Selecting a Sales Agent

If you decide that you need an independent sales agent in a specific territory, how do you select one who is right for your company? Every agent, no matter how good, is not right for every manufacturer. Selecting the one that can be an extension of your firm to the trade is not easy. To the customer, the agent is your company.

Here are some points to consider in matching an agent to your company's character and image.

What sort of selling skills are necessary for selling my products? Does the agent need technical knowledge and experience in addition to personal selling ability?

What marketing functions, if any, do I need in addition to selling?

Must the agent service my products as well as sell it? Do I need a one-man or one-woman agency or an organization? If the latter, how large an organization?

What is the agent's record of success in products and territories similar to mine?

How long has the agent been in business? What is the agent's reputation? How well can I trade on it?

Are the other lines carried by the agent compatible with mine? Will the agent's contacts for existing lines help gain entry for my line?

Is the trade the agent specializes is the one I want to reach?

Does the agent cover the geographic area I need covered and in what depth?

Do the character, personality, values, and integrity of our two organizations correspond?

Can the "reps", who are employees of the sales agent, sales-manage their own territories or will they need management and guidance from the agent? Or from me?

Is the agent the type that merely follows instructions? Or does the agent have a reputation for offering constructive suggestions? Which type do I need?

Is the "chemistry" right? Will we enjoy working together?

Sources of Sales Representative

Once you know the kind of agent you are looking for, it becomes relatively easy to target in on the right one. You know what questions to ask the prospective agent. You know what qualities will satisfy your need. It is a matter of getting prospects from several sources. Those sources are:

Classified ads in trade papers whose readership is geared toward the type of manufacturer's representative you seek.

Recommendations from customers and sales managers or owners of non-competing companies in your industry. Also, editors or salesmen and saleswomen from trade magazines can often offer recommendations.

You will probably come up with several choices. Agents are not hard to find. However, selecting the right one for you requires careful study on your part. Don't rush into a relationship. Getting the right partner is vital. Once the agent and manufacturer become associated, they are truly "married," so to speak. Their common goal is to get maximum sales from the territory.

Working With a Sales Agent

A written contract is the start of harmonious relations with an agent. It should spell out what each of you is to do.

But don't stop after you've signed on an independent sales agent. Look for ways to get the most out of your relationship.

How do you motivate your agent to peak results? Unfortunately, here is where many manufacturers fail. They don't know how to work with a good agent. Often they blame the agent for their own shortcomings.

Actually, the formula for working harmoniously with an agent is fairly simple. Companies that work successfully with an independent sales agent accept the agent as a professional arm of their organization. Their owner-managers respect the talents of their agents.

Involve the independent sales agent in various phases of your marketing. For example, the agent may have constructive suggestions on packaging, sales promotion, and advertising. Many sales agents have strong ego drives and thrive on involvement. When other clients lean heavily on the agent, you may have to fight to capture the agent's interest and get constructive advice. Hold your agent by making the agent part of your team.

Your communications must be clear and concise. The agent depends on you for information about your products, processes, and other matters that bear on selling for you.

The agent's interest, challenge, and profit - as does your profit-comes from making sales. Don't burden your agent with detail. Rather help cut through to the heart of what you expect your rep to accomplish sales.

This article Provides managing your Company tips and Handle business advice. However, you aren't prepared to start your own
company until you've given any thought to managing it. A business is an ongoing activity that doesn't run itself. As the
supervisor you will have to set goals, determine how to reach those goals and make all the required decisions. You will have to
buy or create your product, cost it, advertise it and market it.

You will have to keep records, and determine costs. You'll Have to Control inventory, make the right buying decisions and keep
costs down. You'll need to hire, train and motivate employees now or as you grow.

