When Craig Cumming reflects on opening his own agency 28 years ago, he’s asked whether he was apprehensive or scared about making the move. Without missing a beat, he offers, “Fear is not a bad thing; and if anybody isn’t scared about such a move, then something is wrong.”

Obviously, there was nothing wrong with Cumming as today he can look back on almost three successful decades heading C-Square Industries in Colorado. The single-person agency represents manufacturers dedicated to:

• Air and liquid filtration.
• Air movement equipment.
• Waste treatment and water reuse.
• Industrial equipment and systems.

Cumming followed a fairly typical … Read the rest

The growing impact of artificial intelligence, the importance — or lack of importance — of written sales reports, and knowing when to cut the cord with a principal were major topics of discussion during a MANA single-person agency special interest group chat early this summer.

Can AI aid the independent manufacturers’ rep? That’s how the discussion of AI was kicked off and the group was quick to offer their thoughts:

• “One thing it can do is to produce a business plan in under a minute. Having said that, the more information you provide, the more accurate your business plan is

“You can’t grow business without people.” That was a major message contained in a podcast conducted by MANA member John Beaver earlier this year.

After having said that, however, Beaver hardly left his audience in a vacuum as he explained that finding, evaluating and hiring new people is not necessarily an easy task and the road to finding the right people isn’t easily traveled. It can be filled with potholes — mistakes are going to be made along the way. “Your own people aren’t always going to do the job perfectly. As a rep you can certainly try to do … Read the rest

In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare may have written, “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” but in the words of one rep who terminated his nearly 30‑year relationship with a manufacturer, “parting really hurt.”

According to the rep, here’s what happened to result in that painful parting of the ways: “We repped this company for close to 30 years and finally realized we had to terminate the relationship about four years ago even though they represented about 80 percent of our income. What brought us to this decision was a combination of things including:

• Quality went down.
• Prices went up.
• Lead times

“Going over and above the call of duty while exceeding customer expectations.”

When Marc Carver appeared in the pages of Agency Sales three years ago, he pointed to his company’s M.O. (above) as a major reason for his lengthy success as a rep.

As if there has to be some validation that no truer words were ever spoken Carver went well over the call of duty this year as he was named vendor of the year by the Alaska Commercial Company (ACC) at its trade show and conference in Anchorage.

As noted in that July 2021 article in this publication, … Read the rest

What happens to a pitcher when his arm wears out before any dreams of professional baseball can be realized? Naturally, he may pivot to another career path. This was somewhat the case for Brandon Goldberg. Following the dashed hopes of baseball stardom and a brief stint as an athletic shoe salesman, Goldberg eventually found his calling as a manufacturers’ rep.

“As a kid growing up in Dayton, I realized early on that I had talent on the ball field,” Goldberg recalls. “I was a left-handed pitcher who could throw hard into the high 80s and 90s, and I could hit. … Read the rest

Reps don’t work for free.

That was a major message emanating from a MANA special interest group discussion for reps who sell in international markets earlier this year. The reps who participated in the far-ranging teleconference were adamant that their levels of expertise and the time they spend to develop business for principals were too valuable to be contributed free of charge.

For instance, according to one rep, “I’m not going to spend an unlimited amount of time and money to develop business for principals without being compensated for my efforts.” To counter the desire of many principals to have … Read the rest

Talk to husband-and-wife Johnny and Laci Davis about their growing rep firm and the word that surfaces the most is “grit.” That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given the agency name. But it’s important to understand how they came upon that name and what it means as they continue to grow their agency.

In 2022, after a 16-plus-year career in the pool and spa industry, Johnny Davis, the agency’s CEO and co-founder, together with his wife Laci, made the decision to build something of their own.

According to co-founder and Chief Content Officer Laci Davis, before they … Read the rest

If participants in a MANA single-person agency special interest group discussion earlier this year learned anything it was that they’re more alike than they are different when it comes to the challenges that they face.

That conclusion is borne out from the variety of subjects that were introduced by the group, all of which showed that just about every one of them shares the same concerns and challenges as the others. Whether it was having difficulty getting appointments with customers, pulling timely quotes from principals, or dealing with manufacturers who are anxious to have reps conduct pioneering work for them, … Read the rest

The three partners of The Garham Group have been able to achieve their goals of successfully creating and growing a business all their own while “Bringing Products to Life.” As stated on the agency’s website (www.garhamgroup.com), the products they “bring to life” reside primarily in their customers’ backyards.

Anthony Zasuwa, one of the agency’s three partners, states: “We specialize in exterior building and outdoor living materials. These include decking, railing, cladding, foundation, and hardscape products. During the last five years, there’s been a real emphasis on backyard spaces. As an agency, we focus on selling innovative products that last a … Read the rest

Sometimes it takes a trigger to spur a rep into action. It might be something along the lines of a change in commission rates, new ownership taking over a manufacturer, or dealing with a new sales manager, but whatever the cause, reps report that performing line productivity analysis can be an indispensable tool when these changes occur.

