Have we become so focused on protecting established relationships that we’ve forgotten what selling is actually about?

After nearly three decades in the electrical industry, I’ve seen tremendous changes in technology, products, pricing, and the way customers purchase materials. Yet one thing that seems remarkably resistant to change is the attitude toward competition within our own industry.

Recently, we approached a manufacturer’s representative looking for replacement lighting components for a customer’s existing installation. We had the manufacturer, exact part numbers, and a legitimate customer requirement. It was a straightforward sales opportunity.

Instead of receiving a quotation, asking more about our company, we were twice directed to purchase through another electrical wholesaler.

Please send a request to one of the following distributors.

Bartle and Gibson
BJ Electric
City Electric
EB Horsman
Eecol
EWEL
Gescan
Graybar
Guillevin
Nedco
Wesco

When we asked why our company couldn’t purchase directly, we were told we were considered a competitor because we carried lighting products from manufacturers they represented.

Think about that for a moment.

We’re an electrical distributor. Selling products from multiple manufacturers is precisely what electrical distributors do. Many of the wholesalers already approved to purchase from that representative also carry competing lighting products.

So why would one distributor be considered a customer while another is considered a competitor?

That question points to something I’ve noticed repeatedly throughout my career.

When Did Selling Become Gatekeeping?

Manufacturers invest significant resources into developing products, supporting their brands, and appointing representatives to grow their market presence.

A manufacturer’s representative should be actively identifying opportunities, developing relationships, researching new markets, and helping customers find solutions.

Yet too often, the response to a new opportunity seems to be finding a reason not to pursue it.

Rather than asking, “How can we earn this business?” the question becomes, “Are you on our approved list?”

Rather than exploring a potential new customer relationship, the easiest answer is to redirect the inquiry somewhere else.

I recognize that distribution agreements, territorial arrangements, and established channel relationships serve legitimate business purposes. But those arrangements shouldn’t become an excuse to stop looking for opportunities.

Competition Should Create Opportunity, Not Fear

The electrical industry is built on competition.

Distributors compete on pricing, inventory availability, technical expertise, customer service, and their ability to solve problems.

Manufacturers compete through innovation, product quality, reliability, and value.

And manufacturers’ representatives should compete through their knowledge, relationships, responsiveness, and ability to generate sales.

Competition is not something the industry should be trying to avoid. It’s what pushes businesses to improve.

If a distributor approaches a manufacturer’s representative with a legitimate customer requirement, that inquiry represents demand for the manufacturer’s product.

Surely that deserves more consideration than simply deciding the distributor isn’t on the right list.

The Cost of Complacency

Every missed inquiry represents more than a potentially lost order.

It may represent a new customer relationship, a future project, an opportunity to introduce additional products, or valuable information about demand in the marketplace.

A distributor asking for replacement components today could be sourcing an entire lighting project tomorrow.

But that opportunity disappears when nobody takes the time to investigate it.

I’ve always believed that successful salespeople create opportunities rather than wait for them to arrive.

That requires effort. It means researching customers, understanding their businesses, identifying unmet needs, and sometimes challenging the way things have always been done.

It’s much easier to maintain existing accounts than to develop new ones.

But maintaining relationships and growing a market are two very different responsibilities.

Manufacturers Should Be Asking More Questions

If I were a manufacturer appointing representatives to develop my business, I would want to know:

• How many new distribution opportunities are being pursued?
• How many legitimate sales inquiries are being declined, and why?
• Are representatives actively developing the market or simply servicing established accounts?
• Are distribution policies helping customers access our products or unnecessarily creating obstacles?

These are important questions because a manufacturer’s success ultimately depends on getting its products into the hands of customers who need them.

A distribution network should facilitate that process, not make it unnecessarily difficult.

It’s Time to Bring Selling Back Into Sales

I’m not suggesting every manufacturer should sell to every distributor, or that established distribution agreements have no value.

I’m suggesting we need to remember why these relationships exist in the first place.

The purpose of sales is to create business, build relationships, solve customer problems, and generate value for everyone involved.

The electrical industry doesn’t need fewer competitors. It needs more people willing to compete, innovate, research opportunities, and earn the business.

After all, when a customer needs a product and someone is ready to purchase it, shouldn’t our first instinct be to find a way to help?

The greatest threat to growth isn’t always the competition across the street. Sometimes it’s the complacency within our own industry.

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Dave Hinbest
Independent Canadian Electrical Distributor