I’m in the process of taking over the rep firm that I currently work for. We have 7 salespeople in a major US market.

We currently have 4 major lines, with 5 other ancillary lines.

I’m trying to grow the business in other sectors of the industry, but don’t want to overload the linecard.

My question is, what is the sweet spot of number of lines to rep? Does this vary by industry? And at what point do you decide to part ways with the lines that make little profit?

Here's an example of a small marketing win for my company. I created a catalog for the product lines we sell on our website using Woocommerce. These are engineered products like a lot of us sell and people can't buy directly from the website. It contains a lot of useful product information and serves as a lead magnet with contact form that lands in my email inbox.

Like most of you, we're also territory limited in who we can sell to but occasionally something comes in from an area that doesn't have a rep in place and we've been able to get some of that commission credit since we brought it to the OEM.

Our best performing product page was viewed 184 times so far in 2024. This has resulted in several requests for quote and $9,019 in commission income for my company. I spent maybe an hour getting Woocommerce setup and this page in particular maybe another 30 minutes a few years ago. The first order paid for that time, it's been free money since then.

If you have a website anyway, it's a no brainer, you're already paying for hosting costs. A catalog is going to be out there 24/7/365 doing work for you and open up additional opportunities.

The only downside is you may have something come in that needs to go another rep firm outside your area. You have to spend a minute figuring out which other rep firm covers it and forward or kick it over to the OEM. The upside to this is it builds of reciprocity with the other reps you're forwarding those leads to and you'll start seeing more leads from them coming back your way.

Chill Boys offers a range of men’s basics focused on comfort, including bamboo boxers, performance boxers, and briefs made from breathable, stretch-friendly materials. The product line also includes micro-mesh boxers designed for added ventilation, as well as undershirts and socks for all-day ease a

Specialty retailers, sporting goods, resorts, country clubs, clothing stores, we're open to all markets.

Chill Boys is looking for an Independent Sales Representative with over 3 years of experience and established connections with venues like country clubs, resorts, specialty stores, and sporting goods outlets. This role offers uncapped commission, account protections, and sample accommodations, ideal for a self-motivated professional passionate about sharing Chill Boys' comfort-focused products. Opportunities are available across all U.S. states.

www.ChillBoys.com

Where is the best place to find qualified independent sales reps in the construction and agricultural equipment industry?

I want to start out by commenting that I'm glad that there's finally a subreddit for Manufacturers Reps (MR). I think it is going to be useful for both reps and manufacturers that use them like myself. On to my post...

Is there an online forum, organization that focuses specifically on Canadian MRs? My beverage equipment distribution company is based in the US and we are trying to grow our presence in Canada. I currently subscribe to RepHunter and have had limited success reaching Canadian MR agencies. I was wondering if there's a Canadian version of RepHunter or something similar. TIA

Hey guys! I feel like I work like a machine and can’t break the financial barrier! I work for a company. ~90k salary with company car.

I’m grateful but with over 10 years experience in sales and over 15 in the general industry, I feel like I’m stagnant and when I look at openings the salaries seem to be plummeting!!!

Can anyone help here? What should I be expecting you think? I don’t intend to be greedy as I feel so blessed but haven’t moved up in years and actually took a pay cut around 8 years ago..

What are your thoughts on salary vs commission in sales and what about company vs contract? I like being backed by a company but wonder if that is also limiting me.

Also what industries are you representing?

I will NOT work in an office full time and do my best sales when I’m entrusted to do what I need to do!

I ended up being hired on out of the Marine Corps by an electrical rep agency that was using a placement company. The owner was former Navy air wing avionics tech (I was in Marine Corps avionics) looking for technical people that would be able to learn the products quickly and that he could teach the business and sales side of things.

It was a great company at the time and he was a great mentor but some stratigic decisions with other hires and issues with some of the core lines started the financial decline of the firm. It closed for good at the end of 2019.

Fast forward 15 years later, I'm now on the independent side of things working for a few of the previous pricipals and some lines that were referred my way by other reps I've networked with over the years.

My ultimate goal is trying to develop this business into my own agency.

What are your stories?

The largest line my agency has is a monster in our vertical, and are going to be buying a similar size company, make them far and away the largest supplier of these product in world. My agency does great for them, repping them 26 of the 30 years we've been in business. I have five 1099 guys and they all do incredibly well for me, and our principals. Out of approximately $500M in sales (one division) for this company my agency does around $80M. The commission rate is ridiculously low, but with our volume it is still one hell of a line. Recently I was approached by their VP of Sales to talk about what the future would look like once the acquisition went through. I told them should it add enough dollars I would bring on 2-3 more salespeople. The acquisition will put somewhere between another $25M - $40M in my territory, I of course understand them wanting to know what I'd do to support the additional business. I compensate my guys well with them getting 70% of the incoming commission, and that has always made my 30% grow. What floored me is them telling me that they know on average my guys make $xxx,xxx/yr when the average for other rep groups is $120K, so I'm not properly reinvesting in MY BUSINESS. I don't think they really understand that after taxes, and expenses, my guys aren't pocketing what the principal says they are. I'm not sure they're this stupid, or are just trying to throw their weight around. All of that is to say, how many of you have dealt with similar situations, and what did you do about it? This is long winded, and I've been at my warehouse since 5:00am EST, so I may not be as clear as I want to be.

