Rep Takes Promotional Products On The Road —
Directly To The Customer

Even the quickest perusal of MANA’s membership shows that the huge majority of agencies that belong to the association sell what would be referred to as manufacturing or OEM products. These products run the gamut from plastics to machine parts. But a closer look at the membership roles shows that there are a number of independent manufacturers’ reps who sell not only the aforementioned types of products but also those that specialize in everything else from baby products to recreational vehicles and a whole bunch of stuff in between.

In speaking with some of those reps that fall into the latter grouping, it’s interesting that while their industries may vary widely, what remains constant is the way the rep operates. So while a rep may be working with manufacturers and customers who deal in promotional, “green,” or furniture products, to name a few, the tenets of effective marketing and sales remain the same. For instance, there’s no substitution for dependence upon networking and relationship building, communications and customer service to beat a path to business success.

These truths are borne out when Bob Black and Rick Tabone describe the operations of The Identity Group, Inc., Colleyville, Texas, which sells a variety of promotional products to customers across a six-state territory. Included in their line of product offerings are everything from hats and apparel, to writing instruments, luggage and high-end gifts.

Varied Backgrounds

How the agency performs its job speaks volumes about where co-owners Black and Tabone, and regional manager Mike Dolan came from and what talents and creativity they bring to performing their jobs of serving principals and distributor customers.

•   Black, who started the agency 14 years ago, was previously the vice president of sales for a promotional products distributor, owned and operated a screen printing company and a painting company.

•   Prior to joining The Identity Group, Tabone spent 20 years in outside sales for American Airlines and five years as a tradeshow consultant specializing in exhibit development, show marketing and logistics.

•   Former U.S. Marine Mike Dolan, who’s been a rep for more than 12 years, also spent time as the head trainer for Major League Soccer’s Tampa Bay Rowdies and was a sports medicine consultant for local high schools.

Given these largely divergent backgrounds, it should hardly be a surprise that the three men bring a very different approach to the rep business.

“None of us followed the career direction that we started out with,” explains Tabone, “but our varied backgrounds allow us each to bring something different to the table. I think that’s what makes us so unique and has contributed to our success.”

Reps as Professionals

Something else that has led to the agency’s success is their business philosophy. “When we were fairly new to the rep business,” says Tabone, “we realized that there were quite a few reps out there that really weren’t treating their livelihoods as a business. That’s something we just couldn’t relate to. We felt we always had to be professional in our dealings with customers and suppliers, not to mention the members of our board (our wives).”

As a result, The Identity Group creates a carefully crafted annual business plan, boasts a professionally created website, and works with a comprehensive communications plan that allows customers and suppliers to know where the agency is and what it’s doing at all times.

According to Black, “Our approach to the business has been the same as any much larger corporation — we’ve had to build our brand. People have to associate your logo or brand with honesty, trust and providing a service they need. We’ve been very fortunate to secure great lines, which has led to our success.”

Continuing the conversation on lines, Tabone adds, “Over the years, we’ve been able to observe which product lines are selling and what products our customers need. With that knowledge as a foundation, we’ll strongly consider a new line if our distributor customers come to us and express a need for a product. Following their lead, we’ll then contact a manufacturer and begin the process of selling ourselves to them. Developing meaningful relationships with our suppliers is another key ingredient of being a successful rep.”

He continues, “When we consider a line, we’re looking at volume. We’ve got to make a profit for any line that we represent. Since our industry standard commission is usually around 5 percent, and an average order may only be in the area of $500, we’ve got to get a lot of orders to achieve the revenues we need.”

Both men emphasize that taking on recognized brands is important for their continued success. “If it’s going to be a start-up line with no business in the territory, then it’s going to take us 18 months or more to develop the business,” Tabone explains. “We have to look at the future growth potential and determine if a line will enhance our overall offering to clients.”

Three-Pronged Approach

Once a manufacturer aligns its product line with The Identity Group, the agency makes use of what might be considered a three-legged approach to working the territory. The three legs of their sales and marketing stool comprise:

Multiple Representatives — in answer to the question, “How can one rep cover six states? (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana), the two reps offer, “The answer is simple — they can’t. That’s called ‘cherry-picking,’ or calling on the biggest and forgetting the rest. Whether you’re brand new to the business or a seasoned veteran, our team is positioned to call on customers throughout the year. With offices in Dallas, Houston and St. Louis, we’re strategically located within our territory to quickly attend to customers’ and suppliers’ requests and needs.”

