This month’s Agency Sales feature is the “Rep of the Future.” If you look back at the history of the manufacturers’ rep business, since its inception over a century ago it has changed significantly. Given the current sales environ­ment, it’s a sure bet things will continue to change at an even faster pace. All of us in the rep business would love to have a crystal ball that could give us a clear picture of what things will look like just a few years down the road.

That crystal ball unfortunately only exists in fiction. There is no way to see a complete picture of the future. However, do not despair. A glimpse at the Rep of the Future is not totally out of reach.

The trend we at MANA have observed over the years has been moving toward more professionalism on the operations end of the business. A few years ago, we were describing manufacturers’ reps as “businessmen in sales, not salesmen in business.” This is just as true today, perhaps even more so. The Rep of the Future, to not only survive but also grow, will have to be the complete businessperson — someone up to speed on the latest technologies and business skills.

If you have ever read Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, you will recall his chapter on “Sharpening the Saw.” You cannot get so wrapped up in running the business that you neglect taking the time to bring yourself up to speed on how to increase your productivity and become more effective. How else do you adapt to the new environment, if you don’t take time out for professional development?

The manufacturers’ rep of today is faced with choices. One option is to keep doing things the way you’ve always done them; another is to spend some time on professional development. If you choose to work on yourself and grow, MANA can be your partner. We offer a number of professional development resources, with even more to come throughout the year.

What about another option? Why not take a leadership role in helping to define The Rep of the Future? How, you ask?  MANA is blessed with a significant number of highly effective and creative rep members, businesses that have managed to thrive even in these difficult times. By tap­ping into the collective intelligence that’s available, we can work together to create a vision of The Rep of the Future. Maybe we will have our chance at MANAfest 2011.