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A manufacturer’s agent or manufacturer’s representative is an independent agent wholesaling organization that is responsible for selling all or part of a company’s products in an assigned geographical territory. The firms are independent and not employees of the manufacturer. Agents are used extensively in the distribution of products and usually have contractual arrangements with the companies they repents. An agent usually represents several noncompeting manufactures of related products.
Many new firms have limited financial resources and do not have the ability to hire their own sales force. Using these representatives can be cost effective alternative because they are paid a commission for what they actually sell. Even if you are an importer, not a manufacturer, these individuals still can represent you if you have produces that are comparable to their current representations.
With a little bit of research, you can locate agents or representatives who can work with you. You can use the encyclopedia of business information sources, go to your chosen industries classification and look at directories or periodicals, in many instances, agents are listed in directories or trade periodicals.
Another resource is the membership based manufacturers’ agents national association (MANA). You can find out about their services at www.mamaonline.org. MANA is an online source of information for companies that want to outsource their sales effort. The organization requires you to complete an applications for association membership. The annual dues are $549 and include access to the member area of the website, where you find the online directory, the contracts package, commission survey results and an archive of Agency sales magazine articles sorted by subject. Membership also includes consoling and discounts on the seminars, ads and printed publications. The online directory is a searchable database that allows you to identify agents by territory, product or customer served.
