12 percent of the GDP. To meet the challenge of how to attract these candidates, we believe we’ ve got to offer an appealing challenge and an appealing opportunity to them. The challenge is to be an expert on the products we represent, and, a detective or doctor within the companies we call on— effectively finding problems and helping diagnose a solution for our customers. The opportunity is to make a great living by growing the territory for themselves over a long horizon. I’ m not talking at all about greed here. What I’ m talking about is motivation to succeed. If we can show a sales professional that there is an opportunity for them to achieve their goals through an appealing challenge, they’ ll fit right in with us.”
Matthews continued on the subject of motivating the sales force by saying,“ Like all rep firms are paid, our sales team, too, is paid on commission. They understand that concept and they understand that if they decide they’ re just going to work 40 hours a week, they’ ll be paid accordingly. Now I don’ t expect my team to work on weekends. On the other hand, if they want to work 50-60 hours a week, they’ re going to reap the rewards of their extra work. Our job is to present them with that challenge and that opportunity to achieve.”
Dealing With Change
Armed with more than 30 years as a rep under his belt, Matthews maintains that the job of the rep has changed quite a bit over the years, many of those changes riding on the back of technological developments.“ If you look back to when I started,” he says,“ it would have been next to impossible for one outside salesperson to annually write $ 5-6-million dollars’ worth of business. Just look at all you had to do to get the job done starting with seeing the customer, then all the faxing and sending drawings back and forth, not to mention staying in touch with the manufacturer. Today technology allows us to get the job done much more easily.
“ On the contrary, however, there are some things about technology that aren’ t so favorable. Today all principals want you to stay in touch with them— on their CRM systems— which are not ours. I’ m the first one to understand and appreciate the fact that our principals need to have eyes on projects and opportunities in the funnel which helps them plan for their business. But every time the salesperson has to provide the factory with a report, it is a drain on the salesperson’ s time to advance opportunities and uncover new ones. Time is the single and most important avenue for growth. The more face time we have with our customers, the greater the volume and quality in the funnel. Consider that our agency has seven sales guys out in the field. If each of them has three and a half hours of reports each week, our principals have to know they’ re losing twenty-four and a half hours of selling time each week. While reporting is needed, we must mitigate the amount of time spent on it.”
Matthews also maintains that another important communications tool has been manufacturer rep councils that he or someone else from the agency has served on.“ Simply put, manufacturers should have and use rep councils. I believe in them.”
Commenting on the danger that some councils face in that they turn into complaint sessions for the rep, Matthews cautions that that should be avoided.“ Whenever that tone is set, I’ ve been quick to push back on my fellow reps. The danger is often that some reps have an individual problem and