Manufacturer's Representative
A Manufacturer's Representative, also known as a manufacturing sales representative or manufacturer's agent, is a professional who sells products on behalf of manufacturers to businesses or organizations. They typically represent a range of products, which may include mechanical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other goods. These representatives play a crucial role in the sales process, engaging with customers to provide information about products, answer inquiries, and negotiate deals.
Their work is often commission-based, meaning their earnings are tied to the sales they generate, which can create a high-pressure environment, particularly when quotas are involved. Manufacturers' representatives can work in two primary capacities: inside sales representatives, who operate from an office and conduct sales via phone, and outside sales representatives, who spend significant time traveling to meet clients in person.
Education requirements can vary, with many positions open to individuals holding a high school diploma, while others may require specialized degrees. Effective communication skills and the ability to engage with diverse clients are essential traits for success in this field. Overall, the role of a Manufacturer's Representative is dynamic, requiring a blend of sales acumen, product knowledge, and interpersonal skills.
Manufacturer's Representative
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, Architecture & Construction, Business, Management & Administration, Human Services, Marketing, Sales & Service
Interests: Customer service, communicating with others
Earnings (Yearly Median): $73,080 per year $35.13 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 1% (Little or no change)
Entry-Level Education High school diploma; market specific
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training Moderate-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Manufacturers’ representatives, also called manufacturing sales representatives or manufacturers’ agents, sell the goods of a particular manufacturer to businesses or other organizations. These goods might include mechanical and agricultural equipment, computers, pharmaceuticals, or many other products. Representatives serve as the face of a manufacturer, interacting with customers on a daily basis. They tell customers about their products, answer questions, and negotiate prices and deals.
Many manufacturers’ representatives are self-employed, which means that they are contracted to different manufacturing companies at different times. Other agents are employed directly by one manufacturer. Manufacturers’ representatives work on commission; that is, they are paid per sale, as opposed to being paid on a salary. Earning commissions can be stressful, as can the quotas that some manufacturers set for their representatives, though some representatives make a significant amount of money. Many representatives travel regularly for seminars and meetings.
Work Environment. There are generally two types of manufacturers’ representatives: inside sales representatives and outside sales representatives. Inside sales representatives work in offices, placing telephone calls to businesses and organizations to talk to them about a particular product or answer incoming questions. An outside sales representative does a significant amount of travel, visiting businesses and potential clients directly.
Occupation Interest. Successful manufacturers’ representatives thrive on personal interaction. They are able to speak confidently about a product, describing its attributes and benefits, and they are very persuasive. Communication skills are the most important component of their work.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. The daily life of a manufacturer's representative varies. An inside manufacturers’ representative will spend their day at an office, placing telephone calls to businesses and organizations. Often, these are cold calls, which means that the representatives are contacting an institution or client who is not expecting their call. Because inside manufacturers’ representatives do not have the advantage of speaking with clients in person, they must take care to be courteous and friendly while remaining persistent.
Outside manufacturers’ representatives spend a significant amount of time traveling, and their hours are often irregular. A representative might be responsible for covering several towns or several states, depending on circumstance. This type of manufacturer's representative has much more interface with clients. They make regular sales calls and presentations, persuading businesses and organizations to buy their products. They also advise existing clients. Many sales agents demonstrate how to operate machinery or use a particular product and advise clients on how to arrange promotional materials or window displays.
Manufacturers’ representatives also spend time analyzing sales figures and reports. Administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, keeping track of sales accounts, filling out paperwork, and making travel arrangements, can also take a significant amount of time. Some manufacturers’ representatives, depending on the product they are selling, travel with a technical expert who explains the details of a product to customers. This arrangement allows the representative to focus on sales work.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Some representatives work in an office, while others spend a significant amount of time on the road. A traveling representative will spend time in airplanes, cars, and trains.
Human Environment. Manufacturers’ representatives have daily contact with clients and customers. They often speak with numerous clients in one day. Additionally, representatives compete with representatives from other companies and attend conferences to learn new skills. A manufacturers’ representative divides their time between solitary work, such as administrative tasks, and public interface with prospective buyers and other representatives.
Technological Environment. Manufacturers’ representatives are responsible for knowing everything about the product they are selling, including any improvements that have been made to that product. In addition, they use personal computers in their work.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. An aspiring manufacturer's representative should take high school courses in mathematics, business, accounting, English, and public speaking. A salesperson is always performing. Candidates must be comfortable speaking in front of an audience. Classes or extracurricular activities that build confidence in this area, such as acting, theater, or speech and debate, are valuable to aspiring manufacturers’ representatives.
Postsecondary. Some manufacturer's representative jobs, such as those that involve nontechnical products or goods, do not require a postsecondary degree. Many people can find jobs in the field with a high school diploma or an equivalent certificate. Other manufacturer's representative jobs require a bachelor’s degree in the sciences or engineering or a degree related to the product a candidate is seeking to sell.
Some companies offer their own training courses for employees. These courses can last up to two years and include classroom instruction and field training alongside more experienced personnel. Regardless of a company’s policies in terms of employee training, most manufacturers’ representatives do not start out making phone calls or personal sales calls alone. Most people who are new to the job will spend a specified amount of time, sometimes up to one year, working alongside an experienced representative.
Related Occupations
− Services Sales Representative
− Technical Sales Representative
− Wholesale Sales Representative
Bibliography
Benjamin, Ken. "What Is a Manufacturers' Representative?" MANA Manufacturers and Agents, 24 Aug. 2024, www.manaonline.org/reps/starting-an-agency/articles/what-is-a-manufacturers-representative/#. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024.
"Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/wholesale-and-manufacturing-sales-representatives.htm. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024.