About 10 years ago, MANA devoted a substantial amount of time and effort to developing coping strategies for manufacturers’ reps as they entered the new millennium. The lead article in this month’s Agency Sales revisits those strategies, and as the old saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” It’s amazing that, after all that’s changed in the past 10 years, with technological advances, off-shoring of so much manufacturing and how busy we’ve become, the basics are still the same.

As manufacturers’ reps, we have to remember that while the purpose of our businesses is to solicit orders for our principals, it is still a business. As the owners of those businesses, we need to be complete businessmen, always thinking strategically — planning how we should cope with the ever-mounting challenges of today’s environment

When it comes to working with our customers, the consultative selling approach is still the most effective method. Get to know your customer, their current reality and what they are trying to create. When you help them reach their targets, you build a solid reputation as a trusted problem solver. Represent only those quality companies that will enhance your reputation, and avoid those that turn you into a problem creator. Make sure your line card lists only synergistic products and services, and make sure those lines are profitable.

We hope that this issue will help you to refocus on how you are operating your business and develop your own coping strategies, to take you through the next 10 years.