Category Archives: Feature

Add-On Sales

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There is a reason why McDonald’s continues to enjoy such huge revenues. Could it be that there are more than 31,000 McDonald’s restaurants around the world in 118 countries? That is partly the reason; however, I believe the fact that they sell nine million pounds of their delicious French fries per day is an even more important element.

What they really do well is ask, “Would you like fries with that?” McDonald’s worldwide excels at add-on sales. I realize that others have also gotten on the “add-on sales” bandwagon, yet McDonald’s consistently performs year after year.

What Would it Take?… Read the rest

If We Fail to Learn, We Fail to Grow

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“If you are not willing to learn no one can help you. If you are determined to learn no one can stop you.” — Zig Ziglar

I believe that learning is the fundamental activity in a successful and purposeful life. I have spent much time and money since 1979 learning about everything related to customer service. The result has led me to position myself as the leading service strategist and expert in the world. I have been given endless opportunities to learn, and I realize that the more difficult the situation, the more likely I am to learn and take … Read the rest

The Sales Force — Working With Reps

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This is the 12th in a number of articles serializing The Sales Force — Working With Reps by Charles Cohon, MANA’s president and CEO. The entire book may be found in the member area of MANA’s website.

With the economy strong, Troothe and Bigglie continued to jockey for position in the flange market. Troothe’s sales force continued to improve at Bigglie’s expense, but so slowly that Harold and Jim sometimes needed to remind each other of the strengths of their management system. As it turned out, it was at a meeting called by Joe Troothe during a slump in the … Read the rest

How to Turn Influencers Into Your Champions

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Does your company have raving fans?

The term “raving fans” has become part of the business lexicon ever since Random House released a book called Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles 15 years ago. The book was intended to help companies improve their customer service. The authors’ central message was that you need to go above and beyond, because “satisfied customers just aren’t good enough.”

That book is part of a breadth of publications designed to help companies and individual professionals do a better job of pleasing customers. In fact, we often hear executives spurring their employees to … Read the rest

How Top Salespeople Anticipate and Manage Resistance

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Earlier this year Tom Hopkins shared a post on LinkedIn that resembled what I have said so many times. He said, “The art of selling involves two jobs: job one is to reduce sales resistance, and the other is to increase sales acceptance.”

Many readers left comments about the importance of relationships as a means to preventing resistance from going up.

I left a comment that said, “Thanks Tom. Most salespeople fail to lower resistance because they lack the self-awareness to understand what it is that they might say or do, or how they might act that would raise resistance … Read the rest

How Many Hours per Week = Sales Success?

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Recently I was speaking with an agency owner about the lack of success of his two most recent hires.

When I asked how many hours they were putting in, the answer was, “About 45 or 50 per week.” Keep in mind, these agents are in their 20s, are new to the industry and relatively new to sales. In other words, not only do they have to spend time learning about an industry they know next to nothing about, they also have to learn how to sell, in addition to learning the ins and outs of the new company they work … Read the rest

TransAtlanticPass Named Hayward Award Winner

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“When you’re no longer an employee of a company and you have your own rep firm, you don’t just get up every morning and go to work. Things are now a lot different. You’ve got to realize that you’re now running a business. You can’t ever turn yourself off, you’re constantly concerned about the business and thinking about how to get things done better.”

In a nutshell that’s how Nicolas Skrzypczak, TransAtlanticPass Consulting & Sales Agency, LLC, Waterford, Michigan, describes his transition from being an employee of an auto supplier manufacturer to the owner of a rep firm that this … Read the rest

Seminar Defines the Manufacturer-Rep Relationship

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Ask Hank Bergson what manufacturers new to working with reps will miss if they don’t take advantage of MANA’s manufacturer seminar, “Best Practices With Reps, Planning With Intent,” in October and the rep-savvy consultant immediately opens a door to all the opportunities reps can provide their sales and marketing partners. The association’s next manufacturer seminar is scheduled for October 10‑11, Holiday Inn & Suites, Chicago O’Hare.

