Page 1 INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES REPRESENTATIVES ASSOCIATION Field Sales Professionals Serving the Home • Housewares • Gourmet • Hardware Industries Continued on page 3 >>>> Febuary 2011 Tech Bits ................................................................... Page 4 Four (4) Lines Available, this month ......................... Page 6 MRERF News ........................................................... Page 8 Annual Breakfast/Program ....................................... Page 9 Industry Show Calendar ......................................... Page 10 Why do I belong to the IHRA? O ur executive director, Bill Weiner, has compiled a great list of why we should belong to the International Housewares Repre- sentatives Association. (Please see page 5.) First and foremost, it is critical our profession be represented in the industries we serve: home, housewares, gourmet and consumer hard- ware products. The IHA (International Housewares Association), the organization that runs the International Home + Housewares Show, was the major force in creating IHRA because it felt that reps needed their own voice in those industries. They continue their support by providing us high visability at The Show and a continuing dialog through IHA Marketing & Trade Development Vice President, Perry Reynolds. The overwhelming reason I chose to belong and be active in IHRA is simple. It’s to meet people. We all have our strengths and weaknesses in business and my weakness is networking. Being a member of the IHRA gives me the opportunity to get to know other sales representa- tives from around the country. Contrary to Groucho Marx’s belief that he “wouldn’t belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member,” I do want to belong. Two quick examples. I have known Kent Kulovitz for 20+ years. We have represented the same manufacturers on occasions. Kent is the outgoing Chairman of the Board as well as a former president of our organization. We have had to deal with each other in matters dealing with the IHRA. Some have been easy and some very difficult. I have always known Kent to be a kind and gentle person. We have grown T he Plaintiff, G.H. Prestidge (“Prestidge”), owned and operated a whole- sale broker business and served as a Master Broker with a national sales force consisting of 14 rep organizations with approximately 45 individual sales representatives. The reps marketed goods and services to retailers of a variety of companies. Defendant, Oscar Home Care, Inc. (“Oscar”), was a supplier/distributor of air fresheners and related products in the retail industry. Both were headquartered in Ontario, California. The lawsuit arose from an alleged failure of Defendant, Oscar, to pay Plaintiff, Prestidge, commissions and other compensation as agreed to under two written contracts. Under the first contract, Oscar appointed Prestidge as Oscar’s exclusive sales organization to sell Prestidge products. Under a second contract (replacing the first) Oscar appointed Prestidge as Oscar’s exclusive sales organization to sell Prestidge’s products and also to locate and manage other sales representatives (sub-reps) to sell Oscar’s products. Prestidge claims that Oscar breached the first contract by failing to pay Prestidge an agreed management fee of $3,500 per month and also breached the sec- ond contract by failing to pay Prestidge a management fee of 5% of all or- ders received from sub-brokers appointed under the second contract, plus 1% of net sales if annual sales exceeded $1M and 2% of net sales if annual sales exceeded $2M. Prestidge contends the commissions due from Oscar were in excess of $3,300,000 because the second contract was never can- celled. A major issue in the case was whether the California Independent Whole- sale Sales Representative Contractual Relations Act (the “Act”) applied to Prestidge because it was a master rep or wholesaler with many sub-reps. Prestidge argued that it qualified as a wholesale sales representative as de- fined under the Act even though it used other independent sales represen- tatives to place orders, and thus met its burden of proof that it was entitled under Section 1738.12(e) of the Act to commissions and was thus entitled Continued on page 2 >>>> by Gerald M. Newman and Adam J. Glazer Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg, LLC IHRA Legal Counsel Master Broker entitled to triple damages under California Sales Rep Act Mark Glotter Marketshare Sales 2011 IHRA Chairman of the Board
Transcript
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InternatIonal Housewares representatIves assocIatIon
Field Sales Professionals Serving the Home • Housewares • Gourmet • Hardware Industries
Our executive director, Bill Weiner, has compiled a great list of why we should belong to the International Housewares Repre-sentatives Association. (Please see page 5.)
