Wholesalers can benefit from the new, expanded role played by reps in the marketplace.
I recently was asked to give a talk on the "Role of a Rep" at a national sales meeting for a large manufacturer/distributor of decorative plumbing products. In preparing for the talk, I was forced to really look at what role the rep should play. It used to be that a rep was pretty much a "peddler," calling on the same accounts, with the same truck full of products. There wasn't much organization or sophistication to the job.