Newsagents would be rich if they had a dollar for every time a sales rep told them that they should take a deal because another newsagent they name ordered plenty. Rarely do we challenge their claim. We should demand proof and nhold the rep accountable.
Some reps will lie in other ways. For example, a pen rep recently told one of our managers that they only had one left of a certain special stand and that he had oto order that day. He made the same pitch a few days later. He must have had a few of these last one available stands.
Here are some tips for handling reps:
- If a rep says someone has bought a certain quantity, get proof. If none is provided, walk away.
- If a rep says you have sold a certain quantity, verify this for yourself on your computer system. Trust your data ahead of theirs.
- If they say this is the last of an item, ask for proof from their manager.
- If you are promised merchandising support in the from of posters or cardboard cut-outs, get it in writing with some pre-agreed penalty if they are not delivered.
- If you are offered sale or return, get it in writing.
- If you are offered free stock with an offer, get it in writing.
- Get the delivery date in writing with an agreed penalty if they miss.
- Check every order a rep places – they are on a commission for what they sell and must work for their company more than they work for you.
There are some great reps in the newsagency channel. Their good works are undone by a few who are unscrupulous and dupe newsagents into bad deals.
…..And if they are pushy and you don’t like the product, but they keep saying it is excellent, sells well, everyone else has it. Tell them to buy a shop and sell that one product out of it seeing it is so good.
I’ve found this scares them off or makes them more reasonable.
had a rep in yesterday, and all i could think about when they were in was this post. Everything was really popular, sold really well, everybody ordered them, not many left. etc etc etc.
whilst thats nothing new to hear from a rep, i found it funny what a coincidence that it wasnt long after you had posted this.
We have a simple policy that we do not buy from any reps .we always look at what they have and then concider it after they have left that way there is no pressure to buy and you don’t get sucked in
That’s a good idea Shaun. I was in a newsagency a week ago an identified at least $5,000 in dead stock pushed by reps with glowing stories on how they will be successful.
When we first bought the business we were bombarded by reps, we quickly implemented what Shaun does and made it a store policy. Works well.