THE GOOD SALES REP
in-store visits and an intimate understanding of their territory, leading to greater success. “They have to be good busi- ness people. They have to be advocates for a brand, and they have to be advocates for their spe- cialty retailers,” says Ben Tindall, a former independent sales rep and now the sales manager of Yakima. “They have to add value to their specialty retailers by being educated about the bigger business, about the economy, about the impacts of the next six months of what that economy is going to mean.” A good sales rep offers advice and guidance along with their products. The rapport they estab- lish with customers inspires a lev- el of trust that can be even more valuable than the profit margins of goods sold. Smart sales man- agers recognize the importance of a good rep who can encourage buyers to take calculated risks on new merchandise or an increase in sales volume. Reps put a lot of effort into maintaining these relationships regardless of what brands they might represent. Brands come and go, but dealers are forever. “The best reps represent their stores and work to build a long-term relationship with their stores. And they balance the needs of the brand with the needs of the retailer. But their core allegiance needs to be to their independent stores,” Tindall says. “If they can […] earn that trust and maintain it, then they are of value to the brands.” Kenny Parker, co-owner of Water Stone Outdoors in Fay- etteville, West Virginia, says a good rep will secure his business by simply maintaining lines of A LIFE ON THE ROAD: North Carolina-based sales rep Katherine Corbett hits new highs in the Pyrenees.
communication between his shop and the brands he buys. “I’ve always appreciated the value of a good rep, not only for the nuts-and-bolts stuff of the buyer in the buying cycle, but with getting you the materials you need by reminding you of the deadlines,” Kenny says. “When new stuff comes up or availability comes up, they’re filling you in; they’re contact- ing you. They’re actually doing their job. They’re selling more stuff that they’re going to get commission on. And if they’re doing that work for you, then they deserve the commission and brands should pay them.” One thing that has changed dramatically for reps is the prepon- derance of more data and online sales. “The brands I rep have done a good job of keeping the focus on speciality, narrowing or eliminat- ing Amazon sales, keeping Amazon as a full price platform and also trimming the MAP windows to a bare minimum,” says Kurt Smith, a longtime independent rep. “The end result is driving more full price sales to the specialty partners.” And all that digital competition
“I’ve always appreciated the value of a good rep.” —KENNY PARKER, WATER STONE OUTDOORS
has forced reps to expand their toolset. “Today’s sales rep is often required to be more of a consultant and strategist versus the traditional traveling salesperson,” says North Carolina-based rep Katherine “K.C” Corbett. “We are required to use data and insights to add value for well-informed buyers. Rela- tionship building is still key, but it’s happening in new, often digital, ways. Technology continues to streamline processes, allowing reps to focus on building a personalized, informed, and efficient customer experience. Consequently, sales cycles are much faster, and many customers need and expect im- mediate responses. Sales reps are under pressure in this regard as it’s difficult to be on the road visiting accounts and available online simultaneously. Fortunately, we are aided by new tools that speed up follow-up, route planning, and order entry—such as intuitive B2B platforms, digital mapping, and robust CRM systems.”
Even with the advent of elec- tronic ordering and computerized sales analysis, the fundamental role of the independent sales rep is more critical than ever. No amount of social media engage- ment on Facebook or Instagram will ever be able to replace a passionate professional dedicated to the success of your business. “The thing that I like the most is working with a retailer to find out what’s going to make them successful,” says Keith Reis, a sales rep based in Louisville, Colorado. “And being able to do that—I really just, I love the shit out of it.” In an effort to lower costs, sales managers might be too quick to reduce the size of a rep’s territory or cut their commis- sion. To boost profits, there’s also the allure of less-expensive automated sales platforms or direct-to-consumer communica- tion systems that aim to prompt retailers to up their open-to-buy.
20 GRASSROOTS STORIES
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