First and foremost, it is critical our profession be represented in the industries we serve: home, housewares, gourmet and consumer hard-ware products. The IHA (International Housewares Association), the organization that runs the International Home + Housewares Show, was the major force in creating IHRA because it felt that reps needed their own voice in those industries. They continue their support by providing us high visability at The Show and a continuing dialog through IHA Marketing & Trade Development Vice President, Perry Reynolds. The overwhelming reason I chose to belong and be active in IHRA is simple. It’s to meet people. We all have our strengths and weaknesses in business and my weakness is networking. Being a member of the IHRA gives me the opportunity to get to know other sales representa-tives from around the country. Contrary to Groucho Marx’s belief that he “wouldn’t belong to a clubthat would have someone like me as a member,” I do want to belong. Two quick examples. I have known Kent Kulovitz for 20+ years. We have represented the same manufacturers on occasions. Kent is the outgoing Chairman of the Board as well as a former president of our organization. We have had to deal with each other in matters dealing with the IHRA. Some have been easy and some very difficult. I have always known Kent to be a kind and gentle person. We have grown
The Plaintiff, G.H. Prestidge (“Prestidge”), owned and operated a whole-sale broker business and served as a Master Broker with a national sales force consisting of 14 rep organizations with approximately 45
individual sales representatives. The reps marketed goods and services to retailers of a variety of companies. Defendant, Oscar Home Care, Inc. (“Oscar”), was a supplier/distributor of air fresheners and related products in the retail industry. Both were headquartered in Ontario, California. The lawsuit arose from an alleged failure of Defendant, Oscar, to pay Plaintiff, Prestidge, commissions and other compensation as agreed to under two written contracts. Under the first contract, Oscar appointed Prestidge as Oscar’s exclusive sales organization to sell Prestidge products. Under a second contract (replacing the first) Oscar appointed Prestidge as Oscar’s exclusive sales organization to sell Prestidge’s products and also to locate and manage other sales representatives (sub-reps) to sell Oscar’s products. Prestidge claims that Oscar breached the first contract by failing to pay Prestidge an agreed management fee of $3,500 per month and also breached the sec-ond contract by failing to pay Prestidge a management fee of 5% of all or-ders received from sub-brokers appointed under the second contract, plus 1% of net sales if annual sales exceeded $1M and 2% of net sales if annual sales exceeded $2M. Prestidge contends the commissions due from Oscar were in excess of $3,300,000 because the second contract was never can-celled. A major issue in the case was whether the California Independent Whole-sale Sales Representative Contractual Relations Act (the “Act”) applied to Prestidge because it was a master rep or wholesaler with many sub-reps. Prestidge argued that it qualified as a wholesale sales representative as de-fined under the Act even though it used other independent sales represen-tatives to place orders, and thus met its burden of proof that it was entitled under Section 1738.12(e) of the Act to commissions and was thus entitled
IHRAREPorter
Continued on page 2 >>>>
by Gerald M. Newman and Adam J. GlazerSchoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg, LLC
IHRA Legal Counsel
Master Broker entitled to triple damages under California Sales Rep Act
Mark GlotterMarketshare Sales2011 IHRA Chairman of the Board
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to recover triple damages and attorneys’ fees. Section 1738.12(e) of the Act states: “(e) Wholesale sales representative means any person who contracts with a manufacturer, jobber, or distributor for the purpose of soliciting wholesale orders, [and] is compensated in whole or part by commission. . . .” Based upon the clear definition of the Act, the court agreed that Prestidge was entitled to recover both triple damages and attorneys’ fees. The court also noted that Oscar failed to respond to Prestidge’s discovery requests regarding commissions earned, even though Prestidge filed numer-ous Motions to Compel Discovery and the court repeatedly sanctioned Oscar and its attorney. As a result of the actions of Oscar and its attorney, the trial court granted Prestidge’s Motion to Strike Oscar’s Answer and entered a Default Judgment on the grounds that Oscar and its attorney failed to attend a mandatory settlement conference and comply with the discovery requests. At the Default Judgment prove-up hearing, Prestidge testified regarding the two contract terms and Oscar’s contract breaches. When determining that Prestidge was entitled to recover triple damages and attorneys’ fees, the court stated:“Once a default judgment is entered against a