Manufacturer Sales Representatives: A Complete Guide for Security Teams

They’re not your average sales reps. They’re better. 

Manufacturer sales representatives come with a variety of titles – manufacturer sales agents, third-party sales reps, security rep firms, etc. They often work as part of an outsourced sales firm – hired by a product manufacturer – to help scale, build relationships, and sell products within specific territories. They bring a deep understanding of various security technologies, tailored training, and expert management. 

Additionally, these third-party sales teams assist manufacturers in sourcing new leads and opportunities, booking qualified meetings, growing pipelines, and closing deals. Essentially, they become the sales arm of the manufacturer.

All well and good, right? But you’re probably thinking at this point, “What’s in it for me, the end user?” Buckle up! We’re about to find out!

In this Guide

• What is Sales Outsourcing (and Why Should I Care)? 
• The Key Benefits of Sales Outsourcing for Manufacturers
• Should I Buy Directly from the Manufacturer or a Sales Rep?
• The Benefits of Manufacturer Sales Reps for Security Teams
• Building a Complete Security System
• What Technology Can I Buy from a Manufacturer Sales Rep?

What is Sales Outsourcing (and Why Should I Care)? 

As described earlier, manufacturer sales reps are contracted by manufacturers to help equip end users with the best products on the market. Often, this is also referred to as sales outsourcing.

Sales outsourcing is the practice of manufacturers hiring an external company or agency to handle various aspects of the sales process. These tasks can include lead generation, sales prospecting, closing deals and managing customer relationships. While sales outsourcing benefits the third-party sales rep by giving them new products to sell, there are huge advantages for the manufacturer, too. 

The Key Benefits of Sales Outsourcing for Manufacturers

Outsourced sales providers help technology, industrial and security manufacturers drive revenue in several ways.

1. Access a Wider Customer Base: Security resellers cultivate and maintain close relationships with end users, integrators and consultants. 
2. Scalability: Manufacturers can scale their brand and products regionally without an extensive hiring process and expensive employees.
3. Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing can be more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house sales team, as it eliminates the need for salaries, benefits, and other overhead costs associated with full-time employees. Security rep firms work on 100% commission. 
4. Industry Experience: Sales rep firms often have experienced sales professionals with a deep understanding of different markets and industries, which can lead to more effective sales strategies and higher conversion rates.
5. Focus on What You Do Best: By outsourcing sales functions, manufacturers can focus on the key aspects to your business and product lines.
6. Advanced Sales Tools and Technologies: It takes an enormous amount of time and capital to hire, train, and maintain a sales team. The amount of workplace turnover also makes it risky to go through this process only to see an employee leave within a year. Security manufacturers reps take these burdens off your plate. Instead, rep firms invest in the people, process, tools and technologies to track performance, manage customer relationships and analyze sales data. 

As you will see, security manufacturers aren’t the only ones reaping the rewards of using third-party sales teams. You will, too!

The Benefits of Manufacturer Sales Reps for Security Teams

When it comes to sourcing security solutions, third-party sales reps offer many unique advantages over purchasing directly from manufacturers. Below are five benefits security teams experience.

1. Expertise: Sales reps have broader knowledge of various products from multiple manufacturers, giving them the ability to recommend the best solutions for your specific needs.
2. Variety of Solutions: A wider range of products are offered from different manufacturers, giving security teams more options to choose from. These may include bundled solutions.
3. Customer Support and Service: Reps often provide dedicated customer support, including installation, training and troubleshooting.
4. Local Presence: Most often, manufacturer reps are based regionally and have a local presence. Because of this, their relationships in the community are stronger. 
5. Personalized Attention: More personalized attention, a better understanding of the local market and offer advice for industry-specific security challenges.

Whether building a security system from scratch or updating an existing solution, you can work more efficiently and stay on budget with an expert manufacturer representative. 

Building a Complete Security Solution 

Manufacturer reps and manufacturers each help connect users with the latest technology. However, there is a clear difference between the scope of help each provides. 

So which is better? Should you purchase directly from a manufacturer or use a sales rep? 

Third-party sales teams, like Security Reps, offer both detailed information about specific products you’re interested in as well as insight into how that product can function within your broader security network. They provide a complete vision of the technology and how it could fit into the broader scope.

For example, if you want to understand the best type of networking cable for your access control system as well as how to properly mount your new outdoor surveillance cameras, a security rep firm is more equipped to help solve all your security problems. 

