LRG Sold, Founder Speaks On Rep Firm Strategy
Twenty years ago, manufacturer representative firms were doing great but now, it is more common for rep firms to be quietly shut down than transition to the next generation.
Bucking this trend, Texas HQ LRG has been sold by company founder Chris Lanier to 2 long-standing company employees.
Lanier spoke with IPVM frankly discussing the various challenges that manufacturer rep firms face and what he sees as a solution to them.
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*** *** ******* ** **** *** says **** **** ** ***** ********** currently (*** **** *****). ********** ********* ********* ****** ** *** **:
********** ******+ *****. ** *** ***** ****, the **** ****-***** ** *******. ** the ****** ****, ***** ******* ****, CDVI, *** *******. *** ******* **** not **** *** ****** ******* ** dominant **** (*.*., *** ******).
****
******* ***** ****** *** **** *** company ** ****** **** ************** ******* ******. ******* ******* *** *********** ***** was *********. ****** ********** **** **** was *** **** ** ****** ******* but **** ******* ** *** ************:
*** **, ******** ******* ** ** are ******/***** ********** ******** ******** *****, we ***’* **** ** ******* **** of ********** **** ****** ******* ** part ** *** ************. *********, ** have ** ***** ** ** *********** as ******** *** *** *** *** company ** **** **** *** ******* because **** ** *** *** ****** have ************. * ***** ******** **** the ****** ********* *** ****** ** take ********* ** *** ******* ‘**********’ company ******** ******* ** * **** combination *** ********* ******* ** ** opinion. **** ****** ** ****** ** why ** *** ************* ** **** stage.
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***** **** *** *****' ******* ** dominated ** *** ** *** ***** they ***** (*.*.,***** ** *** *****) *** ****** ********** *** ********** of ***************.
**** **** *** ************ ***** *** develop **** *** ******* ** ********** only ******* * ****** **** ******, even *** ******* *** ****** **** complimentary ********/******** *** *** **** * key ** ******** ********** ******* ****, but **** **** ********** ** ***** same ********** ******** **** ***** ******** are ********** *** **** **** ***** in ***** *******.
Rep **** *******
****** ********** ** *** ***** ***, the *** **** ******** *** ****** but **** *** **** ** *** Internet *** ****** ************* **** ****** rep ***** ** *******:
**** *** ***** *****, ** *** a *********** ** ******* **** ******* Independent **** ** *****. **** ************* back **** **** **** *****-****** *** simply ****’* **** *** ****** ** marketing ******* ** *** ***** ******** well ********** ** *** ********** ********* at *****. *********, ** *** *** uncommon *** **** ** **** *** or * ****** ** ***** ***** that ***** ******** *** ******* ***** trade ***** *** ******* ** *** accounts. ***** **** ** ***** ************* built * ***** *********, **** ****** didn’t **** *** ******* ** ***** the ******. *** *** *********** ***, they *** ******** ************* ** ***** side *** **** * *** ****** for ******* **** ******’* **** *** bigger ***** ** *** * ***** of *** ********. *********, ***** *** a **** ************ ****** **** *** appointments ****- ******** ******, ********* *** as *********** ***** ******* *** *** products **** ***** *** *** ***** on *** ***’* ***************. ******* *** internet *** ******, *** ***** **** your **** **** * ****** ** being * ******* ********* ** *** products. **** * *** ***** ** two *** *** ***** ** **** serious ****** ******* *** ******** ** multiple ********** ******* **** ***** *** today, ********** ***** **** ***** **** of **** ******** **** **** (***** cameras *** *******- * ***** ***** last *****, *** ****** **** *****). This ** ****** ******** * *** of ********** **** (**** ** ***** and **** ******), * *** ** print ******** *** ***** **** **** to *** ****** *** ***** ** each ***** ** ******** ****. * saw **** ***** **** ***** *** factory *** ******** ****** *** ***********. The **** *******, ****** ******* *** the ****. **** *** *** ******* budgets ** ‘***’ ******** **** ********* the *********** *** *** *** **** had. ** *** **** *** ******, these ********* **** **** ** **** as **** ******* *** ** *** the ****** ** ****** ** **** decision *****.
**** ******* ** ***** *** *** speed ** ***** *********** ** ********* and ******* ************ ***** *** ** extremely *********** ***********. **** *** *** station ****** ** ****** **** ****, periods ** ***-************* (**** ** **** no ****** ***** *********) *** *** tactic ** ********** *** ******** *** the **** ****. *****’* ****** ** we *** **** *** **** ****-******** as ****. *** ***’* ****** *** ‘trust **’ *** ****** ******* ** give *** * ****. *** *** only **** *** ***** ** **** plate ** ***** ********.
