Having spent many years in the electrical industry as a 4th generation rep agency, my grandfather told everyone that my first words as an infant were “thank you, but we choose not to get into lighting.” Things have certainly changed, […]
Welcome to a new year and let me be one of the first to say, “happy New Year to you.” While some manufacturers, reps and distributors started their joint 2022 planning in Q4, for the majority of us the planning […]
Many of us “old-timers” have previously gone through product shortages in this industry. However, I never recall so many products being involved at the same time. How companies deal with this may have longer term affects, however, than in the […]
Given today’s supply chain disruption from material shortages, lack of truck drivers warehouse staff, and docks full of unloaded material, culminating in manufacturers many turn defensive, tell customers “material is coming, just wait” (similar to a rolling airline delay) and […]
It’s that time of year again. Time for responding to sales management requests for 2022 sales forecasting. But this year it may be more wrapping a story around a riddle that may be an enigma … unless you have a […]
Recently I was with a Vice President of Sales for a larger electrical manufacturer discussing rep consolidations and mergers. Was it good for the industry and, most especially, would manufacturers consider this a positive as they look to continue to […]
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 […]
This is a follow up on my last writing regarding manufacturer’s representatives and their functions. Based upon reader requests, I was asked for some compensation suggestions to motive reps. This is just one perspective from someone with agency experience. There […]
Have you noticed that with all the manufacturer and distributor mergers & acquisitions, that manufacturers representatives are following a similar strategy? For reference, since last August: There have been at least four major mergers of lighting agencies (most notably in […]
If the last year and COVID has done anything for our business acumen, it would be the importance of continued customer contact through any means possible including the benefit of a relatively new sales tool … virtual meetings (euphemistically most […]
