PPB April 2018

THREE WAYS Distributors Can Boost A Rep’s Value 1 Wondering if you should call the factory or the supplier’s multi-line rep when information is needed? Call both, says Dawn Kovar. Multi-line reps will visit the office, bring new products, work on ideas and meet with end users. On the flip side, factory reps can be a distributor’s go-to for checking stock, order status, production time estimates, etc. 2 Ask your multi-line rep these insightful questions: • What is working for this market or this audience? • How can I present this idea to my client? • How does this work (a common question on tech products)? • What makes this product or this line better than the competitors? • Can you give me a case history? • How can your product relate to my customer’s needs or what product can relate to my customer’s needs? • How can this product fulfill the problem we are trying to solve, such as attendance, safety and so on? 3 More detail gets better results. Be prepared to discuss specific client needs and programs, both current and potential. “Distributors are often so protective of their end users that we are shooting in the dark when we are making product or line suggestions,” says Deborah Mann. The more reps know about the end user and what has worked or not worked for them in the past, the more focused reps can be with their assistance and solutions. “We are problem solvers; challenge us,” says Patrick Reinecker. What’s your biggest challenge? I believe it is the internet and marketers who buy overseas direct. What is the most important issue faced by multi-line reps today? The internet is changing the game because it makes it easy for people to buy direct from the manufacturer or from overseas factories, thus bypassing the traditional supplier/distributor/buyer/end user model. What does the future hold for reps and how can they remain relevant? I think we have a future, but it is changing, and we need to adapt to the change. What do you wish more distributors knew about working with reps? My distributors know they can come to me for anything and I will answer back that day. W hen Rick Buckley came to work at his father’s multi-line rep firm after graduating fromWichita State University in 1984, a gallon of gas cost $1.21 (an expense to consider for a multi-line rep logging thousands of miles a year), product inventory was confirmed with a phone call and orders were mailed to factories using a 20-cent stamp or sent via a newfangled device—the fax machine. The industry was quite a bit simpler back then, and even more so when his dad, Jack Buckley, opened the firm in 1962. Rick purchased it 12 years ago and today manages the company from an office in St. Louis, Missouri; he also has an office in Kansas City, Missouri. As a second-generation multi-line rep, the promotional products industry is in his blood. “After 34 years, I still love this job,” he says. “I like the creativity and people in the business. I wake up every day wanting to do it.” Buckley’s job satisfaction carries over into the quality performance he delivers to clients such as Susan Watson, a sales consultant at distributor The Vernon Company. “He is motivational, and you can tell he loves his job,” says Watson, who nominated him for the honor. “Rick goes above and beyond the services of a multi-line rep. He is personable, professional and always ready to help on any project,” she says. Watson also appreciates how Buckley helps her meet the needs of her clients by being prompt with quotes, returning voice and email messages quickly and sending samples and spec samples right away. “We requested samples on Monday morning from Rick and had an answer by that afternoon,” she says. He also sent her free samples immediately. “I’m surprised that he has not [been recognized] before. He is very deserving of this honor.” Rick Buckley President, Incentive Associates FEATURE | Best Multi‑Line Reps 2018 30 | APRIL 2018 |