How Reps Use Digital Marketing to Sell More?

As NEMRA hired a new director of Digital Transformation, it led me to think of how digital is changing rep selling. Transformation can impact operations, but it also affects sales processes.  Using my own experiences. and that of others I have been in contact, the pandemic, and the evolution of marketplace interaction, is driving reps to interact digitally now more than ever.

Sometimes we forget the original intent of manufacturer’s representatives is to act as the “selling instrument” of manufacturers within a defined geographical market.  Selling certainly includes the marketing of products to our customers, whomever they might be, as determined by the products and the needs for specifications or acceptance.

The Start of Marketing Automation … Our First Database

Our interest in “reporting” (capturing information) originally was initiated by a need to visit users of one of our products as the manufacturer had a recall due to a serious defect.  The manufacturer armed us with testing equipment, and we visited various distributors of the products and their key customers.  This was some 30 years ago, and we found the users we visited were so satisfied with the effort of making sure the product was safe, they began specifying our products through distribution.

We began compiling a list of users for this industrial product to make sure they were aware of new products, opportunities, and issues.  This was our first database! At that time, we communicated through the mail via a newsletter.  It became so successful we developed a list of contractors and engineers and began to communicate regularly.   

Later, as emails became available, we converted our data and opportunities to emails.  We were able to quantify our efforts by measuring the increase in sales over a 60-day period on products being promoted through marketing.

Emails Can Generate Sales

Around the same time, we were able to get a product of ours specified at a national commercial real estate company.  Our staff showed the company how they could be saving monies through energy savings and longer life.  It was a win-win, and the company shared with us some information on where they were purchasing and what they purchased.  Our associates took the information and contacted a distributor that supported the product and could handle the business.  The first inquiry was for well over $100,000.  We got the pricing for the distributor and were able to secure a margin the distributor salesman was very satisfied in receiving and more than he had requested.  A few weeks later the President of the company congratulated us for “winning the contract” and that we must have had very competitive pricing.  He was not told of the process that took place nor the effort on our company, and yet decisions were made by him on suppliers to support.

Reporting Can Create Loyalty

A meeting of our management group determined that we needed to send monthly notes to our key distributors on our specification group activities.   Key sales and marketing people at these distributors were included as well as their management.  Distributors were fascinated by our activities and again, following up on the business generated at these distributors justified the activities reporting as the loyalty we received from key distribution was significant.  One of our distributor’s Executive VPs even stated that we gave him more information than any of his switchgear or lighting manufacturers (hopefully times have changed for many with these companies?!).

At one of our quarterly meetings with these distributors to set up further targets for sales effort, it was asked if we called on his 30+ branches.  The VP of Sales’ concern was that it appeared all representatives and manufacturers called on his headquarters, but the number calling on his branches was a mere fraction.  We then added the sales calls we made to branches to our monthly personalized notes to each of the distributors including discussions and follow ups, where appropriate.

Reps Invest in Marketing

What do other representatives do in marketing?  Many leading agencies now include someone responsible for marketing on their staff.  Speaking to representatives, it is generally agreed that the information, whether on products or promotions, generated by our manufacturers should be sent to those distributors or users that we know might find value in them.  The lists we gather internally are from the representatives’ efforts and not generally shared with manufacturers.  Why?

We had a manufacturer that asked all his representatives for a list of their major contractors for a promotion he was going to present directly to them.  We sent the list to him and contacted him a few months later as we had seen nothing from them.  His comment was that only 3 representatives in the country forwarded him the list as requested, so he decided not to run the promotion.  My comment was that if he expected the reps to comply in the future, he should have run the promotion in only those 3 rep areas and been able to determine the value.  Although he agreed, he never ran another promotion and we have never forwarded our lists again.

Further, reps have 30-day contracts. Our contacts are built from relationships and are our livelihoods. Why would we share when the manufacturer could make a change rather indiscriminately? Yes, they can buy lists, but can they buy the right lists?

The Marketing Managers at various representatives do everything from monthly newsletters to direct mailing of new products to specific users.  Many promotions have limited time for them to be utilized.  Getting this information out as quickly as possible gives everyone maximum opportunity.  I remember a campaign we did that enabled a distributor to “buy-in” to a promotion.  Those that bought in were included in a contractor mailing for the items and each distributor that had inventory was mentioned in the mailer.  The President of a distributor called me angry that his supply house was not included when he saw the mailing.  Our salesperson and I visited with him, and he brought in the purchasing manager that confirmed he had received the promotion but had decided not to participate.  This distributor participated in every promotion afterwards.

Qualifying promotions and new products emailed to users is likewise relatively simple by merely accounting for their sales after the notification.  Many of us have found that the mailers of new products, when qualified and sent to the right users, are valued. The right strategy is a targeted strategy, not a eBlast. It takes time, but it generates better results and more satisfied individuals who either value the information or value that they didn’t get junk mail.  Perhaps distributors are so inundated with emails and promotions that they either don’t look at many or have too much else to do.  However, we are generally surprised at the responses from users including questions and who might stock the item. This is demand generation, marketing-style.

Marketing Enhances Limited Sales Time

Another significant reason for digital marketing is that even when you can visit customers, your time is limited.  It is said that a very successful sales call with an individual is 45 minutes.  Take away the “small talk” of sports, personal or other niceties, and you may be under 30 minutes.  Now if they have issues, they want to discuss or are interrupted by calls, how much time do you have?  The idea of getting promotions and new products to these people prior to the sales call enables them to prepare and perhaps generate, or solicit, questions internally.   This significantly enhances the value and accomplishments of the meeting.

Other Digital Marketing Tools

Email is just one tool. Webinars, videos and social media should also now be part of a rep’s marketing mix. And there are other tools that can be used as reps become more sophisticated marketers. They key is understanding that the sales process is evolving, so we need to evolve.

Selling is a Team Sport … the Rep is the Catcher

Certainly, the value of local representation is the relationships developed over long periods by the individual and the company.  Selling is a team sport and being able to be in a position to succeed takes team effort.  Utilizing the information generated by the manufacturer is key and few rep agencies have the assets to produce necessary product flyers, promotions, samples, etc.  Consider the manufacturer as the pitcher.  He has the product and can supply the various tools necessary for success.  The representative is the catcher.  He needs to know the batters he faces going into the game and the tools the pitcher (manufacturer) can provide to him.  Like pitchers, some have better capabilities, and the local rep (catcher) needs to know his customers and where to best select those most likely to use the product successfully.  Before a game the pitcher and catcher spend time reviewing each target and how to best win.

For Manufacturer Representatives seeking a sales advantage, Channel Marketing Group can help develop a digital marketing plan and develop / support website initiatives.