Even the most rudimentary search of MANA’s membership uncovers an unusually high number of association members who have seemingly been members forever. When asked why they’ve maintained their memberships over so many years, their answers serve as a primer for why independent manufacturers’ representatives ought to maintain relationships with their peers and access the many products and services that their association provides.

For instance, consider what Bill Yorston, Yorston & Associates, has to say about his MANA membership.

“Considering that I have been a member of MANA for the past 20 years, I could write a long list about why I’ve maintained my membership in the association. But I’ll keep it simple. As an independent manufacturers’ representative, MANA provides an opportunity for me to be part of a group that has the empathy and appreciation for the value independent reps bring. MANA provides this through education, seminars, SalesWise teleforums, Agency Sales magazine articles, succession and legal resources, etc.

“As independent reps know, things never quite stay the same. As business professionals, we see many changes. MANA is constantly nurturing its tools and the benefits it provides. The insight and education are always continuing and ever changing. As more and more millennials begin to join the organization, the association’s membership will provide a fresh and youthful perspective on how to sustain and grow our principals.”

Yorston continued by noting that there are any number of valuable services that accompany MANA membership. “In the more recent years, one of the most valuable services for me has been the educational seminars conducted throughout the country by Charles Cohon, MANA’s President & CEO. His seminar helps educate future and present CEOs and upper management to understand that there is greater value in the way the independent rep goes to market. His presentations cite real-life success stories from various industries and again demonstrate that the independent rep with a synergistic line card will ensure a greater return for their principals.”

Yorston & Associates, Hellertown, Pennsylvania, is a prestigious independent agency serving the sign industry.

Proactive in a Volatile Business Climate

With well over half a century membership in MANA, James A. Zauderer, Zauderer Associates, Inc., Pelham, New York, explains, “We’ve been a member of MANA for 59 years and have no intentions of ever leaving. MANA is always there for support with difficult administrative questions or to offer legal direction, and its resources cover every aspect of the rep industry. We believe in everything MANA stands for and are proud to be a member. It’s nice to be able to brag on them a little!”

Zauderer continues, “We’ve used most of MANA’s products and services over the years. It can be hard to find new, additional or symbiotic lines, but because we’re included in MANA’s Online Directory, we’re contacted several times a week by companies asking us to represent them. This helps us stay in a more proactive position in a volatile business climate. Their monthly magazine, Agency Sales, is a great resource and offers valuable articles every month. Then there’s MANA’s legal resources that have provided sample contracts for different situations, and Charley Cohon, MANA’s President & CEO, personally provided us the names of several attorneys that specialized in rep law.

“I’d maintain that our association with MANA has given us a certain credibility when meeting potential principals for the first time. The association sets the standard for ethics and professionalism — which we strive to achieve every day.”

Zauderer Associates, Inc. represents custom parts manufacturers.

Charter Members Join Forces

Earlier this year, it was announced that two “…successful Cincinnati-based companies providing products and services to the manufacturing, processing and packaging industries in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana were merging. Henry M Wood Company, founded in 1928, and the Batsner Company, founded in 1919, joined forces to provide seamless solutions. Both companies are founding members of the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA).”

It’s that last sentence about the two companies being founding members of MANA that Tim Gahan, president of Henry W. Wood, dwells on as he explains the benefits of his MANA membership. “We have manufacturers that we represent that have been working through independent reps for years. Occasionally, however, we come across manufacturers that are looking for the best, most effective way to take their products to market. And, they don’t necessarily understand all the services that reps provide. When that happens all we have to do is refer them to MANA for a full understanding of the rep business model.”

He adds, “Over the years I can’t say we’ve really hit the jackpot when it comes to MANA referring manufacturers to us. But, that’s not really what we expect from our membership. What we’re looking for are the networking opportunities and the shared experiences among the membership.”

He notes that the Cincinnati area is fortunate in that it has a number of MANA members that are very active in promoting the rep way of going to market.

When it comes to what MANA products and services his company has found the most value in over the years, Gahan says the various training programs and the camaraderie that comes with membership have done a lot to help his company address and solve mutual problems. “Perhaps most important, however, the fact that MANA just serves as a body of intelligence for the industry is the core of why we’ve always belonged to the association.

MANA = Supernatural Abilities

As if more than 30 years of continuous membership wasn’t testament enough to the value of MANA, Ed Young Jr. recently contacted the association with this message: “As I was preparing an e-mail to a new principal (another first timer to using independent manufacturers’ representatives), I Googled ‘MANA’ and the following ‘Wiki’ popped up. ‘Mana is a word found in Austronesian languages meaning ‘power, effectiveness, prestige,’ where in most cases the power is understood to be supernatural.’

“I thought this was too good not to pass on to MANA.

“Yes, going with reps is powerful, effective and prestigious for manufacturers, and some reps are possibly supernatural, (or expected to be). Anyway a good laugh, a good acronym connection and maybe a good article in a future MANA Agency Sales magazine.”

In a follow-up interview with Agency Sales magazine, Young, Ed Young Sales Company, Charlotte, North Carolina, expanded his thinking by explaining, “Since I’ve started in business, I’ve always kept two key points in mind. Change is constant and I’m a true believer in continuous improvement. Remembering those facts has always provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and ward off any pitfalls that might accompany a changing business environment. And nothing has helped me more along those lines than my membership in MANA.”

Ed Young Sales serves the natural gas and energy industry.

Young continued by saying, “The real value of MANA membership is that in dealing with any business matter, we don’t have to start from ground zero. Whatever we’re running into, we can learn from the experiences of other members. How they’ve handled questions or problems gives me a leg up on how I should move. In addition, I read Agency Sales every month and pick out items that have some relevancy for me that may be something that a fellow rep has encountered.”

He added that if he had any advice to other independent agents concerning whether they should be members of MANA, Young emphasized that “Reps are a unique breed of business people. We’re independent business people that work for ‘x number’ of companies.

“Every manufacturer that any rep deals with is naturally focused only one product or one product line. The rep, on the other hand, has to be focused on the entire complement of products that the customer needs. While the rep will probably never be as competent on a particular manufacturer’s product as the direct salesperson is, he’s much better at recognizing all the customers’ needs and meeting those needs. And, in providing the needed products/services to customers, there’s no better place to learn from others than by membership in MANA. The association speaks exactly to what reps are and what they do.”

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].