© MASP | stock.adobe.com

“Why should I join MANA? I’ve got more than enough to do with running my agency. I really don’t have time to get involved in association activities.”

Fair enough: that’s hardly an unexpected response when a prospective MANA member is contacted about joining the association. Thankfully the existing members have come up with the right answers to counter that question. Tops among the reasons to join are:

• “I’ve found MANA is the association for those who aspire to become professional manufacturers’ representatives. The more you develop as a professional manufacturers’ representative, the more successful you and your principals become.”
• “By taking advantage of the products and services that the association offers I more than get my dues payment back in benefits.”

While there’s always a constant stream of new offerings to the membership, it’s useful to take a look at some of the traditional offerings that members have found to be especially beneficial.

RepFinder® Smartphone App

Most of the business we used to transact on our laptops can now be done on smartphone apps. And now that includes rep search, using the RepFinder® by MANA smartphone app.

The RepFinder® smartphone app lets manufacturers use our smartphone app to search for reps, view each candidate’s MANA member profile, and contact the best candidates right from the app. That’s right — manufacturers “swipe right” if they want to contact that rep and “swipe left” if they don’t.

RepFinder® by MANA is now available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play. It’s the very first rep search app available, and it is exclusively for MANA members.

RepFinder® Online Directory

For years MANA’s online RepFinder® remains one of the association’s most in-demand services. A quick visit to the MANA website acquaints visitors with the specific directions for reps to find principals and sub-reps and for manufacturers to locate prospective rep agencies. As one rep member notes, “Whenever I’m explaining the benefits of MANA membership to prospective members, I push the online directory. On the other hand, I’ve found that this is a primary tool that I’ve used in the past in order to screen prospective principals that I might want to work with. It’s so easy to search, find manufacturers, contact them and quickly determine that they are all that they say they are.”

Legal Counseling

In the course of conducting business, it’s more the rule than the exception that legal concerns or problems will raise their head. To meet that need, MANA not only provides a comprehensive listing of rep-savvy attorneys located throughout the country, but it also provides the membership with 30 minutes of complimentary legal counsel each year. Here’s how one member described the benefit of this service: “When members are faced with questions on contracts, crafting an agreement with a sub-rep, employee contracts and succession planning, they quickly learn what to do from one of MANA’s attorneys. In addition, they keep their advice simple and understandable.”

Manufacturer Seminars

If this year’s MANA manufacturer seminar is an example, this day-and-a-half gathering conducted just two months ago continues to be one of the association’s most valuable services. The seminars are put together with the goal of covering everything that manufacturers need to know about working with reps. Who are they? What makes them tick? How can you become their “emotional favorite?” What are some of the legal implications of working with reps? How are territories established and how do they work? How do you handle or not handle house accounts?

Agreement Guidelines

Given the business environment in which reps exist today, legal challenges to business relationships seem to be omnipresent. That’s why the recommended agreement guidelines offered by MANA are so valuable. Keep in mind that the days of the “30-day notification and then you’re out” contracts have gone the way of the dinosaur, that’s why it’s so critical to study and make use of the contracts that MANA has put together.

Agency Sales Magazine

“Consider yourself lucky if you have a monthly magazine that keeps you up-to-date on trends and developments affecting your profession.” That’s how one member describes what Agency Sales magazine contributes to his agency. He goes on to note, “The magazine remains one of my most visible and valuable connections to the association. Year after year, the printed version — together with its online access — addresses subjects of interest to me and my fellow independent agencies. As the magazine makes its rounds through our office, it’s not unusual to have post-it notes peeking out from the majority of pages of the issue.”

Teleforums

Any and all subject matter related to the rep profession can be found in the MANA/Sales Wise teleforum recordings accessed via the MANA website. If you have a question on how to excel in high-tech sales, replacing a lost line, attracting and interacting with millennials (and much more), chances are the answer can be found in the more than 60 recorded sessions.

Social Media Tools

MANA has made a major effort to effectively communicate and serve members via social media. There’s no shortage of information available via Facebook and LinkedIn. As an example, Facebook features a variety of easily viewed videos covering everything from the following:

• The benefits of outsourcing the sales function.
• Effectively using the MANA RepFinder®.
• Handling the proposal of a commission cut.
• Starting an agency.

And, MANA’s LinkedIn discussion group is devoted to timely subjects that members face on a regular basis.

While these are just a few of the services that MANA provides its members (a complete menu of products/services may be found on the association’s website — www.MANAonline.org), the value of those services can be seen in the following two articles that describe the experiences of two long-standing association members that have participated in the association over the years.

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