Setting Business Management Goals. Great small business management Is the secret to success and great management begins with
establishing goals. Set goals for yourself for the accomplishment of the many activities necessary in establishing and managing
your company successfully. Be specific. Write down the goals in measurable terms and conditions of functionality. Break major
goals down to sub-goals, demonstrating what you expect to attain in the next two to three months, the subsequent six months,
another calendar year, and the next five years. Beside each goal and sub-goal place a particular date showing as it's to be
achieved.

Plan the action you need to take to achieve the goals. While the effort Required to reach each sub-goal ought to be great enough
to challenge one, it shouldn't be so great or unreasonable as to discourage you. Don't plan to reach too many targets all at one
time. Establish priorities.

Plan in advance how to measure results so you can know exactly how Well you are doing. This is what's meant by"measurable"
targets. If you can not keep score as you move along you're very likely to eliminate motivation. Re-work your plan of activity to
allow for obstacles which may stand on your way. Attempt to foresee obstacles and plan strategies to avert or minimize them.

Buying. Skillful buying is an important essential of Managing a business. This is true if you are a wholesaler or retailer of
product, a producer or a service business proprietor. Some retailers say it's by far the most important single factor. Product
that's carefully bought is easy to market.

Deciding what to purchase means finding out the type, type, quality, Brand, size, colour, style -whatever applies to a particular
inventory - which will sell the very best. This requires close attention to salespeople, trade journals, catalogs, and especially
the likes and dislikes of your regular clients. Assess your earnings records. Even the producer should see the problem through the
eyes of customers before deciding what materials, parts, and materials to buy.

Know your regular clients, and make a Fantastic evaluation of this People you hope will become your customers. Just what
socioeconomic category are they? Are they homeowners or tenants? Are you currently searching for cost, quality or style? What's
the predominant age group?

The age of your clients can be a prime consideration in Establishing a buying pattern. Young men and women purchase more often
than most older people. They need greater, have fewer responsibilities, and invest more on themselves. They are more aware of
style trends whether in sporting apparel, cars or electronic equipment. In case you choose to cater to the young trade because
they appear dominate in your town, your buying pattern will probably be completely different than if the conservative middle-aged
clients seem to be in the majority.

Study trade journals, newspaper advertising, catalogs, window Displays of businesses similar to yours. Ask advice of salespeople
offering you product, but buy sparingly from several providers instead of one, analyzing the water, so to speak, until you
understand exactly what your best lines will be.

Locating suitable merchandise sources is not easy. You may buy Directly from manufacturers or manufacturers, from wholesalers,
distributors or jobbers. Pick the suppliers who sell exactly what you need and can provide it when you need it. (Distributors and
jobbers are used by most business people for fast fill-ins between factory shipments.)

You may spread purchases among many providers to gain more Favorable prices and promotional material. Or you may focus your
purchases one of a few providers to simplify your credit issues. This may also allow you to become famous as the vendor of a
particular brand or line of merchandise, and to maintain a fixed standard in your products, if you are buying materials for
manufacturing purposes.

When to buy is essential if your company will have seasonal Variations in sales volume. More stock will be needed ahead of the
seasonal upturn in sales quantity. As earnings decrease, less merchandise is needed. This means purchases of goods for resale and
materials for processing must change accordingly.

At the outset, how much to purchase is speculative. The best coverage is To be frugal till you have had enough expertise to judge
your wants. On the other hand, you cannot sell merchandise in case you do not have it.

To help solve purchasing problems, you should begin to maintain stock Control records simultaneously. This can help you keep the
inventory in equilibrium - neither too big nor too small - with a suitable proportion and decent assortment of merchandise, sizes,
colors, styles and qualities.

Basically there are two types of stock control - control in Dollars and control in physical components. Dollar controllers reveal
the sum of money spent in every merchandise category. Unit controllers indicate the number of individual items when and from whom
bought by class. A good inventory control system is able to help you decide what, from whom, when, and how much to buy.

Pricing. A lot of your success in manage a business will depend on The best way to price your services. If your Rates are too low,
then You Won't cover Costs; too high and you'll lose sales volume. In both cases, you will not Make a profit.

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