Naturally, good representatives are responsive to principals, but this sometimes leads to conflicts that are difficult, especially when the manufacturer is accustomed to a dedicated sales force. Of course, the dedicated salesperson can generally be expected to be more responsive than an agent. However, since the representative's income depends entirely on sales commissions, failure to meet the principal's expectations is sure to result in loss of the product line. For our particular business, the best representative from a product line prospective is one that sells to companies engaged in manufacturing or repair operations that require some type of cleaning. Since we sell chemical cleaners and equipment which uses chemicals to clean, this seems perfectly logical, and at first glance, one might think finding such a representative is fairly simple.
Difficulty arises from several directions.
Finding an agency in the right territory with the right product line is not easy, but some of the other less definable factors in the relationship between product provider and seller are even more substantial. Not surprisingly, one of the most important is measuring the capability to sell your particular product. Naturally, your agent will not successfully sell for you unless the proper tools are in place. Some of these must be provided by the agent, but others should be, or perhaps can only be furnished by the manufacturer. Of course, a good sales person must know the product well in order to sell it.