Becoming A Manufacturer Sales Rep

[Megastink]

Good morning, everyone! I'm going to throw a different topic out there today: I would like to reach out to our community for advice or guidance on becoming a sales rep for a tackle manufacturer.

I have been a Foodservice sales rep in the Mid Atlantic for the last five years, and have been successful. However, like all of you, my passion is fishing. I can't get enough, as many of you can't. I'd like to combine my experience and knowledge of sales with my passion for tackle. I'm really a lure nerd, but I have a good knowledge of reels, line, and terminal tackle from a lifetime of experience. I also have some good relationships with some local tackle stores from being on a few prostaffs, but that's probably small compared to the general scope of the position I seek.

So, where do I start? I have searched on fishing industry jobs * to no avail. I'm on Linkdin, facebook looking. Trade shows are coming up, so I'll probably be introducing myself around to a few companies.

Does anyone have any advice, or know of any companies looking for sales reps? I second guessed posting this here, but the worst that can happen is no one replies!

Thanks, and tight lines!

[buzzed bait]

I'm not certain that i can help a ton with pointing you in the right direction in terms of looking for a job, that's hard enough anywhere, let alone the tight group that is the fishing community.  I'm just going to ask if you have all of your other ducks in a row prior to landing that conversation or interview of sorts? 

in other words, do you already have a serious/solid resume ready to hand over today?  can you also provide real world examples of new business you landed, accounts you turned around and your overall sales performance history?

all sorts of guys can talk fishing all day long, but these people are in the business to turn a buck.  you need to have proof that you've been successful selling whatever it was and then show them how that will translate to success in the fishing industry.

you may also find that a lot of these companies may manufacture the products, but they may outsource the marketing and sales to a company such as the one i work for.  in that case, you may be selling a wide array of products including, but not limited to fishing.  either way that gets you out of selling food and a little closer to getting paid for fishing.....

i wish you the best of luck regardless!

[Sam]

Megastink, may I suggest you go and visit the owner of a local tackle shop to find out how he orders his products.

 

In this day and age when retailers can order products on-line, via distributors and fishing shows the days of manufacturers' reps could be numbered.

 

Craig, the owner of Tackle Express in Richmond hardly, if ever, sees a manufacturer's rep.

 

Craig is leaving today to attend a fishing show were he will meet old buddies and place his orders for this coming spring.

 

Of course, there are many products out there that need manufacturer's reps, like in the oil and gas business, pump industry, generators, etc. But I am not sure the fishing industry uses manufacturers reps any more.

 

The big box stores use buyers to fill their shelves.  You can go to your local Cabela's, Gander Mountain or BPS and  ask the manager how the store orders and receives their fishing products.  I would think these organizations have strong buying contracts and discounts with the manufacturers and they go direct to the companies.

 

Not raining on your parade but other than for Shimano and Ruger I have not met any manufacturers' reps in years. And the Shimano guys were at a special sale at Green Top as were the Ruger guys with the Ruger trailer.

 

Check it out and let us know what you find out. We are all interested in your findings.

[Ratherbfishing]

Good morning, everyone! I'm going to throw a different topic out there today: I would like to reach out to our community for advice or guidance on becoming a sales rep for a tackle manufacturer.

I have been a Foodservice sales rep in the Mid Atlantic for the last five years, and have been successful. However, like all of you, my passion is fishing. I can't get enough, as many of you can't. I'd like to combine my experience and knowledge of sales with my passion for tackle. I'm really a lure nerd, but I have a good knowledge of reels, line, and terminal tackle from a lifetime of experience. I also have some good relationships with some local tackle stores from being on a few prostaffs, but that's probably small compared to the general scope of the position I seek.

So, where do I start? I have searched on fishing industry jobs * to no avail. I'm on Linkdin, facebook looking. Trade shows are coming up, so I'll probably be introducing myself around to a few companies.

Does anyone have any advice, or know of any companies looking for sales reps? I second guessed posting this here, but the worst that can happen is no one replies!

Thanks, and tight lines!

 

Is the picture in your avatar recent?  If so, I suggest you don't, when writing cover letters, use the expression "...knowledge amassed from a lifetime of experience."  Us old fogies won't be impressed.

[Megastink]

Is the picture in your avatar recent? If so, I suggest you don't, when writing cover letters, use the expression "...knowledge amassed from a lifetime of experience." Us old fogies won't be impressed.

I don't think it's fair to assume that someone isn't at least as knowledgeable as someone else on a topic/industry strictly because person A is younger than the elder. It's equally unfair to assume that because someone is older, they have a better understanding of anything they are mutually interested in. By that logic, people like Brandon Palaniuk and Jacob Wheeler should know little compared to anyone older who fishes, both of whom are younger than me. This isn't a cover letter, nor am I looking to impress anyone; just looking for career advice. One day, all those old timers will be gone. Someone has to take over for them, right?

