Recently we supported NEMRA on a project to estimate the total distribution sales sold via the assistance of NEMRA independent manufacturer representatives. The percentage exceeded 50% of industry revenues (and if you want to know more, contact Jim Johnson.)

Yes, it sounds a little “low,” however, consider that distribution revenue includes utility sales, automation and products associated with that category, switchgear, and the lighting manufacturers (such as Acuity, Cooper Lighting, and a number of smaller lighting companies) that are not members.

What was surprising was the percentage of lighting that is associated with NEMRA.

Over the years, a number of lighting companies have joined NEMRA and with the launch of NEMRA Lighting, a division of NEMRA, there are more lighting manufacturers joining weekly. Further, NEMRA Lighting now has over 65 independent manufacturer reps / lighting agents that are members.

Rep of the Future Includes Training, Lighting

This is important as it ties to the recent 2025 Rep of the Future Report, Vision 2025.

Some key takeaways from the report include:

• The importance of planning, people, and training.
• That, over the next 5 years, firms will either need to diversify (customer segments and/or product groups) or narrow their focus.
  • Lighting, which is typically a top 3 category for electrical distributors, will be represented more and more by full-line independent manufacturer representatives as the specialty of a lighting agent may change.
• Demand generation, and hence product expertise, is critical to success with more time devoted to end-users / contractors.

The dynamics that the report focuses are pertinent to independent manufacturer reps and lighting agents. The sales process is very similar. The business issues, and manufacturer expectations, are consistent. The report is free to NEMRA members (reps, lighting agents, and manufacturers … “supply” and lighting.) To obtain your copy, download it from your NEMRA portal or contact Sue Todd. If you are not a NEMRA / NEMRA Lighting member and would like an overview, email NEMRA or me for an Executive Summary.

NEMRA Lighting Steps Up

NEMRA Lighting, recognizing the importance of a trained salesforce to ensure the success of its reps / agents AND the success of its manufacturers, in partnership with IES, launched its Stepped Educational Curriculum.

Available only to NEMRA Lighting members, this is a four-level program.

The first two levels are FREE to NEMRA Lighting members with the other two levels requiring membership in NEMRA Lighting and IES (Illuminating Engineering Society).

This is an investment in the success of a rep / agent’s people. Key elements of the curriculum are:

Level 1 / Trained includes 6 modules, and awards 5.5 CEUs), covering:

• Module 1: Intro to Lighting (7 total videos)
• Module 2: White Light and Color Appearance
• Module 3: Visualizing Light (3 videos)
• Module 4: The Life of an IES File: Predicting Lighting Through Photometry
• Module 5: Lighting Calculations Explained
• Module 6: A Second Language of Light

Level 2 is 7 modules and 10 CEUs covering:

• Module 1: Lighting Agency Basics (12 total videos)
• Module 2: Lighting and Value
• Module 3: Lighting and Control
• Module 4: What if we Thought of a Lighting System as a Teammate?
• Module 5: A New Sales Pitch
• Module 6: Selling Lighting Design as a Service: Lighting Beyond the Line Item
• Module 7: Tunable White Controls

So, consider this … manufacturers train on their project and maybe some of the basics. How well trained is your staff? Especially those who have been involved in the lighting industry for less than 3 years.

If you are a “traditional NEMRA rep” with multiple lighting lines, are you really involved, and qualified, to sell lighting if your staff isn’t trained or are you solely servicing demand and capturing “low level” business? If you want to be in the lighting business and capture greater share, perhaps membership in NEMRA Lighting is more than offset by a better trained lighting staff that can sell more … and generate a stronger commission income stream … oh, and better serve your end-users / contractors and distributors.

And if you don’t know enough about NEMRA Lighting or the Stepped Up curriculum, contact Jeff Bristol.

In an industry where companies say, “our people are our difference,” distributors and manufacturers should ask “how?” The answer should be either experienced or training.

NEMRA Lighting’s Stepped Educational Curriculum can help accelerate lighting experience.