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In 2001 Jamie Hudson took the plunge into the promotional products
industry and became a multi-line rep after many years as a sales rep and
district manager for Energizer Battery Company. He owes the decision to the
recommendation of his good friend and fellow multi-line rep Bill McDonald,
principal of the McDonald Terry Group in Athens, Georgia. McDonald was
right; the industry has been a great t for Hudson, who enjoys representing
several lines with di erent products and working with multiple suppliers.
Among the lines Hudson represents is supplier LarLu. In the three years
he’s repped the company, it has shown signi cant sales growth, a trend his
nominator Joe Durand, LarLu senior vice president of sales, attributes in part
to Hudson’s hard work. “I believe his best asset is in the number of sales calls
he makes,” says Durand. “He is always in some city within his region making
calls. is is a tough business because each distributor salesperson is like an
individual company; being face-to-face within distributor o ces is key to for
multi-line reps for being in the right place at the right time.”
Durand also praises Hudson’s quick follow-up on emails and phone calls—a
key to winning the business—and his natural ability for putting others at ease. “He
always has a way of making people feel comfortable around him,” adds Durand. “He
is very approachable for distributor salespeople and always shows respect.”
One On One With Jamie Hudson
On the dif culties multi-line reps face:
We have no control
over how long we represent a line—even if our sales are up
they sometime make a change.
On how reps can remain relevant:
We have to be able to
adjust as this business changes year to year. Reps are very
important because distributors need to see the quality of the
product and new ideas that are coming into the market. Also,
if a distributor has an issue, multi-line reps can help them
out. It is all about relationships.
On how distributors can help him serve them better:
They should always send us artwork for virtual and/or spec
samples. Those two things really help them close the deal.
Also, they should try to give multi-line reps their full attention
during presentations so they don’t miss any new ideas
or products.
10Questions
Suppliers Should
AskWhen
Hiring MLRs:
1
How many lines do you
currently represent?
2
Do you have any competing
product lines?
3
What can you do for us and
what are your expectations
for my product line?
4
Do our territories match
up geographically?
5
How many lines have you
lost in the past ve years
and why did that happen?
6
Who are your 10 biggest
clients and can I speak
with them about you?
7
What will you need from
us to do your best job?
8
How knowledgeable are
you about the promotional
products supplier arena?
9
Have you worked for a
factory directly? In sales?
Management? Production?
10
How are you reaching out
to distributor clients other
than through personal visits?
(For example, social media,
digital marketing, websites.)
Owner
/ Hudson Marketing
JAMIE HUDSON
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APRIL2017
|
51
Best Multi-Line Reps
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FEATURE