Organising the right business profile for Distributors (agents)

• Client types
• Contract types
• Product issues
• Territory and target country/geography
• Territory facts and figures – size of accessible market – current share – competitors
• Targets/expectations for future periods

Profiling Distributors (agents)

• What are the important parameters and how can we measure them?
• Culture fit
• Science/technology fit
• Complimentary product lines and other companies represented
• Language and communications

Assessing a Distributor (agent)

• What are the key selection criteria - how well does a potential distributor match your criteria
• Who do your competitors use and why?
• Who do your target customers respect?
• Geography/territory/location

Organisational/Relationship Issues

• Promotional activity costs and responsibilities – them – you – shared
• Sales force structures – yours – theirs
• Support capabilities – yours - theirs
• Samples or demonstration products – relevance - availability – who pays?
• Ownership of customer information
• Contact chain
• Publicity policy – what – how – when – where – who pays?
• Training – what – how – when – where – who pays?
• Financial issues - pricing policies - commissions - how does the Distributor earn?

Managing/Motivating Distributors

• Setting targets
• Transparency of activity
• Reporting
• Data collection
• Monitoring bookings and sales
• Frequency of visits – yours - theirs
• Performance reviews – firing!
• Long term planning