Bergson, president, Henry Bergson Associates, LLC, has been conducting the MANA seminars for several years. As a result of that lengthy tenure, there’s probably no question about rep-manufacturer relationships that the two men haven’t … Read the rest

Value Through the Eyes of Your Customer

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Do you think your customers appreciate the value of the value-added services you offer?

  • If you think so, just how valuable are they to your customers?
  • What are the real dollar amounts that are assigned, by your customers, to the value-added extra you offer?
  • Have you told your customers the real-dollar value amounts that you have assigned to the value-added services you offer?
  • Have you even assigned real-dollar amounts yet?

Recently, in dealing with the issue of value through the eyes of your customer, I challenged a group of sales agents for an international manufacturing company to answer these questions … Read the rest

How to Get Testimonials That Boost Your Credibility

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The unspoken question in every customer’s mind.

“I want to believe you, but can I trust you?” is the unspoken question customers ask salespeople. The devil in every sale is customer doubt. Specifically, a salesperson’s lack of credibility. Slow down. Forget about “updating” your “professional profile.” Why? To put it graciously, too many are being “massaged” by salespeople who think they need to “enhance” themselves. But, customers aren’t fooled; bad experiences make them suspicious and they back off from saying “yes.”

The tool that helps bridge the “credibility gulf” is the customer testimonial. But wait a minute; don’t roll your … Read the rest

Virtual vs. the Brick-and-Mortar Office

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Consider for a moment the following scenes:

  • The overheard cell phone conversation where some sort of a contractual agreement is being negotiated.
  • The business person huddled over a tablet scrutinizing numbers in an airport terminal.
  • The salesperson simultaneously working a cell phone and a computer in your neighborhood coffee shop.

These and innumerable other examples serve as reminders that the virtual office isn’t something of the future — it’s here (and growing) today.

Several conversations with reps and any number of current articles on the subject serve as reminders that while the days of the typical brick-and-mortar office aren’t necessarily … Read the rest

Building a Successful (Sales) Culture

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You just hired the perfect person: great work ethic, positive and upbeat, they show up early, leave late, take 10 minutes of a 15-minute break, and do more than expected, and more than you ask for.

Now let’s take that person and put them into an environment where people are negative, aren’t held accountable, take three days off for a hang-nail, show up at 8:05 then spend 45 minutes “getting ready” for their day, start preparing to leave at 3:30 and leave at 5:00 like there’s a fire drill. What happens to that perfect hire? One of two things: they … Read the rest

Sales Reps + Sales Manager Teamwork Approach

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Getting the sales manager to be a proactive part of the salesperson’s program pays big dividends.

Do you have a sales manager? If you don’t, should you have one?

My answer is a resounding “Yes!” Even if you are a small rep firm, you need someone to act as the leader of the sales force and supervisor of the salespeople. How can you expect salespeople to manage their business if they are not managed by the company they work for?

The most important part of a salesperson’s work is not making calls. It is planning their activity for their 10-20 … Read the rest

The Sales Force — Working With Reps

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This is the 11th in a number of articles serializing The Sales Force — Working With Reps by Charles Cohon, MANA’s president and CEO. The entire book may be found in the member area of MANA’s website.

It took only a few more weeks for Brocaw to gather enough supporting documentation to fire Jim. During that interval, Jim had continued without effect to scour the flange industry for employment opportunities. When the ax fell, Jim found himself facing two unpleasant alternatives — unemployment or working for a company that was known as the worst supplier in the flange business. When … Read the rest

Does It Really Pay to Focus on Exceptional Service?

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My experience and persistent advice to companies clamoring for a top spot in their market and the road they take in life is — focus feverishly on exceptional service and you will be rewarded.

