Issue: September 2024

Tools, Information, and No Hassle

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Novick cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover, right?
The content is still relevant today!

When I was implementing process improvements on the manufacturing floor many years ago, it became clear that each worker wanted just three things: tools to do their job, information to do their job, and no hassle. Over the years, I’ve realized that this notion holds true for every working person, regardless of their title or industry.

The importance of having the right tools and information to achieve sales results is straightforward. However, friction can arise in the rep-principal relationship when each party has a different view of what tools and information are necessary. This friction, the feeling of an irritating inconvenience, is what I would label as a hassle. Many sales professionals can relate to examples such as priorities that change unpredictably, excessive data entry requests, and constant spreadsheet reporting requests.

What can reps do when these hassles reach a breaking point? If you want to maintain the relationship and not end it entirely, two methods have served me well over the years: 1) Quantify the issue, and 2) Make time-based suggestions for improvements. For instance, you might say, “Updating spreadsheets and your sales software system takes six hours away from prospecting and selling. For the next two months, can we touch base weekly on the phone to share information?” It’s also worth noting that hassles tend to increase when sales numbers are unfavorable. An obvious way for a rep to minimize these hassles is to continue doing the right sales activities that lead to orders.

In the spirit of providing Agency Sales readers with tools and information, scan the code below to get a PDF copy of Harold J. Novick’s classic book Understanding the Outsourced Sales Professional. This book remains relevant in managing the interdependent relationship between reps and principals. If you prefer, skip to Chapter 7. The QR code below takes you directly to the file, but you will need to log in to your MANA account first. This is also a good opportunity to review and update your MANA profile.

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Your MANA RepFinder Profile

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I help many of our manufacturer members do RepFinder® searches to create lists of manufacturers’ representatives they can contact to see if they are interested in selling their products or services.

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Most, but not all, of the results that come up look attractive but I also see a fair number of results that are unlikely to be contacted by the manufacturers.

For example, when the manufacturer downloads the results into an Excel file, a number of cells in the “ProdSerDesc” column are blank. The first thing the searcher does is to delete those with blank “ProdSerDesc” cells. If you … Read the rest

There’s Nothing Wrong With Fear

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When Craig Cumming reflects on opening his own agency 28 years ago, he’s asked whether he was apprehensive or scared about making the move. Without missing a beat, he offers, “Fear is not a bad thing; and if anybody isn’t scared about such a move, then something is wrong.”

Obviously, there was nothing wrong with Cumming as today he can look back on almost three successful decades heading C-Square Industries in Colorado. The single-person agency represents manufacturers dedicated to:

  • Air and liquid filtration.
  • Air movement equipment.
  • Waste treatment and water reuse.
  • Industrial equipment and systems.

Cumming followed a fairly typical … Read the rest

Reps Take a Look at AI

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The growing impact of artificial intelligence, the importance — or lack of importance — of written sales reports, and knowing when to cut the cord with a principal were major topics of discussion during a MANA single-person agency special interest group chat early this summer.

Can AI aid the independent manufacturers’ rep? That’s how the discussion of AI was kicked off and the group was quick to offer their thoughts:

  • “One thing it can do is to produce a business plan in under a minute. Having said that, the more information you provide, the more accurate your business plan is
… Read the rest

Managing Your Principals Is Number One for Reps

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Without principals, a rep firm cannot exist.

Customers come and go but principals are always the most important part of a rep’s business.

The development of principal relationships, cultivation of the principal’s personnel, and creation of a value-added environment for the rep to work with the principal are all critical to rep success.

Without principals, a rep firm cannot exist. It is hard to imagine a rep firm that doesn’t have at least a few very strong principal relationships.

The rep firm is the “branch office” for the manufacturer in the territory. In this capacity, the rep firm should have … Read the rest

Sales Success Traits

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There are six important success factors that top salespeople possess. Although some of these factors are arguably more important than others, they are all critical to a salesperson’s success. When I talk about top salespeople, I’m referring to people who are great salespeople and great human beings. Over the years there have been salespeople who are good at pushing product with little regard for customers. This kind of success doesn’t last; moreover, the other areas of their lives are often plagued by neglect and mismanagement. I hope you’ll use these tips to get great at selling while also helping customers.… Read the rest

Perspective Over Pitching: A Guide to Effective Sales Strategies

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In the world of sales, there’s a common pitfall that many professionals fall into: the relentless focus on pitching their product or service rather than seeking to understand the client’s perspective. As a sales professional, coach and author, I’ve observed this trend repeatedly. The truth is, the key to successful selling isn’t just about how well you can present your product, but how deeply you can connect with and understand your client’s needs and challenges.

The Importance of Seeking Perspective

The process of seeking a client’s perspective is often encapsulated in what we call discovery, qualifying or purposeful questions. This … Read the rest

Sales Metrics That Matter

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Just because you can measure it doesn’t mean it needs to be measured.

I see too many sales managers and salespeople measuring things just because it’s easy, and for some reason they think it’s going to make a difference.

I’m going to walk you through 10 metrics that can have a huge impact on your efficiency and success. Are you looking at these?

1. Number of Conversations With Prospects or Customers

This excludes customer service calls — these are true sales calls. This is pretty simple.

2. Number of Calls Made to Prospects, Not Customers

This is key because oftentimes … Read the rest

A Patient Approach to Sales Presentations

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I talk a great deal about prospecting and closing deals, but there’s something in the middle of the process that’s also quite important: the time when you make your pitch and state your case.

After contacting cold prospects and dealing with your fair share of rejections, it’s a nice feeling when you land an in-person meeting. This meeting is your chance to build a relationship with the prospect that hopefully leads to a closed sale. We commonly refer to these meetings as “sales presentations,” but that term is actually misleading.

Just because it’s a “sales presentation” doesn’t mean you do … Read the rest

Four Steps to Keeping Customers

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We all make mistakes. If anyone tells you they never make a mistake, that’s a lie. More likely, what those people actually are telling you is that, even when they make a mistake, they won’t own it.

Owning our mistakes is a critical step in service recovery — and service recovery is critical to the success of your business, no matter what that business is.

I estimate that, in the United States, 80 percent of employees lie when there’s a problem instead of confessing to it and solving it. When you make a mistake, you can either solve it and … Read the rest

Dance With Who Brought You

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When one manufacturer was asked what he liked best about his top‑performing reps he pointed to a saying he had heard often and recently become re-acquainted with thanks to a book that crossed his desk.

According to the manufacturer, in the book How to Be a Sales Superstar, by Mark Teward, the author emphasized how important it was to remember to “Dance with the one who brought you.” He pointed out that the author said, “Most salespeople and businesses totally ignore this notion. They make a sale, forget the customer, and then move on as quickly as possible.

“Our … Read the rest

The New Beneficial Ownership Information Report: What a Small Business Needs to Know

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A civil fine of up to $591 per day. A criminal fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to two years. Or both.

On January 1, 2024, new federal reporting rules went into effect that affect millions of small businesses in the United States. In 2024, it is estimated that over 32 million business entities will be affected by these new rules and five million new companies with the same obligations each year thereafter. The overwhelming majority of manufacturers’ representative businesses, formed as corporations or limited liability companies, are affected by the new rules.

This article will highlight … Read the rest