Working with Independent Sales Reps

We get a lot of questions about finding and partnering with the right ISRs (independent sales reps).  George Krall, National Sales Manager for Regal Lager/Baby Bjorn, a distributor for the juvenile products industry, has written a great article on what’s involved in a strong working relationship with an ISR (posted in Baby Shop Magazine).  You can quickly refresh yourself or learn about your responsibilities and those of the rep, and what are the most important elements in creating a successful sales team for your product.  It’s not surprising that Mr. Krall finds that "the key factor in the success of a company/rep relationship is founded in the selection process".  Why would you ever entrust the sales of your product or the production of your product to people or companies that you haven’t thoroughly investigated and believe to be the right provider of each?