“The fact of the matter is, most of the buyers don’t have time to go through their inbox, let alone be analytical about it,” says Reis. “So, a trusted voice coming in that they’ve seen multiple times and they’re familiar with and they know is far more valuable than any direct marketing campaign anybody’s ever going to do, with- out question.” That familiar face that comes to a specialty store brings a wealth of knowledge and expe- rience that enhances the quality of every product they sell. With every call, email, buying show, or in-store visit, a good rep offers themselves as a bonus. “Because we don’t own anything. We have no equity. We don’t own a building. We don’t hold inventory,” says Jeff Sheets, a 40-year rep based in Los Angeles. “The only thing that we really have of tangible value is our rela- tionships—the faith and trust that our customers have in us.” Independent sales represen- tatives are the glue that binds to- gether the individual components of product development, man- ufacturing, marketing, delivery, inventory management, merchan- dising, sales training, and promo- tion. With a kind spirit and sheer tenacity, a good rep can make the difference between a business that merely sells stuff and an honored profession from which we can all build a worthwhile and deeply fulfilling community. “The highlights are the rela- tionships. That’s the best part. The money is just money, and it just buys you things that you need, and it’s important,” says Sheets. “But I never thought in a million years that I would be in this position to go, ‘Holy cow, look at how blessed I am to have these magnificent relationships, friends across the country.” For a good sales rep, that’s the bottom line.
Our reps will thrive, but they need our support. Here’s everything you need to know about what reps do for the outdoor industry and the challenges they face in the coming years. By Cami Floros-Garrison, director WWSRA
our shop owners, employees, and this industry. They know their success is directly tied to the success of their retailers and the brands they represent. As our industry faces growing pressure to maintain the rapid growth experienced during COVID, our sales reps are on the frontlines, writing orders, merchan- dising floors, training staff, managing emotions, and covering a lot of geographic ground. Our reps rely on our brands to continue recognizing the value of the relationships they nurture and the strong connec- tions they build with retail stores. Takeaways: • Our sales reps are the backbone of our indus- try: While brands and retailers are essential, our independent reps are the backbone that holds it all together. They endure significant financial and emotional volatility without the guarantee of a paycheck. • Pressures on reps: Most often our reps work entire selling seasons without seeing a pay- check. Factors like brands not shipping or retailers not paying bills dictate whether a rep will ever be paid. • Increased burden on reps: With the shift away from national trade shows, reps are covering larger geographic areas with tighter timelines, working in every possible environment to get products in front of buyers. Challenges: • F inancial uncertainty: With contract terms like “pay on ship” or “pay on pay,” rising costs, shrink- ing commissions and orders, and the inability to secure operating capital via banks, our reps are incredibly vulnerable to the financial strains and having to rework their entire business models to create financial stability. • Intense workload with limited resources: Reps are expected to be everywhere—regional shows, buying group shows, showrooms, and in stores—with limited time and resources, espe- cially for small agencies with only one or two employees, which represent the majority. • Everything to everyone: Our reps play multiple roles—salesperson, customer service rep, and crisis manager—all while balancing the emo- tional toll of uncertainty and the pressure to grow sales.
If our brands are what create excitement and drive consumer demand, and our retailers are the lifeblood of this industry, then our sales reps are our backbone. And they are built just a little bit differently. They can endure intense financial, physical, and emo- tional highs and lows in an industry that’s incredibly vulnerable to economic factors and weather conditions. What most people don’t know is, reps typically work through entire selling seasons without seeing a paycheck, and there are nu- merous variables that affect whether they’ll ever get paid. And, while brands and retailers can turn to banks for capital, they are unlike- ly to offer loans to commission-based sales reps, especially those just starting out. Most rep contracts include “pay on pay” or “pay on ship” terms, which mean there’s no guarantee of a paycheck and the ability to repay loans. We’re also seeing more independently owned stores selling to national retailers, disrupting distribution channels and reducing the num- ber of independent retailers for our reps. As the outdoor and snowsports industries move away from national trade shows, the burden of the sales cycle—both physically and financially—has shifted largely onto the reps. They cover large geographic regions with hundreds of storefronts while working on incredibly compressed timelines. It re- quires them to take every opportunity they can to get product in front of our buyers. Whether it’s at regional shows, buying group shows, showrooms, hotel rooms, storage units, trucks, or trailers, they’re there. The competitive landscape and number of trade shows only amplifies this challenge. Not to bring it back to COVID, but never was there a time when the role of our inde- pendent reps was more critical or clear. While many brands were laying off staff, including in-house reps, independent reps were working overtime to keep retailers sane and stocked with product, at no immediate or direct cost to the brand. They acted as customer service reps, sales reps, crisis managers, therapists, and best friends all at once. They do this because they can stomach it and they care deeply for
GRASSROOTS STORIES 21
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