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December 2025 By Jerry Leth MANA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association, and we have been connecting independent manufacturers’ representatives and manufacturers since 1947. Since I started working here at MANA, I have learned that for non-profit trade associations to succeed, they... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Rick Pierce As you grow a rep business over the years, I find it very important to develop a strategy with your principals. Let them know how you work and who you are working with. I work with larger accounts and the sales cycle can be very long, sometimes taking years to get... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Jack Foster “I would have to say that I was probably born into the rep profession.” That’s Jim Monk describing how he arrived as the head of his own independent rep agency, Monk Process Group, Liberty Hill, Texas. Monk explains, “My father, who was a... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Jack Foster When MANA’s Wisdom Council was introduced a few years ago, an article in Agency Sales magazine describing this association service explained: “When MANA members retire and leave the association, their knowledge of our industry and our best candidates to... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Bob Wendover One of the best books I’ve read this year, The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, written by Stanford professors Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao, is a well‑documented exploration of how the most effective... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Nathan Jamail Let’s consider one of the most common frustrations I hear from executives and senior sales leaders: “My leaders aren’t holding their people accountable.” Sound familiar? Here’s the thing: if you’re leading leaders —... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned in my 30 years of consulting experience. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one. Fixing things isn’t always the best... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Jack Foster Two separate conversations — one with a rep, the other with a manufacturer — provided a valuable reminder of the importance of rep councils to the rep‑manufacturer relationship. Let’s start with the rep, who emphasized that over the years he has... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Mark Hunter Buyers are more informed, attention spans are shorter and competition is everywhere. Yet, some sales reps consistently crush their quotas while others struggle to even get responses. Why? The truth is, most salespeople aren’t failing because they don’t... Continue Reading
November 2025 How to Get What You Want By John Tschohl It’s human nature for most of us to do anything we can to avoid confrontation. That’s often true when we have a complaint about a product or service we purchased that did not live up to our expectations. Often, we get so worked... Continue Reading
November 2025 | Principal Focus By Jack Foster In a discussion between a manufacturer and a rep devoted to the subject of market development fees, the rep good-naturedly stated her view by saying, “My love is free, but my time is not.” In response the manufacturer noted, “The... Continue Reading
November 2025 By Eric S. Engel Suppose you are RepCoInc, a hard-working sales rep agency, whose long and diligent efforts have just paid off. That big commission payment is coming soon. Your grateful principal is glad to pay, knowing that your hard work promises to continue generating profits... Continue Reading
