Gift Rep Sandy

Positioning Your Sales Representative Business, although not an open conflict situation, is important indicator to the way you are treated within the sales channels.  Not only do you need the trust and respect of your vendors, you also need the trust and respect of your buyers.

To position your services as one of the players in the marketing channels is very important.  You can loose value to your buyers if you seem to be an outsider playing in or during the buying process.  Listed here are a couple ways to encourage this positioning:

•    Treating each sale as though the buyer is purchasing your personally manufactured products.  In other words, you are taking ownership as a sales partner with each vendor your represent.  After all, these are not abstract products you are representing.  They are products and companies you care about.

•    Showing your buyers you bring value to their buying experience.  If you give your buyers the best service you can give, they sense your dedication and see your value.  Also, buyers are more likely to order with you, as someone they know and trust, rather than ordering direct from the vendor or from another sales rep.

One of the more frequent questions I receive, especially from smaller stores who are not familiar with working through a sales rep, is concerning price structures.  “Will this item cost me more if I buy though you?”  Because distributors often charge a high price for products they distributor and deliver, some buyers assume that a sales rep’s position is similar.  Also, many buyers are unaware that the producer is paying the sales rep to service their account.  (I think buyers are conditioned to be skeptical about getting something for nothing!)  Personally, I needed to educate some of my buyers about my role and relationship between them and the vendor – stressing that I am a service company working to make their buying experience fun and easy.  Once again, I reinforced my role in the marketing channels.

This concern can also be an issue you need to sell to your producers.  Many start-up companies especially, may not understand your important role in the channels of distribution.  Producers have told me:  “Why should I pay you to sell my products when I have done all the work?”  This question tells me they do not understand the gift market nor understand the value my role is within that market.  After all, it takes several years to compile and develop relationship with buyers from dozens or even hundreds of gift stores.