Defendant, the Plaintiff needs only to establish a presumption of the right to relief and the amount of dam-ages, which shall not exceed the amount requested in the Plaintiff’s Complaint or Statement of Damages . . . and shall be ‘for such sum as appears by such evidence to be just.” Further the court stated that the issue of whether Prestidge was acting as a Wholesale Sales Representative under the California Act is a mixed factual and legal issue. Since the facts are undisputed based upon the determinations proved in the proceedings, the remaining issue is a question of law for the court to decide. The court reviewed the legislative history of the Act and the transcript of the hearings which revealed that the Act provides in relevant part that “A manufacturer, jobber, or distributor, who wilfully fails to pay commissions as provided in the written contract, shall be liable to the Sales Represen-tative in a civil action for triple damages proved at trial.” At the hearing, Prestidge provided evidence establishing that Oscar failed to pay commissions earned in previous years. There was also clear evidence that Oscar was a manufacturer or distributor of products and had contracted with Prestige to set up a network of Wholesale Sales Representatives to obtain orders from retailers at least partially within this state for the purchase of Oscar’s products. If Prestidge was acting as a Wholesale Sales Representative as defined in the Act, the Act applies and Prestidge is entitled to recover triple damages and attorneys’ fees. The Court stated that sub-reps who develop territorial market areas should be deemed to be covered by the Act as Independent Sales Representatives. The Court concluded that under the circumstances, Prestidge qualified as a Wholesale Sales Representative as defined in sub-section (e) of the Act even though Prestidge used other Independent Sales Representatives to place the orders. Prestidge established it was a Master Broker who retained sub-brokers to place orders for Oscar. Construing the Act to encompass Master Wholesale Brokers such as Prestidge is consistent with the intent of the Act of providing protection to those reps and sub-reps who spend many hours developing sales territories for marketing a manufacturer or distributors’ products to retailers. Here, as a master broker, Prestidge was involved in developing a network of brokers in order to market Defendant’s products, and therefore should be provided protection under the Act from unjust termination of the territorial market areas it developed for Oscar and the failure of Oscar to pay commissions earned. The fact that Prestidge used sub-brokers in furtherance of marketing Oscar’s products should not preclude Prestidge from the protections pro-vided under the Act. Depriving Plaintiff of protection under the Act is contrary to the intent of the Act since Master Brokers, such as Plaintiff, are an integral part of the development of a sales territory used to market products. As a Master Broker, Plaintiff facilitated the sale of Defendant’s products through Sub-Brokers who contacted the retailers and thus was instrumental in developing the sales territories. Because Plaintiff met its burden of proving that it was a Wholesale Sales Representative within the meaning of Section 1737.12(e) of the Act, the Act applies. The Court thus remanded the matter to the trial court for an order awarding Plaintiff, Prestidge, appropriate treble damages and attorneys’ fees.
Gerald M. Newman, partner in the Chicago law firm of Schoenberg, Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg, LLC, serves as general counsel to numerous trade associations and is a regular contributor to the Association’s Newsletter. He participates in Expert Access, the program that offers telephone consultations to IHRA members.” Gerry co-authored this column with his partner, Adam Glazer. You can call Gerry Newman or Adam Glazer at 312-648-2300, fax them at 312-648-1212, or send emails to [email protected] or [email protected].
Newman (continued from page 1)
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?HOW IS YOUR BUSINESS DOING?RPMS tracks dollars or units for bookings, orders, shipments, or paid commissions. Review those values by customer, principal, sales rep, product, territory, distributor or combinations. RPMS offers the most complete array of standard reports in the rep software industry, including fifty-four different report setup forms, each with dozens of different sort sequences, filter and data value selection criteria. All RPMS reports can be printed, previewed for immediate display, or exported for E-mail to many different formats, including PDF and Excel. If there’s something you don’t see, custom reports are available with Crystal Reports or other ‘bolt-on’ report writers – or the RPMS staff can write one for you.
“I can’t believe how much data we can see with this system and all the different ways we can resolve it for our principals, customers, or sales reps. RPMS is an indispensable tool in our agency.”
