Take the Time to Train

An old story goes that a man joins a monastery where the monks are only allowed to speak two words every ten years. At the end of ten years, the man is asked by his superior what he wants to say. The man says, "Bad food." He goes back into the monastery, and after another ten years is asked what he wants to say. Again he says, "Bad food." Then, after a total of 30 years at the monastery, he's told that he can once more say two words. He says, "I quit." And his superior answers, "That's fine, because all you've done since you got here is complain."

I too have just finished 30 years as a rep principal in the gift industry. And I don't mean to complain, but I want to share some thoughts on reps and the challenges they face. Often, I hear manufacturers and retailers complain that reps aren't trained and aren't knowledgeable.

A research firm once did interviews with sales reps to find out why they were successful. To begin, they divided the reps into quartiles according to their production. Then they asked the group in the lowest quartile what the company could do to help them sell more. These sales reps had an almost unlimited number of suggestions, including more support, more training, higher commissions, and better catalogs. Then the researchers asked the highest producers — the ones in the top 25 percent — the same question. Those reps said, "Just get out of the way and let us do our job."

Successful people are successful because they don't wait for others to help them. They figure out what they need to do to be successful, and then they do it. Successful reps read catalogs from cover to cover, call the manufacturer to review the line, and most importantly they ask retailers — who usually have the best information — to educate them about the competition. In short, they make things happen.

But what about the other 75 percent of the reps that don't figure it out on their own? Granted, there will always be a lowest 25 percent, and no doubt those will eventually move on to other jobs. But the middle 50 percent can be much more successful with better training.

Unfortunately, in the gift industry training usually consists of no more than the manufacturer sending a catalog and samples to the rep. There might also be a 15-minute introduction to the line prior to a show and a short sales meeting in December. But other than that, the rep is on his own.

But why, if a manufacturer spends so much time, money, and effort producing competitive products and printed sales materials, do they spend so little time training reps? The typical gift retailer isn't shopping for rock-bottom prices. Rather, she buys from reps she has a relationship with, and knows she can trust. The rep that is knowledgeable, honest, and hard working will get the business.

To be knowledgeable reps, need to be trained. But what is effective training? It's not having the manufacturer attend a show for a couple of days to sell the line and then leaving town. That's just not enough. The top 25 percent will still suck up the critical information, but the middle 50 percent need more instruction.

At a recent sales meeting, we tested our reps immediately after manufacturer presentations. It was an eye-opening experience. The top producing reps always gave nine or ten correct answers out of ten questions. The weakest reps got three or fewer correct. It became obvious why some reps succeed and others don't.

My suggestion to manufacturers is to evaluate your training methods. Here are some suggestions:

1. A multi-line rep has the option of choosing which lines to present. If he feels intimidated by a line because of its complexity, he won't even pull it out of his bag. Especially in the beginning, manufacturers should simplify their lines to give the rep a chance to succeed.
2. Many gift lines have thousands of items. It's important to focus reps on the key items that are the best sellers. Nothing will motivate a good rep more than to see their lines retailing. Mark the best-selling items in the catalog and encourage reps to use it on the road with retailers.
3. Test each rep individually, in a non-threatening way, about his knowledge of the line.
4. If you're at a show, have reps listen to your presentation to a retailer. Include all critical information that should be given during each presentation.
5. When the next retailer walks in your booth, let the rep do the presentation. Then shut up! Yes, shut up and listen! You're about to hear the sales pitch that will be given by your rep on the road. Even if you want to cry out when listening to the presentation, bite your tongue. This is where real training happens. Talk to the rep about how the presentation can be improved, then let him try again. People learn as much by failure as success.

Our industry is a partnership of manufacturers, reps, and retailers. It's important that we all share in the betterment of our industry. I've recently been involved with a group of giftware reps that formed a new association called United Sales Agents (USA). The purpose of USA is to promote our profession and educate our members. You'll be hearing much more about USA in the near future. In the mean time, shut up and listen.

If you're a rep or manufacturer, we want to hear from you. E-mail Quinn Halford at qhalford@reedbusiness.com.