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A manufacturer that has long depended upon the input it receives from the members of its rep council recently reported what it viewed was some critical advice on the subject of what attributes a manufacturer regional manager should possess. Here’s how the manufacturer stated the results of its most recent council meeting.

“We were at the point of selecting a new regional manager for our rep sales force. Since we have enjoyed such success with our rep council when it came to other matters of importance, we decided to put the question to them as to what they were looking for in a productive regional manager.

“According to their input, they were laser-focused in four areas:

• Management skills — What our reps were looking for here are the same attributes anyone would seek in their management personnel. Included were time management, organization, advocates for the rep way of going to market, the ability to provide encouragement and coaching when needed, and the skill to deal with tough issues in a straightforward manner. Finally, the reps indicated the regional manager must possess the highest level of integrity and a thorough understanding of all his company’s initiatives — and be able to communicate the latter to their reps.
• Selling skills — There’s nothing worse than having a regional manager tell us how to sell his products when we know he’s never earned his stripes in their field. When the regional manager shows that he’s experienced in the selling process, then he adds value to our relationships and can assist us in closing the deal — when needed.
• Communication skills — When it came to communication, the reps indicated they were looking for a regional manager who returns phone calls and is effective in other forms of communication; uses the sales data that is sent in from the field; provides the proper notice for territory visits; and continually reviews and provides feedback on the jointly-agreed-upon business plan in a consistent manner.
• Product knowledge — What all the members of the rep council emphasized in this area was not only strong product knowledge, but also strong product application knowledge. As one of them said, ‘When the regional manager knows how and why our customers will be using their products, then they can generally handle the questions from the field that we send their way.’”

Turning Around the Rep Council

If the previous manufacturer reported a high level of success with its rep council, another manufacturer weighed in with a certain level of frustration surrounding its efforts to realize effective council performance. The manufacturer reported that after a number of false starts with its rep council, they settled on a plan that managed to turn things in a positive direction. “What was happening is that we’d have our meetings and then nothing would happen afterwards. Both us and the seven reps constituting our council were getting more and more frustrated and convinced that we were wasting our time.

“In order to take corrective action we began assigning specific goals to each council member and to the council as a group. In agreeing on these goals, we made sure there was plenty of time to accomplish them. In addition to finally getting something done, we also interjected a sense of accountability to the assigned tasks. All of our meetings became much more meaningful.”

Ears to the Ground

The value of obtaining and using input from his reps in the field was emphasized by one manufacturer who recently noted, “Most of my design, manufacturing and sales decisions are made on the basis of data we receive from our reps. I always get all sorts of information from trade associations in our field, from federal agencies and even from services that I regularly subscribe to. However, no matter how much of this information I receive, I’ve found that it’s really not sufficient to be able to make really good decisions that will affect my manufacturing. I need up-to-date information from the guys in the trenches — the reps who sell my products and interact daily with customers. They provide me with valuable information and, in fact, they truly serve as my ears on the ground. Armed with all valid data, I’m able to look at trends against the background of information the reps provide me. On more than one occasion I’ve taken their advice, even when trends I see other places point me in another direction. Overall, the reps have been more accurate in what they see and report. Because of that, when they tell me something, I listen and act on it.”

There’s Never Enough Training

Touting the valuable contribution a consultant had made to his business practices — especially as they applied to working with reps — one manufacturer noted one thing he learned was that reps had a constant and an absolute thirst for training. “In the past, I thought that my job was done when it came to training reps after we finished the training session. Here’s what the consultant told me: ‘Training never ends. You should provide additional material to your reps immediately after they finish a program. You should periodically furnish them with updates and make sure that all your training efforts are ongoing. It’s not something that you do successfully as a one-shot deal.’

“I’ve followed this advice religiously for the last several years and my reps are much more satisfied — and their performance shows it.”

The Value in Adding a Line

When manufacturers and many of their reps got together at an industry meeting earlier this year, one manufacturer introduced their approach upon discovering that one of their reps is making an addition to their line card. “We’ve been very fortunate in our relations with reps in that when they consider adding a line, very often they will consult with us. When they do that, we craft a few questions that we hope will get them thinking about their decision. For example:

“What situation developed within your agency that caused you to add a line? Is it the current economic environment? If you’re in a growth mode and need additional lines to generate additional revenue, that’s fine, but remember you’re probably going to have to add personnel and make other investments in your agency in order to make it work for you and your principals.

“One thing you have to do is to consider the fit of the line that you’re thinking about adding. Does it complement your present line card — and more specifically to our interests, does it complement our product offering?

“Are you making this addition to better meet your needs, the needs of your customers, or the needs of your principals — naturally, including us? Make sure that whatever you do benefits everyone.

“Have you completed the necessary market research to ensure that this new line will contribute to and is sustainable by your agency well into the future?

“And, as a final consideration, be sure whatever you do doesn’t cause you to stray too far from your current line mix.”

The manufacturer added that “We’ve found that our reps willingly engage in conversation on these subjects and they appreciate the fact that we’re interested in their — and naturally our — future success.”

Placing Value on Visits to the Field

A manufacturer reacted to an article that appeared in Agency Sales touting the value of principals’ visits to their reps in the field and reps making regular trips to the factory. “We’ve got one rep who has done an outstanding job when it comes to establishing the ground rules for our visits to the field. In addition whenever we’ve identified a need that we can only meet by visiting them in their territory, they have been more than accommodating. As proof that we’re all working on the same page, when we request that he make an annual visit to the factory to meet with us, he’s just as accommodating. We’ve found that these visits are great because they provide us with the opportunities we need for new product and sales training programs. Just as important are the face-to-face networking benefits of the visits. When the rep meets our new personnel or renews acquaintances with someone they mostly deal with over the phone, they realize benefits that are paid off for months in the future.”

Make the Decision to Get In

The image of the timid swimmer who gradually wades into the water came to mind recently when a manufacturer was describing his long-ago made decision to go to market with reps. Consider the agony of that swimmer who endures having the cold water work its way up and around their body when the manufacturer says “That’s hardly the way to do it with reps. In my opinion there’s no way to go other than all the way — from the onset. I’ve heard others claim that a mixed — some direct and some rep — sales force works well. I disagree. I say go full bore. You don’t just dabble, and once you make the decision to work with reps, make sure you support them full-time. Answer their calls, provide them with the support they need to get the job done in the field and let them know they’re not out there all alone.”

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