That was the gist of conversations that took place in the course of a MANAchat devoted to the subject of reps carefully analyzing how profitable their lines are.

One rep started off the conversation by stating a fairly common predicament that many reps … Read the rest

If Mike Gallagher has learned anything over the course of his lengthy and successful business career it is the value of employing and relying on best practices.

Just as so many reps before him, Gallagher, president and CEO of Centro, Inc., began his business career on the manufacturing side of the desk working for companies including Thomas & Betts, Norton Abrasives, and Square D Company.

“I spent most of my business life working with large companies that sold products through distribution and rep channels. When I was about 40, I determined that my goal of serving as president of a … Read the rest

When Agency Sales magazine reported on a MANAchat that was devoted to a discussion of what reps like most and don’t like about their jobs, it must have struck a chord. Since that article appeared in the December issue, several reps have weighed in with their thoughts on the very same subject. Overall, those who took the time to comment expressed great satisfaction with their choice of profession; however, for every satisfied rep, there were others who voiced some misgivings with what they have to face on a regular basis. Overall, their opinions might very well serve as recruiting tools … Read the rest

While Matt McCroskey was raised and educated in Ohio, his family had deep roots in California, and that’s where he built and continues to grow his more than 30-year career as an independent manufacturers’ rep.

According to McCroskey, his great grandparents bought property in Southern California more than 100 years ago. As a result, following his graduation from Ohio State University, he had someplace other than Ohio to follow his career dreams. And, oddly enough, those dreams of sales began with selling cardboard boxes.

According to McCroskey, “One summer two friends and I got a job selling cardboard boxes, and … Read the rest

The similarities of reps working with principals and reps working with sub‑reps were evident over the course of a MANAchat. High on the list of those similarities were how and where do reps find sub-reps, and once found how do you work with them effectively and pay them fairly?

The problems that reps face in finding sub-reps were evident early on in the conversation when the question was raised “Why would a rep firm want/need to engage with a sub-rep?’

In answer the group of reps participating in the chat emphasized that often a manufacturer will place demands on their … Read the rest

Rick Pierce’s path from college to heading his own rep firm could be described as more “typical” compared to so many other agency owners who have been profiled in Agency Sales magazine.

So many others have begun careers in far-flung ventures covering everything from teaching, law enforcement, and even professional sports. For Pierce it was an entirely different story. After studying marketing in college, he began a sales career with a manufacturer. In his words “I began working for a manufacturer as number 32 in their sales force of 32. I left 14 years later as number two.”

His reason … Read the rest

The continued benefit of in-person contact with prospects and customers was stressed during the course of a MANAchat when reps who participated constantly pointed out that nothing beats “face-to-face, belly-to-belly” selling.

According to one rep, “Here’s the problem that’s been going on for 20 years now: You go to a website to check out a company or a product and everything you read tells you that the company producing the product — or the product itself — is absolutely fantastic. You never read how something is mediocre or performs poorly in the field. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that … Read the rest

In 2019, when Jo-Anne Hernandez opened the doors to her agency, Business Lazo, little did she know she was going to run headfirst into Covid-19 and the problems and challenges that accompanied the pandemic. However, armed with the entrepreneurial zeal that is mandatory for reps, she’s successfully come out the other end to today head the Princeton, Massachusetts-based agency.

Business Lazo, LLC, is a sales, consulting and marketing company. The agency is a certified minority- and women-owned business with more than three decades of sales, consulting and marketing experience. According to Hernandez, “Our agency’s expertise spans from startups to Fortune … Read the rest

Anyone doubting the admonition that “history repeats itself” should pay close attention to the history of the William Baker Company.

More than 40 years ago, Jim Baker, who heads the six-person Indianapolis, Indiana, rep firm, recalls he was at a point in his professional life when he was anticipating a course change. Armed with little knowledge about what his father, Bill, did for a living, he raised the prospect of a change during dinner with his parents one night. His father, who had opened the agency in 1972, floated the idea of the younger Baker joining the rep firm. Ultimately, … Read the rest

The majority of reps relish the opportunities presented to them by being their own boss. With that appreciation for independence, however, comes the realization that there are many challenges that accompany being an independent manufacturers’ rep.

Several of those challenges were emphasized in the course of a MANAchat that was conducted over the course of three days earlier this year devoted to a discussion of what reps like least about their jobs. High on the list of challenges facing reps were:

Dealing with principals who don’t appreciate what the rep does for them — “I love what I do for … Read the rest