Communication — the Identity Group employs a multi-faceted approach when it comes to constant communication with customers and suppliers. Black emphasizes that “When it comes to telling our story, we do it by creating cooperative marketing campaigns with our suppliers that reach out to our specific market. Our Antera CRM system keeps customers informed with meaningful notification of current specials, new product introductions and exclusive opportunities within our territory on a regular basis.”

But that’s not all.

•   The company’s award-winning website (www.identitygroupinc.com) provides insight into the agency’s personnel, its product line, territory activities and services. The site has been named the web award winner twice by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI).

•   Personal e-mail, e-blasts, voice mail campaigns and new video communications to customers alerting them to new products and promotions.

•   Use of social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn — Speaking to this point, Tabone says “Our use of social media allows us to regularly communicate with an entirely different age bracket of customers — an age bracket that may not be as interested in building the personal face-to-face relationships as their predecessors. I know this approach doesn’t allow us to touch everyone, but it does allow us to reach customers that we wouldn’t necessarily reach through traditional methods.”

•   Handwritten notes — Here’s something that’s a bit of a throwback to the past, but it’s one that works for the agency. According to Black, “Friday afternoons, we’ve made it a practice to sit down and hand write to as many of our customers as we can. We let them know how much we appreciate working with them and ask if there’s anything else we can do. Before sealing the envelope, we throw in a current line card so they’re up to date on our offering.”

He adds that all of these efforts are geared to achieving the maximum number of touches with the agency’s customers.

Mobile Showrooms — the agency’s two mobile showrooms are described by both men as The Identity Group’s “signature.” How they’re used throughout the territory is described in the trademarked words “We Bring the Tradeshow to You.” According to the reps, “This is a fun, informative and convenient way to see our suppliers’ lines in their entirety in the comfort of luxurious coaches and the ease of walking across your parking lot.”

This mobile approach to meeting/selling customers wasn’t necessarily a stroke of genius but more properly grew out of necessity. According to Black, “The rigors of regularly hauling bags and bags of products to distributor showrooms finally took their toll when I suffered a heart attack. A solution to that hard work came about when Rick and I decided a 40-foot, fully-stocked, mobile showroom would allow us to bring products directly to distributors without all the loading and unloading. The concept worked so well, we bought two.”

“What we’ve done,” according to Tabone, “is to rework the interiors of our coaches to display as much merchandise as possible and make the best use of the space. Like other reps, we call our customers in the territory and set up three to four appointments daily. We then make end-user visits or call on our customers’ corporate headquarters and have the decision makers attend a mini tradeshow. This allows us to host customers in our office — not theirs. It’s a simple and effective means to gaining the customer’s uninterrupted attention.”

“This approach and capability to show and carry additional samples really allows us to provide our customers with everything they need to start selling. Plus, it allows us to be top-of-mind by being different.”

Given the rising price of gas and the fact that this expense weighs heavily on the shoulders of any rep, Black acknowledges that “operating the mobile showrooms remains painful, but our solution to that problem is to plan better and work smarter by using software that allows us to strategically map out our sales calls.”

Proof that it Works

Has this three-legged approach, with a philosophy of planning better and working smarter, proven effective for The Identity Group? A visit to the agency’s website provides an answer when it offers a couple of brief case histories:

•   An automotive parts supplier was seeking a way to increase attendance at tradeshow booths and to create a better database for future communications. The Identity Group provided custom caps to attendees that included a tear-off discount coupon for visiting the booth and filling out a short questionnaire. A simple idea, but one that resulted in a 42 percent increase in traffic and a 33 percent increase in orders placed within one week of the show.

•   When an international golf tournament sponsor needed to outfit 150 tournament workers with matching shirts, with a different color shirt for each day, the agency proposed an IZOD shirt in three colors that coordinated with corporate logos. Tournament workers (male and female) were outfitted with shirts ranging in size from extra small to 3X. The result of this effort speaks for itself — the same approach was requested by the customer for several additional programs.