Paul Wilhite – Integra Marketing Inc., Norwalk, CA
ARE YOU BEING PAID WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE PAID?Commission pressure is acceptable – commissions unpaid or paid incorrectly will put you out of business. RPMS tracks unpaid commissions accurately and relentlessly. Generate full and attention-grabbing Commission Aging and Late Order reports for your manufacturers. Calculate and print (or E-mail) clear and understandable commission statements for all your sales reps.
“We typically find thousands of commission dollars every year because of RPMS – and we’ve been using it since 1992.”
George LeCavalier – EMi Marketing, Littleton, CO
IS INPUTTING INFORMATION SIMPLE AND FAST IN YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM?RPMS Version 7 data entry forms are fast and easy. Field-level ‘locks’ save hundreds of keystrokes. Data can be entered from orders, acknowledgements, invoices and/or commission statements. The optional E-Data wizard even loads electronic text or Excel files directly.
“We needed a system for information to analyze our business with a minimum amount of data entry. The RPMS Edata Feature enables us to upload data we receive electronically from many of our factories. Even when we have to key data the process is fast and simple. When I look at the amount of information versus time spent, I am extremely happy.”
Anne Forbes – Forbes, Hever and Wallace, Inc., Flower Mound, TX
SOFTWARE ANSWERS FOR REPS
11771 W. 112th St., Ste. 200, Overland Park, KS 66210 • 1-800-776-7435 • www.rpms.com • [email protected]
Glotter (continued from page 1)closer and have helped each other in business many times. This is in spite of us being on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. The newest member of the IHRA executive committee is John Grob. John and I have shared a line or two over the years but really never talked until he joined the Board. Since then I have had the opportunity to hear John express himself at meetings and on committees. I have gained respect for John because of the IHRA. This has given me the opportunity to better know John and it has been well worth it. As in most any endeavor, you will get more out of it if you put some effort into making it better. We will only become a better organization serving our members needs with input in ideas, time and effort from YOU. I hope you continue to support the IHRA and find YOUR way to get more out of our organization. Thank You. Mark Glotter, Marketshare Sales
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Tech Bit 61 - Build Your Next Website Using a CMS
When you build your next website, I would suggest using a CMS also known as a Content Management System. To paraphrase the movie ‘The Graduate’: Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Benjamin: Yes, sir. Mr. McGuire: Are you listening? Benjamin: Yes, I am. Mr. McGuire: Plastics.CMS, as in Content Management System. For most website owners a CMS is the future—unless you want to continue paying your web developer every time you want a change on your website. What is a CMS? It is software that runs on your web server (or your hosting company’s web server) that stores all the information about your website inside a database. When someone comes to your website, it generates the web page they see. If the click on a link to another page, it generates that web page. And it does it so fast that less than 10% of a web page loading time is caused by the CMS. The biggest reason to build a website using a CMS is you can make changes really easily. If you are logged into your website, and have sufficient permissions, every page has an edit button you can click on, where you can make changes easily and on-line. Click save and that revised page is published for everyone to read. While a base CMS might require you to code your edits in HTML, almost all have an option you can turn on for WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing that looks just like using the word processor you use every day. So a CMS will let you make edits without calling your web developer. It will also let you add a new page, include pictures and even update the menus for the website all without knowing how to “program” a website. The three most common open source (as in freely distributed without cost) CMS systems are WordPress, most commonly used for blogs, Drupal and Joomla. All three can be downloaded and installed by someone who isn’t afraid of the terminology and has full access to your web server ac-count. If you are concerned about using an open source CMS, consider that www.whitehouse.gov is built using Drupal. Even if you aren’t technical enough to do it yourself, you can hire someone to install and configure your CMS for a modest cost. You can even have a custom look and feel done inexpensively. Another feature of the three CMS’s listed are they are modular. You can get add on modules to extend your website’s capability. Want to add a blog to your website, just configure (or have configure) the option. Want to add forums, the ability for visitors who register to leave messages for each other and share ideas; it is another simple module you can install. And if you use one of these open source CMS’s, you are assured that there are multiple web developers available for your website should you need any changes made. Having multiple options means you can make sure the quote you are given is competitive. I’ve seen quotes for websites that are almost 10 times what they should have been, simply because the client had no way to know if the estimate was reasonable. As an example, I can build a Drupal based website with blogging and a rotating image banner on the home page in about 3-4 hours. If the client is happy with one of the 200 or so free website designs, called themes in Drupal, they can be putting their own content in that website the same day I start.