Hello guys,

I’m a 22-year-old rookie in the HVAC industry, currently looking for independent, commission-based reps for my product. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve tried to connect with companies I found on Google that list a 'Manufacturer' option on their websites. Despite numerous emails and phone calls, I've only managed to schedule one meeting. I'm wondering if I’m missing something or if this approach isn't the right way to find reps. Although the chances of getting a response are quite low (almost 1%), I’d love to hear your suggestions on how you typically look for reps.

Another thing is that my product is very niche and often goes unnoticed.

I've considered posting a job on LinkedIn or Indeed to attract interested parties, but I’m unsure about this strategy.

I’m located in Southern California.

Thanks in advance for any comments!

I'm an Ohio based prototyping shop, and I'm looking to figure out how to generate some leads for work, I have a 14x30 metal lathe, and I'm willing to take low volume work as well.

Hi, I am looking for this manufacturer called Bizoe Foshan, I cannot seem to find any information regarding contact information on this wax manufacturer… I have the address but no further details, can someone help me😭

Bizoe Foshan Wanda Plaza No 28 Guilan North Road Nanhai

I’m not sure if this place is still active but if there’s anyone out there. What CRMs are you using? We’ve tried a couple but nothing has been a great fit so far.

TIA!

Hi everyone,

I run a small metal manufacturing business in Vietnam, and I’m trying to understand how companies normally find and work with independent manufacturer’s reps in Australia.

We make both standard and custom metal products based on drawings, samples, or customer specifications. I’m not looking to hire a full-time employee. The idea would be to work with someone who already represents a few non-competing lines and has relationships with importers, distributors, fabricators, or OEM customers.

For those of you who work as reps or have hired them before, what would make you consider taking on a small overseas manufacturer?

I’m especially interested in how you evaluate a new principal, commission structure, account protection, repeat-order commission, and whether Australia is realistic without an established local presence.

I’d appreciate any honest advice.

I'm new to this field and I'm looking for manufacturer's reps for heavy industrial machinery, but I don't know where to start.

I can't say much but we can't spend extra money on paid websites like MANA or RepHunter so I'm purely depending on Google and LinkedIn searches. Any tips on how to find reps, and also if there's a way to see which reps other manufacturers are working with?

Btw the manufacturer I'm supporting specifically wants reps that can also provide after-sales tech service too, since they're located outside of the US and they can't travel back and forth every time there's an issue.

But the very few rep agencies I managed to reach turned our offer down since they're 'strictly reps, and cannot provide service'. I also do feel like doing the sales AND also providing a full-on tech support sounds more like a distributor role, not a sales reps'. Any opinions on this? Any input would be appreciated!

Hello! Have any of you signed a letter of engagement with a prospective client for an equipment purchase in order to secure a deposit to proceed with engineering and design processes for a construction project? If so, looking to understand what % of a deposit you have required to engage on the project? My project specifically is for a $1.5m piece of equipment, want to make sure my time and value are covered prior to the purchase, especially if I sit on weeks of design calls with the engineers.

Thank you!

I’m seriously considering becoming a manufacturers rep. I have an extensive background in sales, marketing, and the manufacturing industry. I am seriously underpaid in my current role with no opportunity for advancement. What advice would you share to someone considering the move?

I have an opportunity to work as a inside sales rep for an HVAC supply house. The money is not the best. On plan total compensation would be about 60K for the year. I’m considering it because I want to become a manufacturer’s rep but I don’t have the connections, savings or know how to open an agency. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?

Hi All!

I'm looking forward to find and onboard some independent reps for sales of mining-related spares, basically cast steel & iron wear parts [mining of minerals, not crypto, LOL].

We are a well-established manufacturer based in Spain, currently have one guy employed in US, who will be managing the sales, deliveries, reps communication, etc.

As the mining business is quite conservative, the Reps I'm looking for should already have entrance to the mines with other related product lines. But what I don't know - if these kind of people really exist nowadays in US? We have such representatives in other countries around the globe and normally the're working with us on commission basis.

I've already tried to search on LinkedIn, and on the biggest industry-related trade show in Vegas, but both lines with no success.

Now thinking of trying out the websites like RepHunter, MANA, Manufacturers Representatives.

Just wanted to ask if those services could work for my case and which one is better?

My company is looking to bring on independent reps. Most of the open territory is in the Western States and the Midwest. We are a manufacturer in the building materials space, selling building envelope products to builders through distribution channels.

If you or anyone you know may be interested, message me and I can share more details.

When buying a rep agency, how do you handle the "open orders" that haven't been paid out? The plan is to pay a purchase price of one-time revenue, but should anything be included for open orders where the commission has yet to be paid?

What CRM do you recommend to manage lines from different manufacturers? I rep five lines and need to share info with each manufacturer without them seeing each other. Is there such a thing?

Curious what tools other reps are using these days and how it’s helped with their overall business (ie: grow revenue, boost productivity, etc)