Farmers' Market
Time-Tested Tips
Think your product might have what it takes to catch the
attention of a manufacturers' rep? Try these ideas for getting
off to the right start: - Maintain product quality.
Greene and McKittrick started out making the products in their
garage, but they switched over to a local manufacturer once they
signed with a rep firm. That way, they could ensure the product
would be durable and also look like it was made by a large
company.
- Be honest. Provide upfront
information about your business' situation without holding
anything back. Reps don't like to be surprised by bad news you
"forgot" to mention. Reps will quickly stop working for
an inventor who doesn't communicate honestly.
- Develop a personal
relationship. Visit your reps, support them at major
trade shows and keep in constant contact with them. Greene happened
to know her rep from church, and the regular face-to-face contact
helped nurture the business relationship.
- Provide all the support you
can. Although Greene and McKittrick can't afford an
expensive advertising campaign, they have hired a public relations
firm to send out press releases to the local papers whenever
Marshall Associates lands a new store. "We also try to provide
whatever the rep needs for trade shows or retailer
presentations," says Greene.
- Play an active role. Help
your reps get off to a strong start with retailers. In addition to
helping with PR, like Greene and McKittrick, special promotions,
product displays, extra discounts and in-store demonstrations are
other low-cost tactics sure to help the rep sell your product to
customers.
- Sign an agreement that offers mutual
long-term benefits. A rep's greatest fear is that he
or she will pioneer a product line, only to have the manufacturer
take it away once it becomes successful. Reps who take on a new
line typically invest in that line for at least two years before
earning any significant commissions, so they want to be assured the
line will still be theirs once sales start to skyrocket.
Experienced marketers know that strong relationships with their
reps are vital to success. As Greene and McKittrick have found,
appreciating reps and focusing on a marketing program based on
their needs really pays off. If you want to someday enlist the help
and expertise of reps, follow Greene and McKittrick's lead and
treat them like your most important customers. The result will be
big profits for you and high commissions for your reps. That's
a win-win situation sure to help your business grow. | READ ALL ABOUT
IT | | If
you've never worked with manufacturers' sales
representatives, look for a copy of the MANA Directory from the Manufacturers'
Agents National Association, available at most larger libraries and
online at www.manaonline.org. The
directory includes articles on figuring out what reps are looking
for, signing agreements and choosing the best reps for
you. Are you a first-time inventor or trying
to license your product for the first time? Check out The Inventor's
Bible by Ronald Louis Docie (Ten Speed Press). The
book offers an easy-to-understand process for licensing an
invention and covers all the necessary steps, from patenting to
negotiating a licensing agreement. |
Content Continues Below
Don Debelak is a
new-business marketing consultant and author of Think Big: Make Millions From Your Ideas. Contact Source
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