Hello kirkm,
Thank you for your question.
In searching for independent clothing reps OR representatives, I came
across several resources that should be of great value to you in your
search.
First, the Manufacturer's Agents National Association at
http://www.manaonline.org/ includes a section on finding reps or
agents.
"If You Are A Manufacturer Looking For Agents
If you are looking for Manufacturers Representatives, you’ve come to
the right place! Whether you’re a new business, a company that’s
decided to switch from direct sales personnel to reps, or replacing
your executive selling team with your first field sales force, MANA
can help. We’re an association of 22,000 field sales professionals and
the principals that utilize their services, and we are dedicated to
assisting and guiding you in forming a win-win-win business
development partnership between you, our members and your customers.
MANA is a 55-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to the
rep/principal method of going to market and we’re here to help you!"
To use their directory services, you will need to join at a cost of
$229 annual dues. They describe their Online Directory as:
Directory Features:
The data will always be current. MANA’s membership database is
updated daily to add new members and to reflect important profile and
contact information changes of active members.
Search the database for sales agencies by one or more of the
following criteria: Territory, Agency Location, Product
Classification, Customers Served, Services Offered and the popular
Keyword feature, which allows you to target your search to a single
word within an agent’s entire product description and advertiser
paragraph.
View the full agency profile, including display ad, by double
clicking on a prospect in your search results list. With the agency
profile displayed you can connect to their web site.
Search results can be exported to your spreadsheet, word processing
or database software.
An online Search Assistant offers tips on:
> How to best come up with a list of agencies
> Getting the most out of each search field
> What to do once you’ve complied a list of agents you want to contact
You might consider contacting them to find how many reps in the
apparel industry are currently listed in their database before making
the investment to use their service.
mana@manaonline.org
*************************************
RepHunter.net at www.rephunter.net is another fee based service for
locating and matching rep organizations with your needs.
"OUR MISSION
Direct Access provides the fastest, most cost-effective way for
growing companies to find qualified Independent Sales Representatives.
OUR SOLUTION
Our TARGETED SEARCH and screening process uses a detailed PROFILE of
requirements--PRODUCTS, CUSTOMERS, and TERRITORIES to match a
manufacturer's specific needs with a sales representative's unique
capabilities. "
This service seems pricey at $2,000
**************************************
The Apparel Marketing Group at http://www.apparelsalesreps.com/ seems
very promising for you.
We introduce manufacturers to the right sales reps in all the major
markets of the US.
Their page on describing their service shows:
What We Do
APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES All categories included. Men's, women's
and children's...in all price ranges. If you're in the fashion
industry, selling boutiques or mega volume accounts, we can put you
together with the right reps.
ALL MARKETS COVERED New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Miami,
Charlotte etc. Most reps work out of the various apparel marts and do
road travel as well. We can decide together where the best reps are to
represent you.
SHOWROOM IN EVERY MARKET We have a showroom that we use simply to
interview reps, show your products and come back to you with a
recommendation. We actually take your samples with us and present them
to the sales reps.
CLIENT PROFILE We prepare an in-depth profile of all our clients,
so that we can represent them properly. This way we can answer all the
reps' questions accurately and completely.
REFERENCES We provide a long list of our clients with their names
and phone numbers for you to call. We include a description of what we
have done for them. Please feel free to contact them all.
ONE TIME FEE Our fee is reasonable and is usually amortized down
to about 1% of sales after the first season. Salesmen work strictly on
commission. No upfront money to a sales rep ever!
They can be reached at:
THE APPAREL MARKETING GROUP
31 Horseshoe Hill West, Pound Ridge, New York, 10576, US
Phone: (914)764-1401
Fax: (914)764-0447
info@apparelsalesreps.com
***********************************
RepLink at www.replink.com describes themselves as:
"RepLINK is not only a SEARCH ENGINE - we are also a SEARCH SERVICE.
