ERA Rep Membership Info

ERA Rep Membership

Get Real ~ Why the Best Reps in the Electronics Industry
Belong to ERA
Answering the “WHY?” Question

Ask any member of the 75-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) why his or her firm belongs, and the responses will vary as much as each individual company does. Just as each professional field sales (rep) firm covers various territories ... for thousands of manufacturers ... by selling their products to countless customers across all sectors of the electronics industry, the reasons for investing in ERA membership are many and far-ranging. Thank you for taking the time to read just some of those reasons.

EDUCATION
Continuing education is a primary focus of ERA. Some of the most valuable learning occurs on an informal, rep-to-rep basis among members, but organized activities and easily accessible resources, like the following, are also critical.

National Conference and Other Events ...
... for reps and manufacturers offer how-to and informational programs, workshops and networking focused on sales management, marketing and sales/industry trends.

Free Teleforums ...
... for rep and manufacturer personnel focus on sales strategies and relationship-building topics. They are conducted by ERA sales consultant and professional coach Nicki Weiss. One or more veteran reps or manufacturers also co-facilitates each session. Teleforums are conducted every other month (alternating with Webinars), and all registrants receive the audio files for future reference.

Webinars ...
... are interactive seminars that are also offered every other month. They cover a broad range of subjects targeted to rep firm and mannufacturer personnel. The member cost per connection is $65, and a single connection can be used by multiple attendees in one location. Audio and PowerPoint files from all ERA Webinars to date are available for purchase at just $20 per program.

ERA University ...
... provides member firm personnel, family members and others with hundreds of on-line business and personal development courses offered for only $79 per course (for 12 lessons or 24 hours of instruction).

CPMR and CSP Programs ...
... are the standards of rep professionalism. ERA members receive tuition discounts on both courses from the Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation (MRERF), which was founded by ERA in 1985 and now includes 30+ associations as sponsors.

The CPMR (Certified Professional Manufacturers’ Representatives) program, for rep firm owners/president/successors, runs one week a year for three years (every January at Arizona State University).

The CSP (Certified Professional Salesperson) program, for rep firm salespeople is a multi-day class conducted in various cities several times each year.

Chapter Programming and Activities ...
... are members’ local connection to their fellow reps in the same territory. The rep-specific educational and informational programming and events include: how-to seminars; presentations by leading manufacturers and customers; local trade show sponsorship; industry social events; scholarship programs; rep-to-rep exchanges; and outstanding networking opportunities.

The Representor Magazine ...
... is a quarterly periodical of 36-48 pages produced for reps and manufacturers. It is sent to all member reps and 3,000 manufacturers at no charge. The content covers: field sales processes; rep firm and sales management; marketing; rep-principal relationships; legal, tax, public relations, sales and technology advice columns; industry news; plus ERA chapter and marketing group news.

“Rep First” Best Practices ...
... are shared on a national and local level whenever ERA members come together. In addition, industry guidelines are available on the ERA Web site on becoming a rep, operating a rep council, requesting split commissions, reporting POS and forging shared investment plans (for missionary lines). Also available are summaries of rep commission protection laws in effect in most states.

Contract and Evaluation Guidelines ...
... are available on ERA’s Web site for agreements between: reps and manufacturers; stocking reps and manufacturers; reps and employees; reps and sub-reps. Also available are forms/guidelines for reps to evaluate prospective principals and for manufacturers to evaluate prospective reps.

Many Other Publications ...
... are also downloadable from the ERA Web site, including: a multi-year archive of all material from The Representor; resources describing why and how manufacturers benefit by selling through reps; reprints of industry publication articles; and a cost-of-sales spreadsheet (for manufacturers to compare rep versus direct costs).

NETWORKING
Many ERA members say their greatest membership ROI comes from networking with fellow reps and from building peer relationships, both in their own territories and across the globe. ERA supports and facilitates networking in a number of ways.

