Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Be Valuable to Your Reps

An old adage states, “The more you put into your reps, the more you will get out of them.” I believe this to be absolutely true. It’s true to the point that if you want to have a successful relationship with your reps, you have to give them everything they need to be successful.

Let’s face it:  Those of us in the board industry have not always treated our reps fairly. We have not supported them, not been honest with them, not trusted them, and perhaps not paid them enough—the biggest sin of all.

There seems to be some kind in instinctual adversarial relationship between board shops and their reps. I cannot count the number of calls I get every week from sales managers and presidents and even owners of companies who are not happy with their reps. What I find interesting is that they don’t call me for help with managing their reps, and they don’t want to hear my plan for getting more out of their reps; heaven forbid if I try to suggest to them how to treat their reps. They are not interested in those things at all. What they want are more reps. They seem to think that no matter how much they dislike their reps, everything will be solved if they get more of them. That doesn’t make sense to me, and it probably doesn’t to you either. It kind of validates that other old adage about the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Back to the first adage: I know most of you out there who are having problems with your reps don’t want to hear this, but this is my column and I’m going to tell you anyway. I encourage you to listen up.

Here now, for the first time, is my adage: It’s all about value. The more you value your reps the more you will get out of them. Wait—there’s more: The more you can give your reps value, the more they will value the relationship and the harder they will work for you.

Here are three important and unique ways you can provide value to your reps and hence your relationship with your reps:

1. Treat them as equal partners. Welcome them to the company. Treat them like family. The best rep/principal relationships I have ever seen are between people who respect one another. Be honest with your reps. Be open. Let them know what is going on at your company. Defend them when your own employees attack them. Treat your reps with respect and not only will the rest of your company treat them with respect, but so in return the reps will treat you with respect.
2. Hold regular meetings with your reps, including one-on-one meetings to go over specific accounts with each of them individually, as well as all-inclusive monthly team meetings. The team meetings should be done in a way that the reps consider them valuable. Make sure you bring them up to date on what is going on with the company. Let them know about any new equipment you have bought and what it will mean to your capabilities. Let them know of any key employees you have hired. Let them in on the marketing you are doing. In fact, show them the ads you are about to use before they are published. Let them see any upcoming newsletters, especially those containing special offers. Have your technical people talk to them about your capabilities. Have special guests speakers come to your conferences to talk to them about new technologies or advice on how to sell to CMs, or technologies of the future. Make these meetings so valuable that they will want to invite other reps to attend them. Educate your reps.
3. Offer to help your reps with their own firms. Provide them with marketing for their regions. Provide them with local editions of your newsletters. Offer to come to their territory and put on “lunch and learns.” Exhibit at trade shows in their region. Most importantly: Always under promise and over deliver.
4. Help them to win business. Work with them to develop account strategies, from lead generation and prospecting, to sales tactics, forecasting, and doing whatever it takes to win the accounts. Work side-by-side with them. Remember that investing in your reps is also investing in your own company. If they are successful, you are successful.

Of course, there are many other things you can do if you think about it. But the single most important take away from this column is to value your reps—help them to become your most valuable asset. If you do this with sincerity and commitment you will only get the very best from your reps.

After all, it’s only common sense.