What’s the big deal about reps anyway?
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You had a great idea to design and manufacture a line. You’ve sold it to a few stores in your neck of the woods. You’ve even gone to a few regional trade shows, or retail expos, and your line sold pretty well, so you forge ahead with plans to expand.
And now you can hardly keep up… Stores are calling you for re-orders but you’re on the other line and miss the call. You’re so busy dealing with supply, manufacturing and design details, you don’t have time to promote and sell your line anymore, much less follow-up with existing accounts.
What’s the answer? You’re still just starting up. You’re short on time but you’re short on money too. You can’t afford to hire any full-time sales employees, yet the business plan you wrote for the bank shows monthly sales growth. How do you grow your sales if you’re just keeping your head above water running your new business?
You hire independent sales representatives. A rep’s primary responsibility is to sell your products. A sales rep isn’t a magic bullet to increasing your sales—and finding the rep that’s right for you isn’t always easy—but if you want to increase your sales volume, assembling a team of reps throughout the US and Canada might be the solution.
Think about it this way: Say you have 100 accounts. Right now, individual buyers call you to place orders and re-orders. Depending on what part of the country they’re in, and what part of the country you’re in, you need to be accessible for order-taking 12-14 hours a day, in addition to the business of running your business, marketing, etc. By assembling a network of regional reps, you increase your sales (over time) but minimize your sales-related workload. Now you’re dealing with 8-12 reps instead of 100 accounts. Your reps take on the business of the day-to-day contact with your existing accounts. They’ll also introduce your line to their existing account base and, before you know it, you’ll need an assistant to process the influx of new orders.
More to come next week on deciding if you’re ready to hire sales reps, and how to get ready if you’re not.
About Me
Lara owns and is the primary sales rep for LJBryn&Co., a Midwest-based, independent rep group specializing in children’s gift, toys, gear and apparel. www.LJBrynAndCo.com
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Comments
Reps open doors!
Lara, well said! I would love to hear what other tips reps around the country have for both new and experienced manufacturers. I believe that communication is key to the success between reps and their brands. Please, keep sharing your insights about how to make a rep relationship reap maximum benefits for all parties - retailers, reps and brands!
I get calls often from manufacturers that want to find reps and feel lost on where to start or how to get the reps’ attention.
Finding the right rep is like any good relationship. One has to make sure it is a good fit. Discover that you are better working together than being apart!
REPS … we want more comments from you too!
David Gaunt
Editorial Director
The Giggle Guide@
661-251-2448
More reasons to hire a rep
I couldn’t even begin to list the number of articles I’ve written about the value of sales reps and how to manage your relationships with them so I’ll limit my comments to the two main issues which are CREDIBILITY and ACCOUNT MGMT.
Credibility:
If you are new, you need credibility. A sales rep has very valuable connections and their reputation rests on manufacturers who are a known quality. A sales rep is vouching for you, your quality and that you will deliver when you say you will and with consistency. As a new brand, a sales rep is lending you credibility and influence. They cannot afford to ruin their hard won reputations with a brand that doesn’t follow through and buyers know it.
Account Management:
Let’s talk about this in very simple terms: money. If you are new, you cannot know which doors pay their bills. You cannot know how stores can hurt you. A sales rep gets around, they talk. They know who pays their bills. They know why big orders to a new account can kill you -do you? Since a sales rep only gets paid after you do, they are not going to sell to stores that are risky. They are careful about selling to accounts that won’t cheapen your brand or can’t enforce price points.
~Nurture people, not products~
http://fashion-incubator.com
Thanks Kathleen
Great additional comments! I really appreciate the clarity of your thoughts. Please keep reading and adding your thoughts as I publish more posts.
Lara Joy Brynildssen
LJBryn&Co.
www.LJBrynAndCo.com
T 847 736 2711
F 847 202 9431