Subscriber Discussion
The Market Has Evolved To The Point Where, Particularly For Large Enterprise Projects, Distributors And Integrators Merely Deliver The Products That Have Been Specified By A Consultant And/Or The End-User
With 20 years of experience as a Manufacturer's Representative (MR) I can attest to much of Chris' comments about the State of Manufacturer's Representatives. The go-to-market strategy of MR's has necessarily evolved over the years. 25 years ago, you could focus your efforts primarily on Integrators and Distributors and they would act as a force-multiplier to promote your products.
While in some instances this is still holds true the market has evolved to the point where, quite often, particularly for large Enterprise projects, Distributors and Integrators merely deliver/install the products that have been specified by a consultant and/or the End-user. This has forced manufacturers (and their sales force whether direct employees or MR's) to invest large amounts of time driving specifications for their products. It also requires a vastly different level of technical knowledge and expertise to differentiate your offering from the myriad of competitor solutions.
** ****** ***** **** ************* **** opted ** ****** ** ***** *** personnel ****** **** ******* **'*. ***** are ********** *** ************* ** **** the ****** *** *** ******. ************* for **** **'* **** ************* **** use ** ***** ** "*******" ***** products *** ** *** ** ** successful **** **** ***** ** * direct *****. ****** *** ******** ***** in **** ********* ** **** *******.
***'* ******* **** *** ***** *****, in ****, ** ********** ** **** focusing ** ************ ******** **** **** selling ** ***** ** ***-**** *********** who **** ******* *********** *** ******** their ******* **** **********. **** ** great *** ***-**** ********, *** **** made ** **** ********* ** ******* large ******** ** **** "*** *** street". **** ************* ***'* **** ** hear ***** ******** *** ******** ** thousands ** ** *******, ********, ******** and ******** ********* ***** ***** ******* wasn't **** * *************.
********** ** ** * ********* ******* for *** ** **** ** *******, but ***'* ******** ******* *** ***** and ******* ** ******* ****** ******** and ******* ** *********** ******. ** is ********* ** ******** *** ******* of **** *****. *************, **** ************* who *** ******** ** ***** ******** but ***'* ***** ******* ***-**** ***-**-*** business ***** ******** ***** *** ***** and ******* ** ***** ***** *****. It ** * ********* ******* ** achieve *** ********.
*************** ** ***** *** *** **** for **** ***** ** *******. *** the *** ********** **** ***** **** more.
** **** ** *********** ** *** how ****** ******* **** ****** **'* in **** *** ***** ********** *** who **** ************ ***** *** ****** with ***** ******* ** **** ** to ******* ********.
******: **** ******* *** ***** **** an ******** **********:*** ****, ******* ****** ** *** Firm ********
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** *** ****** **** ** **** for ****** ********* *** **** ** are ****** **** ** ** *** having *** ****** *******, ***** & Data ******* ***** *** ** ** Electrical ** *** ********. ******* ******* directly ** *** ******** ** **** save *** ******* **** *******. **** is ***** ** ****** *** ***** creates ********** ** *** ******* *** often ***** *** ***** ********* ****** to *** ***** **** ** * construction ****.
**** ********** ******** ********* ************* *************** (MR).
*****, * **** ** ****** **** is * ******* ********* *** ******** to ***** ** *** **'*. ***** are ****** **********.
** *******, *** **** *************** ************* a ******* ** *** **** ** lends ****** ** ****-**** ************** ** an ** ****. ** ***** ******* represent * **** ***** ** ******** (e.g. ******, ***, *******, *****, ********, etc.) *** ** ** *********** ** the **** ** *****'* ************* ************ to ** ********** ** *** ** those ********. *** ******* *** **** away **** ***** ***** *** ************ discussions *** **** ********* ** ** for *** ** ****, **** *** compensate *********** **** *** ********* ********* proficiency ** ** ********** ********* * wide ******* ** *************** ******** ********.
*** ******* - ** *** * lot ****** *** * ** ** be ********** ** *** ********** ** an ****** *** * *** ****** than ** ** ** *********** *********** the ******** ** * ***-*****, ***, multi-megapixel, ** ****** **** ******* ********* and ***** ************* *** *** ***** is ******** ** * ******* ****** that ***** **% (** **%) ****. If *** ****** **** ***** ** complexity ****** *** *** ******* ***** an ** ******** ** ** * herculean **** ** **** *******.
** ** **** ***** *** **** capable ** ***** **** ** **** that, *** ** *****'* ****** **** are *** ********* ****** **** *** rule.
*'** **** ** *** ******** ******** about * *****. *'** **** * channel ******* *** ****** ****.
* ****** **** ** **** *** of **** ****. *'** ****** *** companies **** **** ******* **** *** companies **** **** ******. ****'* ** hypothesis:
********* ** ******* ******** **** **** your ********. ** ***'** ******* ****, you **** ** *** *** ***** with ******* ******** ** **** **** stuff. ***? *'* ****** **** ** talk ** *** *** **** ******. They're *** ******** ***** ******. **** write *** *****.
******** **** ****, *** ** ** honest--I ***** ****. **** **** ***** to **** ***** ***** *** * long **** *** ****** ***'** ********/****/****** then ******** ** ***** ** *** security ********** ******: "******. ****** **** my *****.. *'**.. *'** **** *** a ****** ********! ******," ** ***************.
** **** ******* **** ***** **, I'd *** **** ***** ** *** minority *******, *** **'* ***.
*. ******** *** "******* ***** **********," their ****** **** ** ** ***** to *** *****.
*. ******'* ******** **** ****** ***: "End **** *****, ******* ******."
*. **** ** ***** ******** **'* RSMs ** *** ***** *** ****** to ** ****** ********, **** ***** that *** ****** ****.