I have found that any company that can build a brand around exceptional service will increase its value by at least 25 percent. Frankly it could be 100-400 percent or more. Every now and then I run into service leaders that are an example of what I have been preaching for the past 40 some years; service leaders that truly understand the power of incredible customer … Read the rest

Enjoying the Family Effort

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Armed with an entrepreneurial passion, years of industry experience — not to mention the backing and involvement of his family — two years ago Stephen Ceolin opened his agency doors in Canada and today he couldn’t be happier.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Ceolin and his agency, Ceolin & Associates, Inc., Orangeville, Ontario, Canada (near Toronto), today provide sales and marketing solutions across Canada for businesses in the retail home improvement and hardware marketplace. In fulfilling that role the agency provides:

  • Full-line representation.
  • National and regional footprints.
  • Marketing campaigns.
  • Retail service.
  • Product knowledge and training.

According to … Read the rest

Tips for Developing New Markets With Reps

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“How can I find a high-quality independent manufacturers’ rep in a territory and what can he or she and I do to introduce my product to the marketplace?”

That was the question posed and answered by Hank Bergson earlier this year in the course of one of MANA’s popular and well-attended teleforums. This teleforum, entitled Developing New Markets With Manufacturers’ Representatives, tackled the situation faced by manufacturers and reps when manufacturers seek to introduce a new line or new product into a territory.

At the outset of the discussion Bergson, president of Henry Bergson & Associates, LLC, and the … Read the rest

The Biggest Mistakes Made Managing Salespeople

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There are five primary mistakes when it comes to managing salespeople. Almost every organization makes one or two of these, but most make more, many make all five. Each mistake you eliminate will add about 20 percent in additional revenues to the bottom line. That said, if you have and clean up all five, it could lead to an exponential revenue increase of 200 percent or more.

Mistake #1: Having the Wrong Person

This is usually a hiring mistake, though it could be someone who has become complacent over the years and is no longer doing their job. If it’s … Read the rest

The Power of Teaming in Sales

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Generally speaking, we learn better and develop better ideas when we work in groups. Human beings are social creatures. Our ability to team up has allowed our species to build amazing structures and advance once-unimaginable technologies.

When two or more people put their heads together and tackle challenging problems, we often end up with amazing innovations. Teams beat individuals.

But those of us who have chosen a career in sales tend to be individualists. Some of us are even considered “lone wolves.”

Now, there are benefits to behaving like an individual when you work in sales. Our profession requires quick … Read the rest

Long-Term Selling

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The relationship you build is more important than the pressure close.

“The bonds that unite another person to ourself exist only in our mind.” — Marcel Proust

Do you want to sell more? Sure you do, but the question is, “What price are you willing to pay for your long-term success?” Are you willing to give up instant gratification? Many salespeople are not. Why would you even consider delaying the gratification of a sale, especially if you sell on commission? For your sustained selling success, I believe it is infinitely more valuable to your selling career to put off the … Read the rest

Messing Up on the Job Without Even Knowing It

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There’s everything right about looking out for yourself and your career. Right now, with more jobs than people to fill them, it’s easier than ever.

One month in mid-2018, job postings exceeded the number of unemployed by an eye-popping 659,000. With this happening, it’s no surprise that 3.6 million workers voluntarily quit their jobs in the first seven months of 2018. This 2.4 percent quit rate was the highest since April 2001.

No one can miss the message: more vacancies and not enough takers to fill them equals better opportunities and higher pay.

But not so fast. All this may … Read the rest

The Sales Force — Working With Reps

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This is the tenth in a number of articles serializing The Sales Force — Working With Reps by Charles Cohon, MANA’s president and CEO. The entire book may be found in the member area of MANA’s website.

Ruth Anderson sat quietly after reading the memo her husband had asked her to review. When Jim came into the den, Ruth measured her words carefully. “Darling, I can’t disagree with any of your points. I’m wondering, though, how well Buchanan takes constructive criticism. I can’t help thinking about the movie we saw on our honeymoon — remember Jerry Maguire?”