Success *******
****** ********** ***** ****** **** *** firms *** **** ** **** ** took ** *******:
***** * ***** **** **** **** for *** ********, **** *** ***** rep ***** **** ******** * ******** tarnished ********** *** ** **** *** there **** *** ********* ** *** hard *******, ***** **** **** *********** and/or **** **** ************* ***** *** solutions **** ***. **********, *** ******* that ****** *** **** ** **** needs ** ** ********* *** ****** with ****** ***** **** ** ***** to *******. **** ******** *** **** having * ************ *********** ***** ***** objectives, *** ** ** ********* **** things **** ** ******. *** ** no ********* ** ****. ** **** had *** ***** ** *** **** over *** *****, ** ** **** manufacturers **** ****** *****’* * **** fit, ******** **** ***** *** ** could *** ****** **** *** ******** needs, ***. *** ***** **** ******- It ** * ******** ********** **** you *** ******* ** *** ***** processes *** *** **** ********* ** match ***** **********.
Lanier **** ****
****** **** ** ************* *** **** the **** ****:
*’* ** ******** **** ***, *** for ****** *** ******* *********** *** the **** ** ******, *** **** available *** ****** ******** *** ******** collaboration ********. ***** **** **** **** of *** ******** *** * ***** possess…
Rep **** ******
***********, *** ***** *** *** **** powerful **** **** **** ** *** beginning ** *** ***** *** ** do *** *** *** **********, ***** the *********** ****** ** *** **** 20 *****. *******, *** ***** **** LRG ***, ***** *** ******* **** a ****** ****** ** ******* ********* is ****** ****** ***** ******* ** there *** ***** **** ************* **** are *** ***** ****** ** **** their *** ********* *************** ****** ******* regions.
** * ******** *****, * ******* the **** *** ** **** ***** did *** *** ****.
* ****** **** *** *** **** in * ******** **** ** * manufacturer, **** *** * ***** ***.
**** ************ ****** ******** *** *********** advertising ******** (***, ***** **** ** be * *****, ******* *** ** Sunday ***** *********** *** ****** *********) - **** ***** ** *** ****** change.
***** ** ***** ***** * *** in *** ******** ****** *****, *** I ***'* *** **** *** **** without ******* ** ***:
********** ***** **** ***** **** ** many ******** **** **** (***** ******* for *******- * ***** ***** **** years, *** ****** **** *****)
*** ****?
********** ***** **** ***** **** ** many ******** **** **** (***** ******* for *******- * ***** ***** **** years, *** ****** **** *****)
**** #*- ** ********* ***** *** that **** ******** **** ** *** 70s, *** *** ***** *** ***** remain ********* ********* *** * *** years ****** ******* *** ********** ************ didn't ***** * ******. * **** B&W ****** ****** **** *** ******* or *****, **** **** ***** ***** stay ** * **** ** ******** to **** ** ************ ***** ******** eventually **** *** **** * ****** mousetrap.
**** ******* ** *** ********** *** and ******* ****/*********/***** ******/******* **** *******/***, dictate *** ****** ************ **** ***** to ******* ** ** ******** ** EOL * *** ** ** ****** if **** *** *****. ** ********* that ****'* **** *** ******* ** my *******.
****** *** **** *************...
*** ***** *********** ** ************ *** certainly ****** * **** ** *** shortening ** * ******* '**********' **** - **** ****** ** ********** ********* to ******* **** ****.
**** ** ***** ** ********** ** a ************'* ************** (**) * *** attest ** **** ** *****' ******** about *** ***** ** ************'* ***************. The **-**-****** ******** ** **'* *** necessarily ******* **** *** *****. ** years ***, *** ***** ***** **** efforts ********* ** *********** *** ************ and **** ***** *** ** * force-multiplier ** ******* **** ********.
***** ** **** ********* **** ** still ***** **** *** ****** *** evolved ** *** ***** *****, ************ for ***** ********** ********, ************ *** Integrators ****** ******* *** ******** **** have **** ********* ** * ********** and/or *** ***-****. **** *** ****** manufacturers (*** ***** ***** ***** ******* direct ********* ** **'*) ** ****** large ******* ** **** ******* ************** for ***** ********. ** **** ******** a ****** ********* ***** ** ********* knowledge *** ********* ** ************* **** offering **** *** ****** ** ********** 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 ******* ********.
******: **** ******* *** **** ***** to *** *** **********:*** ****** *** ******* ** *** Point *****, ************ *** ***** ********** Projects, ************ *** *********** ****** ******* The ******** **** **** **** ********* By * ********** ***/** *** ***-****.
**** ******* ** ***** **** ** the *** *****. ***** **** *** nail ** *** ****...** **** ******** market ******** **** ******** ********** *** tactics.
* *** ***** *** *** ******** described ** ****** ** *** *****'* Glue ******* *** ***** ****** ** wood...the ************ *** *** **********. ***** relationship *** ********* ******, *** *** rep *** ** ****** *** *** to **** *** ******* ********. *** better *** ****, *** ****** *** bond.