What is a Manufacturers Representative?

Wiltronix has been a Manufacturer's Representative since 1970.  But, have you ever wondered exactly what role a Manufacturer's Representative plays in the "sales channel" or more importantly, in helping you succeed at what you do?

Manufacturer's Representatives are different from the direct factory personnel and from distributors and multiple line resellers.  Your representative sells the products of several non-competing manufacturers within a defined territory, and therefore has a primary loyalty to customers in that territory.  This loyalty represents stability, because he is an independent business in this territory, and, unlike factory-direct personnel, he won't be transferred, replaced or promoted out of the territory.  And, he's not tied to one product line. He represents the products and he also represents you as a member of the marketplace we both inhabit. He/she is investing time and money in building a relationship with you that goes beyond today's business, and often beyond the individual product lines the firm is contracted to promote and sell.

The Manufacturer's Representative who calls on you with a portfolio of product lines brings you a lot more than just a source for the products.  He/she has been trained in the specialized technology of the manufacturers' product lines, and can provide "mini-tutorials" for a variety of products.  You can review several lines in the time taken by a single sales call - and the continuity of the relationship allows you to get right to the issues of your application, instead of wasting time explaining your basic business needs.  It is often useful when he/she presents several "synergistic lines", which may meet other unstated requirements.  It is important to be aware that a Manufacturer Representative's income does not depend on selling you the one product he has to sell, or one which has piled up in inventory.  The sole motivation for a Manufacturer's Representative is to connect the right product with the right application (customer) in order to meet the goals of both parties.

When you know a Manufacturer's Representative who has been in business for a long time, you can be sure it's because he/she has exercised his/her product knowledge to make many of these successful product-to-customer-to-application "matches".  And, from time to time, you'll see a Representative back away from an application for which he doesn't feel he has the best solution.  And Manufacturer's Representatives don't stay in business for long unless they continue to provide a valuable resource to you. Keep in mind that he not only represents the product to you, he is also representing you to the manufacturer.

The Manufacturers Representative is geared to presenting your case and getting you what you need, whether it's special engineering, pricing, expedited delivery, or allocation of "hot" products.  He/she is your own private "squeaky wheel" to the manufacturer.

Professional Manufacturer's Representative's are members of formal organizations with Standards of Conduct which allow you to expect a higher level of salesmanship and support.  Your representative will have a thorough and practical knowledge of the products he represents, the factory operations, and will speak and act with appropriate authority.  You can rely on his understanding of your needs, your operation, and therefore, his recommendations for addressing your specific applications.  His success and livelihood are based on providing you with information about the best values for your specific situation.

A different kind of sales...