Communication for
A Mutually Profitable Relationship
It is best to assign one person to be responsible for communicating
with your agencies. He will serve as the agency liaison between engineering,
production, shipping and administration. A strong, well-organized
back-up at the plant will encourage the agency to likewise organize
its communicative facilities so that a smooth working relationship
can be devised. Here are some suggestions for devising a good communications
network:
Establish a clear-cut executive responsibility for your communication
program. As suggested above, one person responsible
for the liaison between agency and the various departments of
the manufacturer is the first step in paving the way for desirable
communication.
Watch for signs of communication breakdown. If
the agent finds it necessary to repeat calls to ask for quotes or
invoices, or if memos go unanswered or take too long, re-examine
the original communication program and set it back on track.
Establish a Representative Council. Don't
forget that your agent is a professional, an expert in his
or her own territory, and frequently has a broad sales management
and engineering background. Many successful manufacturers'
marketing programs include a representative council so that
suggestions and feedback from their agents can be evaluated
and used.
Have sales meetings. Visits in the field and
working with agency salespeople are of great value, as are plant
visits by field salespeople. When your agent meets with the plant
personnel, he or she will be made to feel a part of the overall team.
Many manufacturers feel that an annual sales meeting at the home
plant accomplishes that purpose. The communication with the agent
and their personnel should be as complete and as responsive as with
your own salaried people.
Listen to feedback. Evaluate those messages
that come from the field. Your agent knows the marketing problems
in the territory, listen to him, he may be able to suggest an advertising
program or a product change that will be highly profitable.
Telephone calls. Frequent telephone calls to
each agency will encourage the proper type of field information -
ask for assistance and offer it. Balance your communication with
memos, letters, newsletters, phone calls and field visits.
Rapport. Check the rapport you have with your
agent in comparison with the relationship he seems to share with
other manufacturers. If you feel that you do not have good communication,
ask him how he thinks your mutual relationship can be improved.
Training Agency
Personnel
Be sure you know your product and market well enough to provide
leadership and guidance to your agency personnel. Here are some training
tips:
Use your factory personnel in the training of your agents. They
know a great deal about the product. In fact, no one knows more about
the product than you and your staff. Be prepared to share with your
agents your years of experience with your product, production data,
engineering, shipping and personnel. You can provide your agents
with a knowledge of your product that will open doors to sales success
for all involved.
Publish a specific training program. Think it through
completely and reduce it to paper so that it can be referred to as
a checklist. It should include names and phone numbers of personnel,
deadlines, production data, engineering, and applications - anything
you can think of that will assist your agents in selling your product.
Assign one person to be responsible for the training of your
agents. The person who is responsible for the liaison
between agents and staff should handle the training.
Take this opportunity to re-educate established agencies. Emphasize
the positive points of your program to those people already established.
Determine what tools you will need for the training program. Many
of the most successful manufacturers using agents have a positive
manual which offers information and guidelines, but is not so rigid
that exceptions can't be made.
Be certain that you follow up with annual or semi-annual sales meetings,
and that the person responsible for communication with the agents
gets all new information to them immediately.