Locally, Nationally and Internationally ...
... reps network via chapter activities, their product marketing groups, conferences and other events as well as ERA's LinkedIn page. This is how many reps: find new lines and help principals find reps in other territories via referrals from/to fellow members; learn how their peers are solving current problems; share what technology, communications systems and software they use and why; and exchange industry information about trends, principals, customers and more.

Trade Show Activities ...
... including special Lines Available Bulletins, business center services, on-site meeting space and programs are hosted by ERA at major industry events.

MARKETING
To assist members with marketing their rep firms and their principals’ products, ERA offers a variety of resources, tools and programs.

The Locator ...
... is a free on-line directory of ERA member reps, available 24-7 to manufacturers worldwide. The Locator offers detailed search capability and data about each rep firm, including product specialization, personnel, branch offices and optional services.

Lines Available ...
...is an instant e-mail bulletin sent to ERA members to alert them to manufacturers seeking representation in the rep’s respective territory. All current Lines Available listings are also always available to members in a searchable database on ERA’s Web site.

Global Exposure ...
... for ERA members to international manufacturers is provided via the Locator, The Representor and Trade Show Activities, including at Electronica, the world’s largest electronics trade show, held every other year in Munich, Germany.

DTAM (Distribution Total Available Market) Reports ...
... are developed annually by several ERA chapters for their territories. Now in development is a DTAM data collection and reporting project for all of North America.

MANAGEMENT
In addition to the already-noted Locator, Lines Available service, “Rep First Best Practices, Contract Clauses and Guidelines, Many Other Publications and DTAM Reports, ERA provides members with these management tools.

Expert Access (Free Phone Consulting) ...
... for legal, tax, professional field sales and insurance advice is available to members at any time from ERA’s team of rep-savvy consultants.

Legislation Updates ...
... are sent to rep and manufacturer members every week through ERA’s membership in the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC). The bulletins explain the implications for small businesses of all pending or recently-enacted federal legislation.

Confidential Matchmaking Service ...
... allows members who wish to buy, sell or merge a rep firm, find a sub-rep or form an alliance with other reps (within or beyond their territories) to advertise to fellow members via free, targeted e-mails.

Customized Survey Service ...
... provides members with the ability to easily create, transmit and tabulate Web-based surveys of customers, principals, distributors and/or employees.

ADVOCATING FOR THE REP PROFESSION
Some reps feel networking brings them the greatest value for their ERA dues. Others firmly believe in belonging to the only electronics industry organization that speaks and acts on behalf of their profession. ERA advocates for professional reps through The Representor and the previously described Contract Clauses and Guidelines, Many Other Publications and Trade Show Activities.
ERA is also engaged in these activities:

Advancing and Protecting the Rep Profession ...
... is ERA’s most important mission. With the Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation (MRERF), which ERA established 25 years ago, and the 30+ associations that are now its members, ERA is continuously supporting the rep profession by: providing articles to industry periodicals about the value of reps to both manufacturers and customers; producing tools reps can use with manufacturers weighing the rep-versus-direct question; interceding when customers pressure manufacturers to bypass their reps; supporting academic research and working with university business school and marketing department faculties and students to expand their knowledge of outsourced field sales.

Monitoring of and Lobbying for State Rep Laws ...
... is conducted in cooperation with other rep associations. Passing and/or updating state laws to protect rep commissions are an ongoing focus. (Summaries of ALL current state laws are available on the ERA Web site [pdf].)

PURCHASING
ERA delivers discounts to members on a wide array of business products and services, including Webinars, ERA University, the CPMR and CSP programs and ERA’s survey service. Many other discounts are also available, including from both rep-specific and general business suppliers.

Insurance Programs ...
... offered at ERA-discounted rates are available for life, long-term disability and accident plans as well as identity theft protection and business owners’ (property and professional liability) coverage. Expert consultants also assist ERA members with finding the best possible rates for group medical coverage.

Other Discounts for Members ...
... are provided by rep-specific software and service providers (i.e., Empowering Systems, MRSware and RPMS) as well as general business service providers (i.e., Avis, Enterprise and Hertz Car Rental, FedEx Shipping and FedEx Office, Office Depot and Pennywise Office Products).

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