Here’s a continuing feature in The REPorter
“Tech Bits”
Gregg Marshall, CPMR, CSP, is a speaker, author and consultant. He can be reached by e-mail at
Here are some of your benefits of IHRA membership• HOT LinesDesigned for manufacturers seeking immediate representa-tion, lines available announcements are eMailed to member firms within 48 hours of request.
• Lines AvailableMonthly listings in IHRA’s newsletter, The REPorter, of manufacturers seeking representatives. Also - special Lines Available listings in connection with the yearly International Home + Housewares Show. Members receive lists prior to the Show so appointments can be scheduled. Additions to the list - in IHRA’s Hospitality Room - are made during the Show that can bring the number of listings to almost 200 manufacturers.
• The LOCATORIHRA’s directory of member firms, is a most effective means of bringing together manufacturer and representative. Distributed to industry executives who have the responsibility for securing their company’s sales representatives, the LOCATOR is indexed by territory (states covered). Each member firm listing has detailed information con-cerning ownership, facilities and services offered, territory covered, product specialty, customer base and number of employees.
• Your company listing on The IHRA website and hotlinked from IHRA’s, www.housewares.org, an industry focal point. It’s where manufacturers seeking reps naturally go. IHRA, and only IHRA, is there.
• FREE access to, and use of, the IHRA Hospitality Room & Resource Center during the International Home + Housewares Show - AND - to IHRA’s Show “Wind Down” on Monday (5:00 - 6:15 PM) of the Show. No need to fight the crowds getting buses and cabs. Relax with us. Free beverages and “munchies.” Many members claim that these benefits are more than worth the cost of membership!
• FREE Admittance to IHRA’s Annual Break-fast & Program.
• REPtops monthly emails culled from our extensive Article Library covering financial, legal, marketing, sales, employee benefits, and human resources topics.
• Numerous member services, including Expert Access to professional consultants (legal, finan-cial, sales, marketing, employee benefits, human resources) at no charge or reduced rates. For IHRA members. Members may contact consultants by telephone for advice in each practitioner’s specialty:
Accounting & Taxes Stan Herzog 847/564-1040 x111 Marketing/PR Larry Kaufman 847.328.6154Human Resource Hot Line Michael Norton 602.490.0380
• Our Legal Expert Access Service from Schoenberg, Fin-kel, Newman & Rosenberg, LLC expands the Expert Access program for IHRA members with knowledgeable counsel and representation at lowest possible costs. Your initial telephone consultation is free; fees are quoted in advance for standard services. Gerald Newman 312-648-2300 Ext. 309
• Group Insurance Programs from RepCare Life, Medical, Dental and Disability Choose the program that best suits your needs. RepCare is the healthcare program available through the ERA / NEMRA Insurance Trust. In business for almost 50 years, it has provided excellent coverage for thousands of representatives and their families. An experience-rated group, rates are determined according to claims within the group. West of the Mississippi, but including Illinois, Call Pat Brown 1-800-854-4636 East of the Mississippi, not including Illinois, Call John Doyle 1-888-243-0174
• FREE Monthly TeleforumsOne-hour teleconference seminars, conducted by professional trainers and presentors, that help you and your staff improve sales and management techniques.
• Internet Presence; World Wide Web Site; eMail and more . . . from BIG TECHThis member service can help you establish your company on the Internet with a professional, eye-catching Web site, created just for you. (Link free if you already have a web page.) There are a full range of web presence packages, one of which is sure to fit your needs. Call BIG TECH: 773-973-5600
• Our monthly newsletter - The REPorter® that keeps you up-to-date on industry happenings and provides timely articles to help you better run your business and personal planning.
