Channel friction inevitably occurs when money is involved. While the flow of money is always good, administering and reporting on it is where the friction comes about. This gets to the issue of “is the information accurate.”

Achieving accuracy requires the right reporting systems.

Key areas that affect the channel include payment of commissions, which includes POS information, and rebates, which Interlyx classifies as end of year programs, inclusive of bonus structures and product category specific rebates, and SPAs.

Further, for distributor initiatives this includes lead management / dissemination and deal registration systems to support preferred distributor strategies.

Larry White, president of Interlynx, shares some insights and an overview of some of their services. Interlynx is an ElectricalTrends supporter and has served manufacturers in the electrical and automation industry for two decades.

Channel Friction – Commissions, Rebates, SPAs …

Commission friction is one of the fastest ways to undermine a rep–manufacturer relationship.

Even with the best intentions on both sides, unclear payouts, difficult files, and hard-to-validate commissions quietly erode trust and ease of doing business—pulling attention away from selling and toward unnecessary noise.

Services for Manufacturer’s Reps – Trust, But Verify Your Commission Payouts

If you’re like most manufacturer’s reps, you receive commission reports from multiple suppliers in different formats and at varying levels of usability. That makes it harder than it should be to answer a basic question: did I get paid correctly?

Interlynx unifies supplier commission reports into a single, usable view—so reps can validate payouts quickly, reduce friction, and stay focused on selling instead of reconciling files.

Click Here to Learn More About Commission Management for Reps

Services for Manufacturers – Great Commission Reporting Drives Rep Mindshare

The condition of the commission reports you send your reps directly affects how easy you are to work with. Overly complicated or error-prone reporting creates friction that erodes trust and motivation—even when products and opportunities are strong.

Interlynx helps manufacturers deliver clear, rep-friendly commission reporting so reps stay focused on selling your line, not questioning payouts.

Click Here to Learn More About Commission Management for Manufacturers

Services for Manufacturers – Great Rebate Management Drives Distributor Focus

Most special pricing issues surface at the ship-and-debit level, where poor tracking and reconciliation slow credits and create disputes. Interlynx helps manufacturers execute ship-and-debit cleanly—reducing friction for distributors and keeping reps focused on selling, not troubleshooting.

Click Here to Learn More About Rebate Management for Manufacturers

Interlynx also can support manufacturers with lead management and deal registration systems to facilitate distributor growth initiatives.

Why This Matters at NEMRA

NEMRA exists to strengthen sales, marketing, and management capabilities and to promote ethical, efficient, and productive partnerships between reps and manufacturers. Ease of doing business sits at the center of that mission.

Reducing friction in commissions and special pricing execution isn’t an operational detail—it’s a relationship and growth strategy.

Click Here to Learn More About All of Our Servcies

Takeaways

• For manufacturers and reps attending NEMRA, Interlynx will be attending NEMRA and I would suggest stopping by their booth or connecting in advance with Larry … and he always has the best show giveaways … ask him about coffee and avocados!
• NEMRA should be commended for listening to the membership and involving more technology companies at the conference this year. Technology is one of the 5 Pillars of the Rep of the Future and is critical for reducing friction between reps and manufacturers and, more importantly, making each easier to do business with … and more profitable.