fact, but does the rep salesperson really understand the process of knowing their customers in depth?

What should be involved with gaining complete knowledge of the customer?

Knowing the People

This is the first step. Who works for the customer and what do they do? Who are they as people — wife, kids, hobbies, activities, other in-depth knowledge about every person at the customer who can possibly influence or interact with the salesperson, the rep company and the manufacturer? Which dealer/distributors does each person at … Read the rest

John Wooden, perhaps the best college basketball coach ever, used to start each season by showing players how to properly put on their socks and sneakers, as a mistake here could “domino‑effect” its way all the way to lost games. Vince Lombardi, the great Green Bay Packers coach, once said that football basically comes down to two things: blocking on offense and tackling on defense, and those great Packer teams spent 80 percent of their time practicing those two basics. Red Auerbach, who coached the Boston Celtics to eight consecutive championships, is known for having players practice basic shots like … Read the rest

Let me tell you a little story about Stuart. Stuart has an MBA from one of the best universities in the country. He’s got all the right contacts and he’s just been appointed to a new leadership position in sales. Go, Stuart!

Unfortunately, Stuart has not been able to meet any of the sales targets of his predecessor; a friendly, humble and hardworking man named Bob. No, Stuart! Sure, he’s great on paper, but what could he be doing wrong? I heard a rumor that he even did his thesis around sales in this particular market. Son, where did things … Read the rest

What sets the best salespeople apart from the average?

For 35 years I have pursued that question. I’ve read more than 300 sales books, authored 13 of my own, worked with more than 500 sales organizations, talked with thousands of sales managers and executives, and trained tens of thousands of B2B salespeople to sell better.

I believe I have an answer. But, first, let’s define our terms.

The best salespeople are the top five percent in their industry. These are the people who are so far above the mass in their performance that they will often produce about 50 percent … Read the rest

I met with a friend this week, who told me about a saying one company uses to keep people focused on success: “Default to action.”

Do you ever find yourself paralyzed with indecision? Sometimes we get so busy that we don’t know what to do first. “Default to action” tells us to at least do something. Getting started with something right now is better than fretting about what to do first (because that just leads to procrastination and no progress).

Do you ever find yourself in a down market and therefore demotivated? Default to action! When all else fails, and … Read the rest

The reason most organizations deliver poor or mediocre customer service is that they don’t understand the power of a customer service strategy. What do I mean by this?

Strategy is a powerful tool you can use to gain market share and market dominance. When you develop a customer service strategy, you will crush your competition and grow the value of your business by 100 to 400 percent. It’s a powerful and cost-effective tool, but it requires commitment and relentless support from top management. Only a handful of companies deliver great service or understand the real financial impact it has on … Read the rest