• Our Contract Guidelines that will help you negoti-ate fair and balanced contracts.
• Computer Software to Help You Run Your Business - Specifically designed for the multi-line representative firm’s operations. IHRA’s two recommended suppliers’ programs track samples, quotes, orders, invoices, business opportunities and commissions, do forecasting and are networkable. Join over 2000 satisfied multiple-line rep users who enjoy all the benefits of software designed specifically for their needs. Satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back. RPMS: 800-776-7435 WINREP: 800-490-0424
• AxiomOne, Inc. — Testing for new hires or promotions or assessments of your work force. The AxiomOne Inventory was created utilizing targeted interviews and survey information from over 16,000 people, focusing on key behaviors that either supported or derailed success. Armed with that data, the AxiomOne Inventory targets 33 job-critical behaviors, with pinpoint accuracy. Special pricing for IHRA members. Contact: Michael Norton, Direct: 602-490-0380 Mobile: 480-338-1552
• NETWORKING, Networking, networking! Our newest member benefit/service that allows members to seek and receive information from their peers on subjects of interest, as well as providing opportunities for mutual profit.
• The FedEx® Shipping ProgramIHRA Members can now take advantage of an IHA program that provides savings up to 24% on select FedEx® Express shipping services and up to 25% on select FedEx Ground shipping services.
- It’s easy to sign up -Logon to http://www.housewares.org/iha/benefits/fedex.aspx
and fill out a brief enrollment form. Fax it to IHA at 847-292-4211. You will receive a ‘Welcome Kit’ within 10 days with details regarding your individual IHA/FedEx® account and you can begin shipping immediately. There is no fee and no minimum shipping requirement for this program. Please contact 800.475.6708 with questions and reference the International Housewares Association program. Get ready to enjoy BIG savings on shipping!
Thank you IHA!
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Manufacturers Seeking IHRA Field Sales Professionals
The listing of a manufacturer is not an endorsement by IHRA, it being the obligation of each member to make their own evaluation.
Products: Cookware Sets, Flatware Sets, Pressure Cookers, Open Stock, Skillets
Territories: Texas (and surrounding states), Califor-nia, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia Nat’l Sales: $1MM Commission Rate: 5-10% Years in Business: 50Channels currently sold: Catalogs, Websites, Mass Merchants
Seeking Sales Through: Department Stores, Discount Stores, Distributors, Drug Stores, Gourmet Stores, Specialty Stores, Wholesalers Groceries/Su-permarkets, TV and E-Commerce, Mass Merchants
Products: New and innovative Erasable Ink “Puzzle Pen”
THE ROME GROUPP.O. Box 1000Killington VT 05751802.422.4466 • Fax: 802.422.4467
Products: High-end Cutting Board made from commercial grade materials. Meets needs of both home cook and professional chef. NEW PRODUCT launch - tested at consumer and professional levels.
MTECH Incorporated2954 Hwy 32 Ste 9000Chico CA 95973888.797.5100 Fax: 530.894.5092www.mtechincorporated.com
Contact: Matt Itamura, VP SaleseMail: [email protected]: All U.S.A.Commission Rate: 10-5% Years in Business: 10 Gross Sales: $1,000,000+Currently doing business in the USA: Using reps in California and Nevada.
Channels into which currently sell: Independent RetailChannels into which want to sell: Independent Retail, Boutique & Specialty Retail
Instant HOT Lines . . .A onetime eMail that provides immediate information on your line, only, to reps in specific territories or throughout the world
Manufacturers: Contact These Performance-Proven, Multiple-Line, Field Sales Professionals to learn how they can profitably bring your products and programs to market.
Manufacturer’s Representatives specializing in Wall Décor, Photo Storage, Frames, Furniture, Home Décor and Gifts
Building Sales Professionalism Through Certification MRERF is your solution to creating a better salesperson, a better Independent Manufacturer’s Representative firm, and even a better Manufacturer. When you participate in our programming, you are building sales professionalism through certification.
Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative (CPMR) The CPMR program is executive education for firm owners or managers, cur-rent or future. Participants spend five days in January at Arizona State Univer-sity for three successive years. The curriculum delves into managing multiple generations, principal relationships, line profitability, succession planning, and much more. Of equal value is the cross-industry networking that helps identify trends in other sectors that may soon be headed to your industry. Money back guarantee if you leave CPMR 101 without value for your firm or ideas for business.
Certified Sales Professional (CSP) CSP is a program your salespeople will be glad they attended! Anyone calling on customers will find great value in the program. Three days of instruction, interaction and role-play will energize attendees and increase their productivity and profitability. After the written and verbal exams, successful graduates will thoroughly understand the consultative selling process. The cost of the pro-gram and time away from the office will quickly be recouped when graduates put the program tenets into practice. The CSP designation stands alone, or complements the CPMR designation nicely. Business creation, effective goal setting, time and territory management, and much more are covered in this intense, interactive program. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied! If you are in sales, you want this course!
CPMR and CSP Certification Headquarters is the alter ego of MRERF. A charitable education Foundation is what we ARE. CPMR and CSP are what we DO. We certify that our graduates are professional sales people and profes-sional manufacturers Representatives. They EARN their designations. Gradu-ates prove they can employ the techniques they are taught in our programs. Their personal designation tells the world that they have gone the extra mile to be a reliable business partner. If you are not sure that our program is right for your firm, ask to audit a class. We know that once you have seen what CPMR and CSP offer, you will want everyone you know to participate. We are so confident of both CPMR and CSP that we offer Money Back Guar-antees on both programs. No one has ever asked. Tell us what you need. And we will help you find a solution.
For Manufacturers - Next Session: January 10-11. 2011 (arrive Jan. 9) Manufacturers gather at ASU for the Best Practices program and leave with good ideas to improve their relationships with their reps. Two days. Dozens of ideas. Good decisions do not, by themselves, yield great results. Going to market through independent manufacturers representatives is a good decision. But it is the relationship that will create great results. Relationships between principals and reps need attention. Attention to the big picture. Attention to the finer points.
The Manufacturer’s Best Practices program from MRERF meets the needs of both top and middle management and sales/marketing personnel at the fac-tory level. Its goal is to enhance understanding of how to select, manage, evalu-ate, and profit from your Rep network. Your reps are the face of your company in the field. You want your firm to be well Represented. Through lectures and interactive dialog, you will gain a better understanding of: 4 What the rep function is 4 How rep firms operate 4 How to select, train and manage reps 4 Finding synergistic partners 4 Interviewing 4 Hiring 4 Creating fair contracts 4 Evaluating 4 How to manage and motivate your rep network 4 Understanding the culture of each rep firm 4 Optimizing the rep relationship 4 Communicating with your reps 4 Eliminating barriers to sales 4 Doing business ethically with reps 4 Becoming the emotional favorite 4 What Manufacturers need to do, internally, to get the best results from repsBy the end of the Manufacturer’s Best Practices program, you will be better able to: 4 Develop realistic and appropriate expectations 4 Manage and communicate more effectively with your reps 4 Create custom policies to best fit your organization Who attends? CEO - How do reps enhance your bottom line? CFO - Why are you writing commission checks? RSM - What is your biggest challenge? Sales support at factory - How to support the rep network? Logistics and costs...Manufacturer’s Best Practices Program will be held at the W.P.Carey School of Business at ASU in Tempe, AZ, January 10-11, 2011. The cost is $995.00
For complete information on all MRERF programs for Representatives and Manufacturers, go to: http://www.mrerf.org/
News from IHRA’s Educational & Research Foundation - MRERF
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- REPRESENTATIVES & MANUFACTURERS -Sign up - NOW - for IHRA’s Must-Be-At Annual Breakfast & Program
. . . . the 2nd day of the 2011 International Home + Housewares Show at McCormick Place . . .
