Reps, Here’s How to Improve Your Dealer Business

To dealers, vendor reps come in many varieties -- not all of them good.

Get a few dealers together and you'll hear some funny -- and sometimes cringe-inducing -- stories about the less-than-professional reps they've dealt with.

One of the benefits of being an independent dealer is the potential to have a closer relationship with your suppliers. Having worked in both the big-box and boutique markets, it's apparent with smaller companies that the vendor/dealer dynamic can be more attuned than it is in a big-box company.

So if you're a rep, how can you better serve your dealers, make more sales and improve your existing relationships?

While many dealers would say to bring coffee and donuts when you visit, here are some other suggestions.

Timely Follow-Up

When I think of the five best reps I've ever dealt with, every one of them almost always picks up their phone on the first ring or replies to an email virtually instantly.

Even if they don't have an answer to my question on hand, they keep the communication open and let me know that they've passed my query on to someone who can help.

When a product goes wrong, the best reps have already clearly communicated how they handle returns and service issues. There are no guessing games and, more importantly, no recriminations or refusals to service the issue.

Execute Your Responsibilities Promptly

Sadly, not every rep is punctual when it comes to disseminating price changes and dealer incentives.

If you're a small retailer, being a week behind the market on price drops looks poorly to potential customers. It's happened to me, and I don't appreciate it when it's someone else's fault.

In talking to independent dealers all over the US and Canada, reps that take their time when it comes to emailing out price changes is a common pet peeve.

Respect Our Time

Time is money, and there's never enough of it for anyone in this business. That's why the best reps always call a week or two in advance and schedule a day and time for their visits.

If I know that a rep will visit next Tuesday in the afternoon, that allows better time management, including informing any colleagues who need to be involved in the discussion.

Dropping in without any notice is seldom appreciated. (Unless you're going to buy us lunch, but that's another issue altogether!)

When it comes to sales calls that morph into social visits, I like gossiping about the state of the industry as much as anyone. But sometimes that's impractical. Some reps are good at recognizing their cue to leave, while others seem to want to hang around the office forever.

Reps, consider these suggestions to improve your custom business. Your dealers will appreciate it, and maybe you'll see some incremental growth out of them as a result.

Lee Distad is a freelance CEDIA Certified Professional Designer who offers design and process consultation to firms in the Custom Installation industry, as well as copy writing and other professional writing services. Lee’s business and industry blog can be read at http://www.leedistad.com