Hey, Mr./Ms. Rep Firm owner,
Why are you in business? To save the world? Maybe. To provide for your family and employees? Probably. To grow your business? Definitely!

The number one reason you get up every day and go to work as a manufacturers’ sales representative is to grow your manufacturers’ market share in your sales territory, period! That’s what leads to higher commission dollars. So how do we ensure the we are accomplishing that goal of continued sales growth? We need two things:

1. A mutually developed sales plan with accurate forecasting.
2. Effective ongoing communication updating the sales results.

Working … Read the rest

Today’s manufacturer has several different options to take their products to market. Whether it’s the Internet, a direct sales force, or network of independent manufacturers’ representatives the question remains the same: How can a manufacturer bring their products to market in the most efficient and cost-effective way? With studies showing that the average sales call costs more than $300, manufacturers can’t afford to make the wrong decision.

The independent manufacturers’ sales representative is a proven cost-effective alternative to a direct sales force. The Manufacturers’ Representative Educational Research Foundation (MRERF) in a recent article in Fortune magazine summed it up best … Read the rest

A resource for helping rep firms remain competitive.

Are your customers demanding lower pricing, just-in-time deliveries and the sharing of supply chain costs? With rising oil, raw material and labor costs, how can we satisfy this ever-increasing demand for lower total cost of ownership?

Many of our fellow reps have done just that through international sourcing. Whether you like it or not, the world is now a global marketplace offering just about every product and service imaginable. Now is the time to add international products to your line card!

How do you take advantage of these highly competitive products and … Read the rest

Possibly the hardest decision a rep organization has to make is to resign a line. “How did we get to this point?” is often asked by a successful rep owner faced with this decision. A tremendous amount of effort goes into finding, marketing and growing a profitable manufacturer for the line card. So what can go wrong in the relationship?

• Declining sales due to poor delivery or non-competitiveness in the marketplace.
• Contract changes such as reduced commissions, termination clauses and territory.
• A change in principal management.
• A lack of investment in the business to keep current with technology.
• The addition

You have heard it all before, right? How about mentoring?

MANA offers many forms of rep education in the pages of Agency Sales magazine, from presenters at MANA local seminars, at rep conferences such as Keystone and CAPSIG, during Certified Professional Manufacturers’ Representatives (CPMR) classes, and at local networking chapter meetings. Have you taken full advantage of the resources MANA provides to its members in the area of education, and more importantly, have you shared them with fellow reps?

As owners of professional sales organizations, we owe it to our principals, our customers, and our profession to constantly improve upon … Read the rest