Page 71 - MetalForming October 2009

the path of least resistance in repre- senting their manufacturers. If each engagement with you means more paperwork, then less engagements for you means less paperwork—do the math.
Reporting requirements also chal- lenges the issue of trust. Your reps are business people, sales professionals who recognize the value of their time and the relationships that they bridge between you and their customers. If between the two, you can establish a trusting, transparent level of collaboration, then you will consistently know what the other is doing to complement your mutual sales efforts. For the manufac- turer, this means taking a concerted, active role (out from behind the desk) in supporting your reps and ensuring that
any roadblocks within your organiza- tion that may hamper their success are removed. If for lack of performance the manufacturer feels the need to clamp down and make the rep more account- able, then there are deeper issues at hand that need to be addressed. Simply throwing paperwork at the problem will not resolve these issues. Granted, both parties need a level of accounta- bility, which can be gauged by the end- customer. This simply can be quantified by the most accurate customer satis- faction survey that I’m aware of: repeat purchase orders.
SSI applies a few simple but effective approaches as it grows its sales net- work. Key to this is leveraging its mem- bership with the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA). When
seeking out new reps SSI searches the MANAonline.org database to find suit- able candidates within a geographic area of interest. A concise letter addressed to the principles of each rep agency describes the business proposi- tion, and is quickly followed by phone calls to determine levels of interest and compatibility to narrow the list of can- didates. Ultimately the decision to work together has to make good business sense for both parties.
If your business-development strat- egy involves an expanded sales network, now is the time to act, at the crest of the economic recovery. Apply the lessons learned from companies like Service Stampings Inc., begin to establish rela- tionships with independent reps and watch your sales grow. MF
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