Choosing the Right Sales Model: Direct, Rep Agent, or Hybrid By Desiree Grace Years ago, American music icon Willie Nelson said, “Indecision may or may not be our biggest problem.” Let’s spend a few minutes addressing the issue of selecting the right sales model. Direct? Rep agent? Both? Decisions, decisions. It’s an important choice. How you structure your sales coverage affects market reach, cost of sales, and long‑term growth. Many companies underestimate how much this decision shapes their long‑term sales performance. Should your sales strategy rely on a company‑employed direct sales force, or should you hire a commission‑based rep agent? While there is no black‑and‑white answer, both options have strengths and trade‑offs depending on your market, product complexity, and growth strategy. Let’s start with the direct model. When you are the sole employer, you are the focus of the salesperson’s time and effort. They are not distracted by other product lines. Their mission, e...

Several years ago – June 7, 2013, to be exact, I hit on the  topic of direct sales. Ever being the purveyor of catchy phrases, I called out the practice for what it can be and often is - “More Channel Killing Blunders: Direct Sales Policies.” Being an easy touch for requests from readers, especially those who flatter me with kind words and mentions in their group posts, I decided to touch the third rail on more time. Moistening my finger, I have fortified myself for hate mail and ardent argument. Receiving these questions from a friend in Latin America where the water drains in a clockwise direction, the Southern Cross (constellation Crux) serves as a navigational guide and I am happy to say distribution flourishes. I decided to share my thoughts with everyone. ⦁ What would happen if the manufacturer had to deal with all the contractors and electricians in the country? ⦁ If a manufacturer chooses to “cherry-pick” some of the best geographies to work direct, who handles t...

Poorly Planned Direct Sales Policies First let me start off with a statement:   I’m not a negative guy.   Just the opposite, I typically walk around with a smile on my face and fill the silent void with sonic sweetness – whistling my own renditions of rock classics.   I am a distributor guy with a special spot in my heart for manufacturers who recognize the power of a well-developed channel.   You can call me Mr. Nice. The problem is my cerebral serenity is torn, stapled and otherwise mutilated by irate calls from distributors looking to load their emotional baggage on to the consultant guy from Iowa.   Here’s the scoop.   In the Saturday afternoon matinee Westerns of my misspent youth, the hero took a shot of whisky, put a bullet between their teeth and growled “yank it on out”.      In this case the flaming arrow is lodged in the muscular torso of our hero Trust and his faithful companion Cooperation.    The P...