IHRAIHRA
Space is limited. Admission by reservation. To reserve, complete the following and mail or fax back to: 847.748.8273
Please reserve ____ seats (Continental Breakfast included) ❑ We are IHRA members Cost: No Charge
❑ We are not IHRA members Cost: $15 per person Total ____________
Company ____________________________________________________________________________
Names of Attendees _____________________________________________________________________________________
Non-members should send check to IHRA, 1755 Lake Cook Road • Suite 118 • Highland Park IL 60035 - or - charge to:
❑ AMEx: ❑ MC ❑ VISA ❑ Discover Card # _____________________________________________________________
Exp Date: Card Code # Card Billing ZIP
FREE to IHRA Members ($15 for non-members)
Monday, March 7, 2011 • 6:45 - 8:30 AM • Room S101B • Lobby Level • South Building
This year’s program features one of the IHRA REPorter’s favorite contributors: Nicki Weiss of Nicki is a Certifi ed Professional Sales Management Coach and Master Trainer and produces our popular, monthly FREE Teleforums.
Nicki says: “While 2009 was a challenge economically…and 2010 was fi lled with its share of bumps and curves and mixed business indicators and
trends --- 2011 offers unlimited possibilities and opportunities.”
“So based on what you know and learned from 2010…and looking forward into 2011---what will you change that will increase your success as a
rep or rep fi rm owner?”
Get many of the answers from Nicki’s in-depth program: “How To Create & Embrace Changes That Will Make A Difference In Your Business”A Question & Answer opportunity will follow Nicki’s presentation
Also on the program: Perry Reynolds of IHA with his annual “welcome” and special highlights of the Show Gerry Newman and Dan Beederman, IHRA’s legal counsel, will be available for no-charge, one-on-ones to discuss any legal questions members might have. Appointments are suggested: Phone: 312/648-2300; eMail: [email protected]
The program promises to be most enlightening and your chance to meet & greet old friends and . . . Network, Network, Network!
A Brighter 2011, What Will You Improve/Change This Year?While 2009 was a challenge economically…and 2010 was fi lled with its share of bumps and curves and mixed business indicators/trends---this month marks the start of a new day…a new year…and unlimited possibilities and opportuni-ties.
So based on what you know and learned from 2010…and looking forward into 2011---what will you change…that will increase your success as a rep or rep fi rm owner?
And, what will you improve or add…that will increase the success for you and your rep fi rm team?
We are following/tracking the leading-edge trends going into 2011…and we see positive trends in the N. America. What do you see?
“How To Create & Embrace Changes That Will Make A Difference In Your Business”
Sa1esWiseTM
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2011 CALENDAR OF EVENTSFebruary5 - 8Seattle Gift Show Seattle, WA
11 - 15Ambiente Messe FrankfurtFrankfurt, Germany
March3 - 6Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo Salt Lake City, UT 6 - 8International Home + Housewares Show Chicago, IL
The IHRA InternatIonal Housewares representatIves assocIatIon
IHRA MEMBERS:Want to know more about RepCare group insurance? Just find your business home state and call Pat Brown or John Doyle.Call PAT BROWN at 847-559-1331 if your business is in:
New JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth Carolina
TennesseeVirginiaVermontWest Virginia
2011 IHRA Board of Directors & Staff
Chairperson: Mark Glotter, Marketshare Sales, Inc.Past Chairperson: Kent Kulovitz, Kulovitz & Associates, Inc.Executive Director, Bill Weiner, Weiner Association Management
Directors: (terms ending end of 2011):Jacob Bang-Knudsen, CPMR, Bang-Knudsen, Inc.John Grob, J. Grob Associates, Inc.Seth Lapine, David S. Lapine Co., Inc. (terms ending end of 2012):Don Blunt, Blunt Enterprises Inc.Steve Figman, The Summit Group/Gold MarketingEric Halberg, Unique Value Marketing, LLC (terms ending end of 2013):Chelsea Gorczyca, The Belwether Group, LLCSteve Grossman, CPMR, GM PartnersMeghan Peake, The Barrington Group
An Executive Committee will be formed from members of the Board.
Past Chairs John M. Clampitt Steve Grossman, CPMR Jay L. Cohen Tom Rooney Peter Bang-Knudsen Donna Peake Jim Adams James Ayotte David Silberstein Kent Kulovitz
