This is addressed primarily to you, sales managers and rep-managers who are responsible for a rep network. I hope you have figured out that reps, like your teenage kid, will tell you what you want to hear when you ask a question. Unlike your teenage kids, there is a good reason or perhaps a better reason for reps to tell you what you want to hear. They don’t want to antagonize a good principal and get on your wrong side. Being on the wrong side of a principal can lead to the loss of income or the line. This is one of the main reasons to have a rep council.
A rep council is an advisory board appointed by you, the manufacturer, to advise you and the management. The council should consist of rep firm principals who are good businessmen, not just your friends. They are there to be your eyes and ears in the field and a reality check for sales and marketing programs. You need honest and accurate feedback on customer trends, pricing strategies, marketing initiatives and sales planning. Rep councils usually meet face-to-face once or twice per year. A good time is when you are in your planning cycle for the following year.
A rep council is a good way for you to introduce your rep sales network to the management of your company. Get the management involved in your rep council meeting. Have the finance guy who authorizes the commission checks interact with your reps. Have the CEO talk about strategic direction of the company. This is good for a couple of reasons. If the management of your company knows and understands what reps do and how they do it, it will be easier for you as the rep manager to sell your programs internally. The second reason is that your reps will be more connected to your company and its product line. As rep sales managers we are always looking for our unfair share of time from our reps.
Use the rep council to represent the other reps in your network. Assign members of the rep council to get honest and frank input from the reps in your network. At your rep council meeting, go over the results of that feedback and listen. If you can answer questions, then answer them; if not, get back to the rep network with answers. Remember, this is a business meeting and should be run as one. Minutes should be taken and distributed. The rep council is a great conduit back to the rest of the rep network. They have some credibility that you don’t.
Rep councils are a good forum to plan your next sales meeting. Find out what the reps think they need for training. Ask for advice on topics that you believe should be covered. This information can help make your next sales meeting a real winner.
Do not use the rep council to hide from tough decisions you need to make. The rep council is an advisory board, not a policy or strategy making body. You and the management are responsible for the decisions that affect your company. The rep council only offers input for decision making.
So what value does a rep council bring the rep? The rep should have a principal that is supportive of and knowledgeable about reps. This translates to trust, better understanding and larger commission income.
If you don’t have a rep council now, start the ball rolling and get one in place. If you are a rep and have a principal that could use a rep council, make the suggestion. Rep councils are well worth the time and effort
