My name is Joe Herkowski, president of HSA Rep LLC, a manufacturers’ representative agency with offices in Chicago and Milwaukee. HSA is far from perfect, but like many of our peers, manufacturing partners and wholesale customers, we’re on a constant data journey.

Over the past five to 10 years, many in the rep community have evolved into a CRM-driven way of operating. The level of job tracking and pipeline management out there today is impressive. Several professional reps across the country have adopted a much more disciplined and intentional approach to their business using a CRM platform.

I look at firms like Joyce Agency, Davenport & Associates and PM & Associates, and I’m genuinely impressed by the level of detail they bring. And they’re not alone.

A reality check

At my final dinner at ASA this year, I sat with a group of peers and started asking a few questions:

How many of your wholesale partners are doing what we do with CRM?

Do they even have a CRM system in place?

How many actively track impact jobs the way we do?

Are they monitoring activity, opportunities or pipelines like many of us do with our sales teams?

The answer was consistent: not many. I have friends across different industries, and almost all of them operate inside some form of CRM.

Our experience with CRM

At our agency, we use Repfabric. Adoption hasn’t been perfect, but we keep pushing forward because I’ve seen what it can do. And to be clear, I don’t want our sales team to be buried in a computer all day entering notes. I bring this up because I know the first pushback is, “You just want to monitor me” or “This is just call reports.” Trust me, I’ve heard it.

But those notes matter. They help me as an owner. They help our manufacturing partners with forecasting. And they keep us focused on what actually drives the business. Finding the right balance of how much to track is a journey in itself.

The question I keep coming back to: Why is there so much talk about AI when large parts of the wholesale channel haven’t fully adopted CRM yet?

I’ve seen major investments in distribution centers, logistics software and facility expansion from many of our distribution partners. All of that is important.

But at the end of the day, what drives our businesses is revenue. And CRM plays a direct role in that. It creates accountability. It tracks what’s won and lost. It provides visibility into the pipeline. It protects the business long term by ensuring valuable information doesn’t walk out the door when someone leaves. And when done right, it improves the customer experience.

A message to wholesale partners

We’re a mid-sized rep agency, and even our funnel is substantial. I can only imagine what that would look like for wholesale partners who haven’t gone down the CRM path yet.

Even in a small sample size, I’ve seen how CRM improves communication across a sales team.

To our wholesale partners: many of your rep agencies are already working closely with manufacturers on impact projects. They’re tracking opportunities. They’re following up consistently. They’re improving close rates. That work happens every day, often with a high level of visibility and discipline.

I’ve walked into rep offices where large monitors display live pipelines, wins and losses, and activity across the entire company for all to see, driving the importance of the information.

I keep asking myself: With all the investment happening in distribution, why hasn’t wholesale more broadly embraced CRM?

Leaning on mfg. rep partners

Distributors sit on a massive amount of valuable data: transactions, quotes and customer activity. But turning that into insight takes more than storage. It takes structure. I asked a friend who owns an independent wholesale business about this. The answer was honest: “It’s just too big of a lift right now.”

Between inventory, warehouse systems, upgrades and expansion, adding a CRM that integrates within a distributor indeed would be a huge lift. As a small-business owner, I understand that. Resources are limited. Priorities have to be set.

But here’s my takeaway, and one I hear from many peers: Don’t be afraid to lean on your rep partners.

They want to work more closely with you. Both manufacturers’ reps and wholesalers invest heavily in quotation activity. Even starting with simple funnel tracking alongside your key rep partners can open your eyes to the level of detail already available.

Ask them what they’re tracking. Ask how they manage their pipeline. Ask what visibility they have into projects and opportunities. From my experience, I’ve seen firsthand the power of those conversations.

The rep community has evolved in a big way. After 25 years in business, it’s refreshing to see.

There’s real opportunity here to bring even more value to wholesale partners, especially as everyone continues to make tough decisions about where to invest their time and money.

A call to action

To our wholesale partners, as you continue investing in “dots on the map” — distribution centers, inventory, people and technology — keep this in mind: Across the country, there’s a strong community of reps ready to support your team with more strategic follow-up. Many are already working inside CRM systems, managing pipelines, tracking projects and staying close to opportunities.

That discipline can directly support your sales teams and help close more business. Many of these reps are ready and eager to meet.

After sitting through ASA and hearing all the conversations around AI, I came away with one simple thought: AI is exciting. It’s coming. It’s powerful. But if you don’t have a solid CRM foundation on your roadmap, you may be skipping a step. 

Joe Herkowski, CPMR, is the owner and business development professional with Herkowski Stickler & Associates and serves on the AIM/R board of directors.