This document discusses the importance of building personal relationships between manufacturers and representatives. It provides categories of behaviors that representatives value, such as being appreciated, communicating quickly and accurately, and paying commissions on time. The document also discusses factors that influence whether representatives prioritize or neglect certain product lines such as fair compensation, product quality, and factory support. Overall, it emphasizes that representatives want to feel respected and cared for as partners rather than just see the relationship as a business interaction.

2. Charles Cohon
CEO & President
Manufacturers’ Agents National Association
ccohon@manaonline.org
(877)626-2776

3. 10% Income, 20% Time. Why?

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

5. 19 Categories
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

6. 2
3
5
19 Categories
1
4
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

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

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

9. 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.

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

13. Coaches can devise innovative plays designed to
fool their opponents, but if teams struggle with
blocking and tackling the creativity won't matter.
The building blocks of football
are blocking and tackling. This
is true at the highest and
lowest levels of the game.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/108549-oneonone-youth-football-tackling-speed/
Blocking and Tackling
(from Livestrong.com)
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

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

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

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

18. If you invest your time,
treasure and talent into
building "real relationships"
with your reps, THEY will
kick down walls and set
records for you!
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

19. 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.

20. 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!
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

21. • Respected and appreciated by
the principal….
• A "member of the family…"
• Top-notch support …
• Never play games with the
(commission) plan, make
unilateral changes to it, or be
delinquent on payments...
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

22. …“treat everyone as you
would like to be treated"
or "do unto others as you
would have them do unto
you" works every time.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

23. Training is key. You lose (reps’)
interest if they cannot explain
your products. Show that your
organization needs them and
you are willing to give full
support. I guarantee they will
be your partners forever!
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

24. ManaEbook.com
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

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

26. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

32. It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Ship on time
2. Innovate enough new
products
3. Tell the truth
4. Understand the rep
business
Principals who don’t always:

33. 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.

34. 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:

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

36. 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?

37. 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?

38. 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?

39. 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?

40. What discourages reps?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

41. 1. Slow response - lack of
enthusiasm.
2. Lack of support and
understanding.
3. Late payment of commission.
4. Unreliable products and/or
delivery.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What discourages reps?

42. 1. Poor product training.
2. Not competitive
3. Regional Managers
a) Micro-manage
b) Too aggressive
c) Lack product knowledge
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What discourages reps?

43. 1. Excessive unprepared
factory visits.
2. Management by
intimidation.
3. Unrealistic quotas and
budgets.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What discourages reps?

44. 1. Poor product training.
2. Constant turnover in
personnel, including regional
managers.
3. Untrained inside people
Rude, hostile.
4. Difficult to work with.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What discourages reps?

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

46. 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?

47. 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

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

49. 1. Set mutual goals with
representatives.
2. Pay maximum possible commissions
and be fair on split commissions.
3. Provide best sales tools possible
4. 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?

50. Why do you get MORE
than your fair share
from some Reps?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

51. 1. Dollar income they receive on
our line.
2. Success with our line.
3. Potential for the future.
4. Factory Support we give them.
5. Personal Relationships.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why do you get MORE than
your fair share from some Reps?

52. 1. Product Training.
2. Synergistic Lines.
3. Prompt Communications.
4. Easy-to-sell Products.
5. Competitive Pricing.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why do you get MORE than
your fair share from some Reps?

53. Why do you get LESS
than your fair share
from some Reps?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

54. 1. Not as Big as Other Lines
2. Poor Synergy With Other Lines
3. Too Many Lines
4. Rep Not Interested in Long
Haul
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why do you get LESS than
your fair share from some Reps?

55. 1. General Lack of Enthusiasm
2. Poor Communications
3. Our Neglect
4. Poor Penetration
5. Bad Relationships
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Why do you get LESS than
your fair share from some Reps?

56. What indicates that
reps are giving you
more than your
fair share?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

57. A lot of activity as indicated by:
1. Phone calls
2. Sample Requests
3. Questions
4. Applications - etc.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What indicates that reps are
giving you more than your
fair share?

58. A lot of activity as indicated by:
1. Increasing Sales
2. Consistent Growth
3. New accounts
4. Good lead handing
5. Requests for Factory Visits
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What indicates that reps are
giving you more than your
fair share?

59. What indicates that
reps give you less than
your fair share?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

60. What indicates that reps
give you less than your
fair share?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
1. Tardiness in returning calls
2. Lack of product knowledge
as seen by confusion, dumb
questions, overlooked
applications.

61. 1. Not asking the questions
they should need answers to.
2. Contrived customer visits on
the arrival of the principal.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What indicates that reps
give you less than your
fair share?

62. What are your
people doing to get
MORE than their fair
share?
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.

63. 1. Improved product training.
2. Increased territory visits -
jointly planned.
3. Sending more technically
trained people in the field to
help reps and customers.
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What are your people doing
to get MORE than their fair share?

64. 1. Freer flow of samples.
2. Participation in Regional Shows
3. Newsletters on Products and
Applications
4. Recognition/Rep of the Month.
5. National Sales Meetings
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What are your people doing
to get MORE than their fair share?

65. 1. Reduced Paperwork
2. Weekly phone calls
3. Regional Managers are spending
more time with less active reps.
4. Commission Incentive programs.
5. Performance Reviews
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
What are your people doing
to get MORE than their fair share?

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

67. Charles Cohon
CEO & President
Manufacturers’ Agents National Association
ccohon@manaonline.org
(877)626-2776