******: **** ******* *** **** ***** to *** *** **********:********* ** ******* ******** **** **** Your ********
* ***** **** *** ** ** a **** ******** - ** ** when * *** **** ********** ******* deals. ***** *** ********* ***** * manufacturer *** ******* ** * ****, and **** *** ***** *** ******. Today * ******* ** * ********* role, *** ********* * ***** *** conversation ***** *************/*** *** ****** ** how * ** ***** **** ***** numbers, ** *** ** * ***** to ***** **** ***** **** ****.
*'* *** **** ** *** ***** or ***, *** ********* ***** *** way ** ***** **** *** ****** aspect ** *** ** **** ** do ******** *** **** ******** ****. Over *** ******** ***** ***** **'** meeting **** ** ****** *** **** online *********. **'* ****** **** ********** calls, *** ***** ***** ********** ** my *******.
* ***** ******* **** ** * relationship ********, *** ** ************* **** my ******** ** ***** *************. ** all ****** **** ***** ** *** eyes, ** ***** *****, ** *******, we ******* *** ************.
***** * **** * **** ******, sweatpants *** **** *****, *** ********* a ****** *** "*********" **** *****. I **** ** **** * ****, buy ******** ***** *** *** ** airplanes ***** ***** **** ******* *** down **** ******* ** ****...
* ***** **'** ******** *** *** juice ** *** **** *** ***** nut, *** * ***** **'* **** we *** **** *** * ****** each ***** ** ****** *****, *** visiting ******* *** ********* **** ** used **.
**** ***'* ****** ** *** ********** industry. ** ** *** ** ******* equipment, ** *** ********, ***** ** until *****, *** ********* *** ************* to *** ************ ****** **** ******* our ****, ** ***** ******** **** out *** ***** ** **** ** our ********. *'** ***** ********* ***** with *******, ******** *** ******** ****. and ***** ********** ******* ************.
**'* ****** **** * ******** ********** relationship. ** **** ****** ** *** manufacturers *** ******** ********* ********* *** new ******* *************. ** **** ****** to *** ******* ******** *** **** with ******* ********* *** ****** *****. We ******* **** *** ********* **** the ******** ****** **** ** **, and **** **** ** ******* ***** based ************* **** *** **** *** both ******** **** *** **** ****. We ***'* **** ********* ******* **** catalogs, ** **** **** ** ******* our ********* **** ********** **** **** ** *****, *** ***** **** ****'** **** the **** *************** *** *** ***********. The *********** ********* ** *** ********* are ***** ******** ******** ** *** design *********.
******** *** ***** * **** ********* approach ** *** **, *** ******* does ** *** **: **** **** court****************. ** **** ******* **** ** have **** ********* *** *** ******* by ******** *** ***** ********* **************** *** ******** ****, ********* ** often ****** * ****. **** ******* **** ******* *** consulting, ******* **** ****'** ****** ***** after ** **** **** ** **our after-market (where, incidentally, ****** ******* ***. ** ***** **** a ****** ****** ** *** ******** install, ** ********, *** **** ** and ** *********** ** ***********. **** is **** **** *** ************ ***** of *** ********).
****** ***** ***********, ******** ***** * very '*** **** **, ** ***'* call ***' ********.
***** **, **** ** *** **** with * ******** ** **** ***** a *** *******, **** ************ ******** ** *** **, ** Siemens ** *** **, ******* ***** companies **** **** *** ***** ******* to *** *********, ******* *** **** and ****** *** ********* ***********.
** **** **** ******* *** ************with **** ** ***** ***** * *** ** ***** don't feel any need to visit us or talk. They just want to take orders, because they know our hands are tied more and more every day. The funds they used to spend taking engineers out to lunch and golf is now spent taking plant managers (our customers) out (granted, that whole model is being clamped down on, as we're not supposed to let personal relationships affect product or engineering decisions. I suspect plant managers don't have those same constraints).
******** ** *** *******, *** ** love ***** ******** *** ******* ** them **** ** ***, *** **'* difficult ** ******** *** ********* ** accept ** ***** ****-**** ******* *******, especially **** **** ** ** ******* Windows. ******** **** ** *** ** to ****** *******-******** **** ******* ** their *********, ** **** **** ** our ******** ***** *** ***** ** order * ****, **** *** ***** rep **** **** **'* * **** number ******** ** **, **** ****** the ******** **** ** ** *** the ****.
*****'* *** ******** *** ******* * lot ** ****, **** ***** **** out ***** ** ********, ** **** follow *** **** '**** ** *** end *****' ********. ***** ** **** by **. ***** ********.
"************ *** *********** ****** *******/******* *** products..."
*** ************* '******' ***** ******... *** Rep ***** '******' ... ?
*********** '******' **** **** **** *** often ***-**** ******** **** ** ************* and *** ***** *** ******** ********* upon - **** **** *** ******** were *** *******-******** ** ***** ** the *********' ****** ********* **********......*** ******* level-1 **** ******* ** *** *** doesn't **** **......*** ****** ******* *********, including ******* **** *** ******* ** manufacturers ****** "****** **** ******"......*** *** the ************* *** ********* ***** ** delivery ****, *** ** ******* ********** completion, ***** *** ********* ** **** months *****......*** ******* *** ******* **** it's ****** ****, ******** ********* ****** loyal ** ***** ***** *******.
*** **** ******* ********* ** * supposed *********** ********* ****** ** *** value ***** ** *** ** *** other ******** ** "******," **'* ******** time ** **** *** * ******* lawyer.
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#*, ****** *** *******, *********** *******! I've *********** *** ******** ** * am ******* ** **** **** ****** have ** ***.
********* *** *** ***** ********** ******** have *********** ****** ********** ******** *** I ** ***** **** ** * general ***** **** *** **** ******. Agree/Disagree?