There’s no end to education….

Whether it’s attending one of the MANA seminars for manufacturers or reps, completing the MRERF CPMR program or taking advantage of any other educational program, when advising his peers, one rep echoes the Nike slogan when he says, “Just Do It!”

This advice came from a rep who has spent his entire career looking for the next educational opportunity. When asked why he continues in this manner after earning his master of business administration degree and his CPMR certification, he said, “My feeling from the beginning of my career was that I wanted to establish something self sustaining. I wanted the business to last beyond my involvement. To attain that goal I knew I had to learn more than I knew. That’s why I kept on going. And a funny thing happened along the way — the more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t know. By constantly working toward the next level, I feel I’m much better prepared to change my perspective of the business. I’m not just waiting to make a sale to the next customer. I’m looking for the next business opportunity.”

Trust and communication cement the relationship….

In speaking with a number of manufacturers’ representatives and consultants that work closely with them, the words “communication” and “trust” surface time and again as the most important ingredients for building strong relationships between reps, their principals and their mutual customers.

One rep from the Philadelphia area maintains that it’s a constant emphasis on being accountable to both principals and customers that has allowed him to keep open the lines of communication and to build a solid foundation of trust. “This is more important today than it was just a few years ago. The pace of business has picked up, and both manufacturers and reps are expected to do more with less. The ability to do that falls squarely on the shoulders of the rep. As a result, we’ve become more adept at representing the needs of multiple manufacturers than ever before.

“However, to assure our manufacturers and customers that we can do the job, we had better do what we say we’re going to do. That’s why we’re sure to tell manufacturers and customers what we bring to the party whenever we sit down with them. When we walk away from a meeting, we have a firm set of reference points and deadlines that state exactly when we have to get something done. Then it’s up to us to carry the ball. By making ourselves accountable, we gain trust. And, when problems develop, we’ve made it our habit to promptly notify those affected.”

Creative math equals success….

Using some creative math, a Chicago rep makes his case for the importance of trust and communication. “If either of those attributes is missing, then I’d maintain that 1+1 will equal only 1½. If both are present, however, and used to their fullest extent, then 1+1 will equal three. The sum will be greater than the means.

“What happens with the former scenario,” he says, “is the customer will receive what he perceives to be conflicting messages. That results in both us and our principal being viewed as less than credible. When questions or problems develop, the customer won’t know whom to believe. It might be easier for him to purchase another manufacturer’s products from another rep, since they might appear to be singing off the same sheet of music.”

The rep continues, “Trust is hardly an easy commodity to come by. “There’s no quick or easy way to get to the point where people are going to believe in you. It’s really a process that takes years. That’s why the rep way of conducting business is so effective. I’ve been in business for 22 years, and I’m not going anywhere. The new factory rep may be a great person and worthy of trust and respect, but he’s got to earn his stripes. That’s what I and so many reps like me have already done.”

A lesson from Star Trek….

Years ago on the cult-television favorite Star Trek, Mr. Spock would make use of something he called (we think) the “Vulcan Mind Meld.” What he used it for was to get into the mind of someone with whom he was having some difficulty communicating. It seems a MANA member has his own version of that when it comes to dealing with his principals, and it appears to work as well for him as it did for the pointy-eared Vulcan.
“I’ve found that the best means of communicating with a principal is to treat him just as you would treat a customer,” he says. “To do that effectively you’ve got to learn what their needs and wants are and then meet those needs.

“We can’t always just be thinking about ourselves. We’ve got to put ourselves in their shoes if the relationship is going to last. In a sense the principal is just like a customer. As a result, I want to make it as easy as possible for the principal (i.e., customer) to work with me. That’s why once they’re signed up, I communicate with them regularly, review our shared expectations and constantly ask them what I can do to make their professional lives easier.”

He concludes that while this may not work for everyone, “It’s sure provided the glue I need that keeps me and my principals as close as we can be.”

Fire Prevention Techniques….

During one of the networking opportunities at a recent MANA seminar, one rep was bemoaning the fact that he has allowed time to get the best of him. “Depending upon the number of emergencies I face in the morning, I can tell fairly quickly whether I’m going to get any work done on a given day. Without warning, emergencies can crop up with principals, customers or even within my own office. Before I know it, the day is over and I’ve accomplished hardly any of what I had scheduled to do.”

As luck would have it, one of his fellow seminar attendees had recently finished reading a book entitled Time Power, by Brian Tracy. In it was a chapter devoted to employing timesaving techniques. Among the tips that he passed on to his fellow rep were:

• “As you look forward to the day in front of you, think of all that could go wrong and plan for the absolute worst. At the same time, make every effort to anticipate what you’re going to do to solve those ‘worst-case’ problems that crop up. By doing this, I’m often pleasantly surprised that things don’t go as badly as I thought they might.”
• “Don’t place the responsibility for solving problems on your own shoulders. Have someone to whom you can delegate authority. By the way, when you do that, you’ll often find that people grow much more quickly in their jobs.”
• “Don’t do anything before you think. Knee-jerk reactions are too often the wrong decisions. Stop, take a breath, listen to all sides and make a decision.” He added that an important part of this process was to write down the integral parts of the problem. “That allows you a little more time to consider exactly what has transpired.”

At this point, another rep chimed in with his experience in such matters. “Whenever there’s a dispute or an emergency, I’ve found that there are as many sides to a problem as there are people involved in the discussion. That’s why it’s so important to listen to everyone, avoid taking sides and then make a decision in the most objective manner possible.”

• Finally, he urged that a policy to handle future emergencies be established and set down in writing. “If the problem is one that occurs with some regularity, once you set the ground rules you’ll find that the importance of that problem diminishes considerably.”

A plea for professionalism….

An interesting analogy was offered by a MANA member in a recent communication. “It’s easier today to open an agency than it is to buy a new car. And, it’s the rep that brings the same lack of professionalism involved in buying the new car to opening an agency that provides the worst kind of competition for us.”

When pressed on the issue, he continued, “I’ll take a top-notch professional as a competitor any day vs. the rep who’s in it for the short-term and will take any line that comes his way.”

This rep went out of his way to commend some of the competitors in his territory, and he noted, “Among the similarities we all share are our memberships in professional rep and other associations and our desire to improve ourselves via continued educational efforts such as those offered by our associations and MRERF.”