We provide a world wide matchmaking system that finds new
representatives for principals and visa versa. Matches are made via
the database connected to the RepLINK search engine and by exposing
requirements to the entire World Wide Web using classified ads. "
Their charges range from $19.95 for three months to $149 per year. It
was unclear to me the difference in membership costs and services tied
to those fees.
RepLINK Corporation
291 Brimson Drive, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3X 1H9
Tel:+1.905.836.0398 Fax:+1.905.836.6062 Email: admin@replink.com
************************************
Switching my search strategy slightly to - clothing OR apparel sales
reps OR representatives - I discovered the following:
ApparelSearch
http://www.apparelsearch.com/sales_representatives.htm
Apparel Search provides easy access to companies that match apparel,
accessories and textile manufacturers with the right Sales
Representatives in any market of the world. If you are interested in
selling your merchandise but don't know where to begin, let one of our
affiliate partners help you.
Their form for Locate Sales Representatives for the Fashion, Apparel &
Textile Industries... is available at this page:
http://www.infomat.com/marketplace/isource/affiliates/apparelsearch.html
There does not appear to be a charge for using this service.
****************************************
InfoMat - the largest fashion industry search engine at
http://www.infomat.com/marketplace/irep/ locates clothing
representatives.
iRep
Where manufacturers meet sales representatives ... This service
matches apparel, accessories and textile manufacturers (men's, women's
and children's in every price point) with the right sales reps in any
market in the world.
If you are interested in selling your merchandise but don't know where
to begin let one of our affiliate partners help you. These
specialists, The Apparel Marketing Group and BureauMatch have years of
experience in the rep matching business. Both come highly recommended.
Both offer very different types of services... Fill-in the form below
to see how they can work for you
*******************************************
RepLocate.com http://www.replocate.com/F-Directory.htm is another
service for finding reps:
Manufacturers - With RepLocate's standard service, you can post your
opportunity and start receiving inquiries from companies interested in
marketing your products. RepLocate attracts a highly targeted
audience of sales professionals looking for product lines to market.
They offer a SELECT Service described as follows:
RepLocate - Select
A Professional Search Service Providing:
guaranteed results with only the best leads to follow up on.
RepLocate makes the initial contact with prospective reps to gather
their company information, existing customers, and current product
lines. This data is then organized into a report so you get a
complete and accurate picture of the potential match. Best of
all...... pay only for Reps that you enter into a working relationship
with.
» Terms of Payment
- $500 Search Deposit (SD)
- $1,000 for each rep you approve
- If we can not find you a match, your SD is fully refunded.
****************************************
The NationalRegister.com - a division of Marche Publications,
publishes an annual directory of clothing and accessory reps:
http://www.thenationalregister.com/reps.htm
Finding a good independent sales rep is often the first step into
profitability. The National Register of Independent Sales Reps,
Apparel and Accessories, is designed to offer manufacturers and
importers an instant sales force in the U. S. marketplace. Buyers look
to "their sales rep" to bring them new lines appropriate for their
stores. Thus the independent sales rep, not working solely for any one
company, is looking for new lines to bring to the accounts they
currently serve.
This book can be ordered here:
New for 2002:
National Register of
Independent Sales Reps: Apparel & Accessories
4th Edition $155.00
(with diskette or CD: $385.00; unless noted in Customer Feedback
below, you will receive a CD)
https://www.thenationalregister.com/order.htm
**********************************************
An excellent way to locate and meet rep firms is at apparel trade
shows. Google lists Apparel Trade Shows on this page:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Consumer_Goods_and_Services/Apparel/Trade_Shows/
Here you will find links to about two dozen shows you might choose to
attend.
I have also found in my own businesses that independent rep
organizations are often in contact with their counterparts in other
territories. If I found a rep that met all of my requirements and
performed well for me, I would often ask them for recommendations in
other geographic areas and quite often found that I was introduced to
another organization of comparable value to me. I would also ask my
retailers who they valued as a representative and ask for their
suggestions and introductions.
I trust the above resources will give you a solid start in identifying
quality reps for your product lines. Should anything above be unclear
or a link non-functional, please do ask for clarification.
Best regards,
-=clouseau=- |
