The Role of a Rep: Know Your A's, B’s and C’s

By Dani Sheehan. 

Manufacturer’s representatives play a unique role in the roofing industry. Learn how one rep firm takes care of the Florida market.  

In the roofing industry, manufacturer’s representative groups help the world go round. Heidi J. Ellsworth recently caught up with Wayne Heironimus of Delta Rep Group to talk about his role as a manufacturer’s rep and how he helps take products to market. This is the first of a series of articles to discuss the importance of these companies in the industry and some of the hot products to look out for.  

Wayne is a managing partner of Delta Rep Group, working closely with his other two partners, Dawn Holsinger and Justin Burnham. Delta Rep Group covers the state of Florida and operates in both commercial and residential roofing, as well as within the building envelope arena. They represent several products, including, “USG Securock, that's a cover board, it enhances the performance of roofs, Hunter Panels, insulation, polyisocyanurate insulation, Progressive Material silicone coatings, Tarco self-adhered underlayments, Tubos pipe extensions and of course, Sika, which just recently acquired Master Builder Solutions, their adhesive and caulking line and other building envelope components.”  

Since manufacturer’s reps act as a second, or sometimes only, selling point for companies, they have to stand behind the products they represent as much as the manufacturer producing them. When asked about how they pick the manufacturers and products to represent in the industry, Wayne talks about a rule he calls the three A’s: Acceptability, Affordability and Availability. He explains, “[Florida has] some of the strictest building codes in the country. And acceptability in Florida is defined by being building code compliant... Availability is defined as having effective supply chains to get the product to the customer. And affordability, of course, is where the value exceeds the cost.”  

When it comes to affordability, Wayne continues, “A lot of that is the manufacturers' rep's responsibility to make people understand there is greater value even though the product might be a little more expensive.” Manufacturers reps are often the face of the product to the customer, and when it comes to selling, Wayne says it comes down to the three B’s. “You need to Be smart, Be brief and Be Gone.” During a sales call, Wayne recommends, “Bundling material solutions that leaves your message. When you go through the traditional method of listing what you rep, the message is lost. Understanding what your clients and customers really want is a solution provider. A trusted advisor that solves problems and makes things better. And that's our goal.” 

With over 125 roofing distributors in their territory, Wayne believes their most important role at Delta Rep Group is listening and understanding the customers’ needs. We are able to offer them the best products and systems from companies we stand behind, which improves customer satisfaction, and everyone wins. Don’t miss the next article in this series when we dive into the amazing products represented by Delta Rep Group and how they’re taking them to market.