[Sam]

Mega, in the corporate world your first impression is extremely important.

 

Especially when the business owner reads your correspondence and creates a picture of you in his mind.

 

What Rather is saying is to avoid including anything that can turn off the older generation.

 

You know, people who are just learning about computers; don't text; have an iPhone but only use if for telephone calls, and the like.

 

If you are sending a letter I suggest you 1) pen it as you wish; 2) wait 24-hours and read it again and make any corrections; 3) take the letter to a local community college or university and find a professor in the business administration curricula to read and give you pointers; 4) and then do your homework and locate the top 100 businesses you want to send the letter.

 

Remember, I am sitting at my desk; lots of work to do; putting up with employees; it is tax time and my CPA is a Certified Pain in the A--; have to look at the books to see how much I have cooked them this year; trying to get the office staff energized to get restarted after the holidays; just got screwed into giving donations to organizations that I never heard of over the holidays; getting ready to receive the CPA letter about how much taxes are due on January 15 for the past quarter; and here comes your letter.

 

Now, am I in the mood to 1) read a letter; 2) read a letter about bass fishing: 3) read a letter about bass fishing and how it will be seen by the individuals that use my product or services; and 4) give someone money or products that are not tax deductible as you are not approved by the IRS to have companies take the donation???

 

What makes you and your letter stand out and gets me thinking that "yes, this would be a cheap way to get our name in front of the population that would purchase our products or services."  This is your challenge.

 

So don't attack Rather or anyone else who is taking their time to ask you questions or make suggestions. Every post can be helpful to you if you will take the position that no matter how nasty, dumb or rude the response may be, it can be helpful if you have an open mind and are looking for improvement in your letter.

 

Go out there and keep the letter one page and tell the reader what you can do for them and the rewards you can produce for their company.

 

Good luck.

[flyfisher]

While i do not have experience in the fishing industry for sales reps but i have a lot of experience in the outdoor retail industry.  What i will say is that it is all about sales and be prepared for lots of travel and limited time to actually fish.  Many of my friends who were reps lost interest to an extent for the hobbies they had that are now work and they usually picked up other hobbies.  I experienced this a lot when i was a fly fishing guide.  i still loved to fly fish but i wanted to get away from it when not working, if that makes sense.

 

your experience may vary but just wanted to throw that out there as food for thought....

[HoosierHawgs]

While i do not have experience in the fishing industry for sales reps but i have a lot of experience in the outdoor retail industry.  What i will say is that it is all about sales and be prepared for lots of travel and limited time to actually fish.  Many of my friends who were reps lost interest to an extent for the hobbies they had that are now work and they usually picked up other hobbies.  I experienced this a lot when i was a fly fishing guide.  i still loved to fly fish but i wanted to get away from it when not working, if that makes sense.

 

your experience may vary but just wanted to throw that out there as food for thought....

 

It's called 'work' gor a reason. And no matter what it is, whatever your doing, they will always find a way to turn it into 'work'.

[Ratherbfishing]

Megastink.  My response might have been a bit blunt and for that I apologize.  I will persist in my stance that you should not advertise yourself with the aforementioned expression.  You may be a better fisherman than me, are probably more knowledgeable in tackle than me, and you almost certainly you are a better salesman than me.  HOWEVER, when you use "a lifetime of experience" as your unit of measurement, YOU open this up to scrutiny and/or criticism.  As I responded, others may also.  Let's not forget that, like it or not, it is still the old fogies who hold the "purse strings."  I realize that your thread is not a cover letter and you are simply looking for advice (which I thought in some manner I had given) but never think that what goes on social media stays on social media.  Increasingly (from my limited understanding, anyway), social media is HOW people are increasingly marketing themselves-for better or for worse.

 

peace.

[A-Jay]

 

 

 

Remember, I am sitting at my desk; lots of work to do; putting up with employees; it is tax time and my CPA is a Certified Pain in the A--; have to look at the books to see how much I have cooked them this year; trying to get the office staff energized to get restarted after the holidays; just got screwed into giving donations to organizations that I never heard of over the holidays; getting ready to receive the CPA letter about how much taxes are due on January 15 for the past quarter; and here comes your letter.

 

Now, am I in the mood to 1) read a letter; 2) read a letter about bass fishing: 3) read a letter about bass fishing and how it will be seen by the individuals that use my product or services; and 4) give someone money or products that are not tax deductible as you are not approved by the IRS to have companies take the donation???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Offense Sam, but I hope this guy doesn't read my letter and if he does, I hope he doesn't call me back . . .

 

A-Jay

[plumworm]

What food service company?