Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Working with Manufacturers' Reps. Manufacturers' reps or agents are outsourced sales forces. They're more cost effective than hiring a direct sales force, and this presentation discusses how to best locate, hire, and manage those outsourced sales forces.

1. Webinar
Noon Central Time
August 7, 2014
NADCA’s
Ultimate Cheat Sheet
On Working With
Manufacturers’
Representatives
www.bit.ly/NADCA

2. Charles Cohon
CEO & President
Manufacturers’ Agents National Association
ccohon@manaonline.org
(877)626-2776
Webinar
Noon Central Time
August 7, 2014

3. • Matchmaking and Marriage
Counseling
• Manufacturer and Rep Education
• White papers
• Videos
• Seminars
What is MANA?
3

4. • Monthly
• 84 pages
all color
• The only
business
magazine
just for
reps and
principals
4

5. 5
1. Where are the great reps hiding?
2. How can I get the reps I want to
hire to return my calls?
3. Why won’t reps do what I tell
them to do ? Especially reports!
4. How can I get reps to produce
more sales for me?
Manufacturers Ask:

6. 10% Income, 20% Time. Why?

7. Jack BermanBob Reiss
It’s Not Just Business.
It’s Personal.

8. 2
3
5
1
4
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
19 Categories

9. • Respect my company
and accomplishments.
• Make me look good to
my customers.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Rep Company Pride

10. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Respect my company and accomplishments
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

11. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Communicates
quickly and
accurately:
reports, quotes,
samples,
answers, quality
issues
Make me look good to my customers.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

12. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Communicates
quickly and
accurately:
reports, quotes,
samples,
answers, quality
issues
Collaborative
style
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Respect my company and accomplishments

13. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Communicates
quickly and
accurately:
reports, quotes,
samples,
answers, quality
issues
Collaborative
style
Pays on time
Respect my company and accomplishments
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

14. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Communicates
quickly and
accurately:
reports, quotes,
samples,
answers, quality
issues
Collaborative
style
Pays on time
Profitable
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Respect my company and accomplishments

15. Appreciate the
rep
rep friendly/part
of the family
Communicates
quickly and
accurately:
reports, quotes,
samples,
answers, quality
issues
Collaborative
style
Pays on time
ProfitableTraining
Exclusive
TerritoriesFun to work with
Great Products
Sales Tools
Synergy
Tech Support
Understands the
rep model
Empowering
Golden Rule
Great
Infrastructure
Great Marketing
Long term
approach
Skilled presenter

16. Some people try to find things in this
game that don't exist; but football is
only two things: blocking and tackling.
-Vince Lombardi
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

17. Emotional Favorite
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

18. The rep you want:
• Rep Company Pride
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
• Reinforce
• Contradict

19. …want LEIA, to be Loved,
Encouraged, Inspired and
Appreciated.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

20. Reps and salespeople
want …to KNOW you
care and they want to
FEEL like they are your
PRIZED RACE HORSES!
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

21. The companies who … get an
Unfair Advantage…
• Are fun to work with.
• APPRECIATE the work that we do
for them.
• Take care of issues (quality,
quotes, lead time, etc) quickly!
Did any ask for more money?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

22. Request Free eBook by Email
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

23. Not Emotional Favorite
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

24. If I do too much
business, they might:
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Replace me with
in-house personnel
2. Cut the commission
3. Shrink my territory.

25. better prices or terms
than I am empowered to
give.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
They give my customers

26. They don’t listen to my
input, and afford me no
respect for my
experience.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Communication:

27. goals or have no
shared goals or
expectations.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
They don’t set realistic

28. don’t understand the
rep business.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
They hire regional
sales managers who

29. customer service
department.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
They have a poor

30. It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Ship on time .
2. Pay commission on time.
3. Tell the truth.
4. Understand the rep
business.
Principals who don’t always:

31. Principals who:
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Expect too much from the
rep in terms of collecting
bills.
2. Talk to my buyers without
keeping me in the loop.

32. 1. Have too many “house
accounts” in my territory.
2. Have poor follow-through
and don’t pay attention to
detail.
3. Hide problems.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Principals who:

33. Why are certain lines
favored over others?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

34. 1. The principals treat us like
partners.
2. We know the products and are
therefore comfortable selling them.
3. Commissions are fair in rate,
amount, split, and are paid on
time.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why are certain lines
favored over others?

35. 1. The principal responds
promptly.
2. The products are of good
quality.
3. The factory is easy to work with.
4. Customer acceptance.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why are certain lines
favored over others?

36. 1. Principals meet delivery
commitments.
2. Personal relationships with
the principal.
3. Good catalogs and selling aids.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why are certain lines
favored over others?

37. 1. Fits synergistically with our
other lines.
2. Principal is customer-oriented.
3. Good income potential.
4. Reasonable paperwork
requested.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why are certain lines
favored over others?

38. What should a mfr.
do to get maximum
attention from reps?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

39. 1. From the top down, I would
instill and monitor an
attitude that we are a team
and that the rep is our
partner.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What should a mfr. do to get
maximum attention from reps?

40. What should a mfr. do to get
maximum attention from reps?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Monitor customer service
people to respond promptly
2. Maintain good product
training on a regular basis.
3. Mail commissions on time -
same day each month

41. 1. Publish a newsletter reporting
rep successes.
2. Minimize reports and
paperwork.
3. Set mutual goals with reps.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What should a mfr. do to get
maximum attention from reps?

42. 1. Pay maximum possible commissions
and be fair on split commissions.
2. Provide best sales tools possible.
3. Establish and listen to Rep Councils.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What should a mfr. do to get
maximum attention from reps?

43. Inspect!
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Don’t just expect.

44. Conclusion
• The #1 driver of manufacturers’ rep
performance is the manufacturer’s attention
to “blocking and tackling.”
• Low-cost and no-cost activities can get you
more of a rep’s attention than an expensive
incentive program.
• The key to success? Put yourself in the rep’s
shoes and treat the rep as you would choose
to be treated.

45. Thank You!
ccohon@manaonline.org
www.bit.ly/NADCA