Jim thought back … Read the rest

When Things Don’t Go Your Way

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“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison

Your journey towards your goal may not be as easy as expected, but the twists and turns you face are what makes it worthwhile. Some of the greatest successes are by the people that dared to fail — but they did not give up!

Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing … Read the rest

Warming Up the Cold Call

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It’s not unheard of to have a rep maintain that cold calls are, if not a thing of the past, certainly a practice not nearly as common as they used to be. Everything from the ability of potential customers to hide behind their voice and e‑mail and overly efficient gatekeepers have combined to make the traditional cold call more challenging than ever before.

That’s why the endorsement by one rep for this vestige of years ago — the time-honored cold call — was somewhat surprising. Over the course of a lengthy lunch a veteran rep salesman voiced his enthusiasm and … Read the rest

No Room for Complacency for Keller Industrial Products

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Looking for an independent manufacturers’ rep firm that possesses the attributes that manufacturers look for and MANA touts? Look no further than Keller Industrial Products, Inc., of Clarence, New York. The agency, now in its eighty‑second year — and counting — can boast of deep roots in the territory it serves, not to mention a lengthy record of firm relationships with its principals that average more than 25 years of service. Buried in that average is the fact that Keller can trace its relationship with one principal back more than 50 years to 1966.

According to Greg Matthews, a partner … Read the rest

How to Mess Up a Company’s Sales

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Thousands of salespeople work in conditions that are stacked against their success. Even though it’s 2019, the belief persists that “nothing happens until someone sells something.” Repeated so often, no one challenges them.

Yet, those six words help explain why salespeople are given “special treatment” by management and barely “tolerated” by others. Salespeople are frequently viewed both as separate and more than equal. When co-workers complain about the sales department, someone says, “Hey, they bring us the business, so suck it up and smile.” This dismal view has long passed its expiration date. Even so, it’s disturbing since so much … Read the rest

Sell the System

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Tell your customers and your principals how your business works.

The rep business is very different from other service businesses. Yes, reps are looking for orders. Yes, reps call on different types of customers. Yes, reps are in the middle between the customer and the manufacturer.

The problem is that there is very little information disseminated to the public or in business schools about reps. Somehow reps seem to slip through the cracks. They are lumped in with “salespeople.”

Also, the selling “process” is neither widely understood nor appreciated.

Multiple-Line Selling

The idea of multiple lines being “represented” by one … Read the rest

Partner Selling: Steps to Serve Your Customers and Be Rewarded

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Partner selling is a very logical approach to selling in today’s electronically connected world. We all like to do business with people we know and trust. This simply makes a buyer more confident in their purchase. If you sell from the perspective of serving customers as a partner, rather than an opponent, your rewards will certainly follow.

Caring

To become a trusted partner with your prospects and customers, first care enough to see their needs through their eyes. Their perception is their reality. Seeing things through their eyes will help you to position yourself as their caring and trusted partner … Read the rest

Overcoming the Salesperson’s Biggest Obstacle: Call Reluctance

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By far the biggest reason salespeople fail is that they don’t make enough calls to talk to enough people to get enough prospects in order to make the necessary sales. There are two causes for this: one, not putting in the hours necessary and two, call reluctance.

While the first one is a problem and needs to be addressed, I find that the latter far outweighs the former. If you watch your average salesperson during the day, even when they are “working” they avoid making calls. They do paperwork, clean their desk, check e-mail, service accounts, do research, and find … Read the rest

The Sales Force — Working With Reps

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This is the ninth in a number of articles serializing The Sales Force — Working With Reps by Charles Cohon, MANA’s president and CEO. The entire book may be found in the member area of MANA’s website.

“I’m swirling in the bowl,” thought Jim as he drove home that night.

“I spent a bunch of time with Harold working on distributor council issues, which means when Ernie goes through the salespeople’s call reports he’s going to see that for the last two months I’ve made the fewest sales calls of any Bigglie salesperson. Plus I just gave a presentation that … Read the rest