Even the quickest of looks at the executive committee of PTRA shows a preponderance of the letters “CPMR” following members’ names. Inevitably the questions are asked, “Why,” and “What does it mean?” The answers are because it’s important to the reps and their principals, and it means that the bar of professionalism has been raised. Consider the comments from a number of reps who have earned CPMR credentials.

“PTRA is actively promoting and spreading the word concerning CPMR,” says Mark Tsatsos, House of Motors, Inc., Golden Valley, Minnesota. “Those of us who have already spent the three years going through the program have determined it’s the best thing we could have done for ourselves and our businesses.” Tsatsos, who is the president of PTRA, continues that “most of us that have our own agencies have gravitated to the top because we’re good salespeople. That doesn’t mean we know how to run a business, however. That’s what CPMR has taught us.

He adds that “many of us in PTRA promote the existence of CPMR to our principals in an effort to let them know that we’ve done all we could to improve ourselves. We’ve even had one of our principals suggest his reps go through CPMR. It’s no coincidence that many of us in PTRA are working with that same principal.”

Chris Brisbane, Brisbane Industrial Drive Co., Inc., Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, maintains the value of CPMR is more important to the rep as an individual vs. anyone else. “I recognize CPMR as an indication of my commitment to the profession and to the manufacturers I represent. I can’t point to any feedback I may have received from manufacturers. They haven’t made CPMR a criterion for selecting reps, but they do recognize its value. Furthermore, our lending institutions have indicated to me that it shows a higher level of commitment.”

“While I don’t know if I can verify it via comments from manufacturers, I believe CPMR is very important to us and our careers,” notes Joel Casaubon, Canner Associates, Inc., Sturbridge, Massachusetts. “Maybe it’s just my perception, but from conversations I’ve had with others, I’ve learned that there’s a value associated with it. In addition, I know from personal experience that what I learned from the program has helped me gain insights into various aspects of the business I wouldn’t normally have.”

Ron Haynes, Robco, Inc., Carrollton, Texas, points to two areas where he’s determined CPMR is important. “First, as a rep, it’s been valuable and important to me because it has allowed me an opportunity to take a step back and look at my agency through new eyes. It also allowed us the opportunity to meet with and learn what reps from other industries are doing in terms of marketing and presenting themselves in their marketplace.

“And speaking from the principal’s perspective, I’ve received feedback in the past from manufacturers that showed me they believed it was advantageous for them to have all their reps participate in the program.”

Then there’s the AIM/R rep who describes how important it was for him and his son to complete the CPMR program. “We were lucky enough to have one of our principals pay for us to complete the program,” notes Jim Davenport, Davenport Associates, Inc., Wallingford, Connecticut. “I wasn’t thrilled about going back to school because I didn’t think there was anything for me to learn. Being away from the business for a week every year for three years really provided me with an opportunity to look at my business. It let us re-evaluate our lines and the structure of our business. We actually wound up re-inventing how we go to market.”