By Mr Retail
When I added car audio to my business in September of 1990, I had a LOT of different rep firms that began calling on me. For a while it seemed like every week someone wanted to take me out to lunch and pitch me on their wares. I remember one year I kept track of the lunches and dinners, and it came to over 50. That’s a lot. I was young and foolish back then. Now I am just foolish.
My, have times changed. Many of my favorite reps have retired or passed away. In their wake, many of the newer reps seem to be more focused on engaging with really large dealers, distributors, or national accounts. Product knowledge seems to have become a thing of the past. Holding meetings to review past trends, current trends, and future trends has just become a distant memory.
I credit two main groups in my life that helped me not only survive all these decades, but also thrive. The original members of the MERA board of directors took a liking to me in 1997 and invited me onto their board. The knowledge in our meetings made me feel like a fly on the wall at first. So, I quickly learned to listen first and talk second. Once these folks saw potential in me and a willing spirit, they shared decades of knowledge and experience with me, and I am forever grateful.
The second group of people that helped me were well seasoned reps that believed in me as well. We would spend hours poring over product lines, creating sales mixes, and talking through go-to-market strategies. The ones that really cared would only bring me products that they knew were beneficial to me in the long run, rather than inflating their next commission check with product I didn’t need.
And if a vendor made a bad decision with me, the reps were the first people to run to my defense.
So, what does all of this mean? It means that more than ever, 12 volt retailers need great sales reps to help nurture and grow their market by doing the right thing for their retailers. And it seems to be happening. Right now, I have two reps that are at least 15 years younger than me that truly care, work hard, and don’t feed me lines of crap just to make another sale. And if I need something, they answer the phone or call me back in a timely fashion. Five years ago, those two didn’t exist in my world. Yes, I had some older guys that were great. But their ranks were thinning every year.
If all of these rep consolidations and new rep firms starting out means that independent mobile electronics retailers can see a renewed vigor in their ranks, then I am all for it. In any bunch, there are the dissenters. People are saying that as rep firms merge or get bought out, quality drops. Well, let me go on the record and say that Progressive has bought out at least 2 different rep firms in my territory and the guy that handles my account is truly one of the best. So, I am all for change if it betters the industry.
To all the rep firms new and old out there; we need you. You are the conduit between the vendor and us. You know how to move the needle to get things done. At the same time, we need you to understand your products well. We also need you to understand how the stuff gets installed and operated. We need you to be cheerleaders of the industry when you are in our showrooms and install bays.
To all the vendors out there; we need good sales reps. They have a value that goes way beyond their sales commission. Don’t forget that. Here’s to a renewed partnership between rep firms, vendors and retailers.
Mark Miller
(Mr Retail)
Mark is the CEO of Westminster Speed & Sound, an award-winning retailer in Westminster, Maryland. The company was founded in 1969, and Mark took it over in 1990 at the age of 23. He first started in the industry in 1986, so he has been at it for a while. He has served on the board of MERA, taught seminars in over a dozen different cities, and served on the SEMA New Product Awards judging team. He has been married to his wife Dawn for 33 years now and has four grown children and four grandchildren. His hobbies include being a sound engineer, doing life coaching, and being active in the local and national Porsche community.