What Technology Can I Buy from a Third-Party Sales Rep?

The key benefit of working with a manufacturer sales rep instead of the manufacturer is the ability to build an entire security ecosystem. 

For example, let’s say you manage security for a prison, and you’ve been tasked to install video surveillance and ensure your current entry access system exceeds industry standards. To properly assess the best security solution, you’d have to contact multiple manufacturers for each product. This would waste valuable time.

With a manufacturer sales rep, you save time and the expense of having your team conduct research. Sales reps give you a single point of contact to properly scope the right hardware you’ll need. 

Create the Perfect Security System

As you’ll see below, Security Reps offers expert knowledge on a wide range of products. These include: 

• Entry access systems: Also referred to as access control systems, these solutions secure buildings, offices, parking garages, gates and more from outside threats. Entry access systems are used by IT and security teams to keep track of the ingress and egress of a specific space. Employees and visitors use plastic key cards, key fobs, or digital credentials stored on their smartphones to enter. The credential sends an electronic signal to a door reader, which in turn, transmits the signal to a controller. The controller verifies whether the credential has sufficient permissions for access. 

There are two primary types of entry access systems: cloud-based access control and on-premises access control. Security Reps can help you learn more about which one is right for you. 

• Surveillance: Surveillance systems, or CCTV, are used everywhere from casinos to healthcare facilities. They offer video to security teams, alerting them of intrusion, foul play, or other unwanted activity. 

In addition to where your security cameras will be installed, there are two considerations when choosing a surveillance product: the type of cameras and dashboard features necessary. 

Cameras to consider are dome cameras, bullet cameras, PTZ cameras, and turret cameras. Manufacturer sales reps can provide you with a detailed assessment of which is best for your needs. 

Selecting the right video management or surveillance system will save you time and make monitoring your security more efficient. A reliable system is well worth the cost should crime ever occur. 

• Mounting: So you’ve got your video surveillance and your key entry system. But your door readers and dome cameras aren’t going to stay up by themselves. This is where mounting comes in. 

Properly mounting your security hardware is just as important as the tools themselves. Occasionally, a camera will be obstructed by a wall or pillar. Skip the hassle. Whether you need mounting poles, ceiling mounts, or mounting poles, make sure you’re getting the surveillance coverage you need.  

• Networking and Infrastructure– Ok – you’ve got your entry access system and video cameras mounted just right. Now we must be ready to flip the switch and see what your new system can do, right? 

Not quite. 

Do a quick Google search and you’ll find nightmare wiring jobs – we’re talking nests of CAT-6 wires shoved into cable boxes. Terrible wiring jobs set companies back weeks and negatively impact bottom lines. 

Manufacturer sales reps will work with you to make sure you get the right wiring and team for the installation. 

• Artificial Intelligence– Though most of the security industry is still getting acquainted with the benefits of AI, manufacturer sales firms can help you select the most reputable products and get you the information you need. 

AI-driven systems can identify vulnerabilities, monitor network traffic in real-time, and reduce false positives, enabling teams to focus on critical issues and enhance overall cybersecurity posture. However, as the technology is still young, having a knowledgeable partner to guide you through the decision-making process is crucial. 

• Communications- Improving security happens by gaining the right information at the right time. In addition to cameras, audio devices greatly enhance security. Whether standalone or integrated with building security or corporate telephony systems, audio solutions add an intelligent layer to your organization’s infrastructure. Manufacturer sales reps can assist in selecting the right audio setup, ensuring seamless integration, and optimal performance.

• Computer Processing- On-premises access control and video management depends on computer processing power. We’ve built relationships with some of the best computer processing manufacturers in the industry. Learn how Security Reps makes getting the processing you need for your security easy. Designed for 24/7 high-performance surveillance and security operations, our purpose-built systems boast an average delivery time of eight days. 

It’s a Win-Win: Who Benefits from Outsourcing Security Sales?

At Security Reps, we want our customers to be 100% satisfied with their purchase from beginning to end. To accomplish this, we’re very selective of the manufacturers we work with. 

We only sell products from manufacturers we truly believe in, guaranteeing you get the best quality products and the most extensive industry knowledge.  

Learn how we’ve helped industries including:

• Casinos
• Utilities
• Jails
• Transportation
• Manufacturing
• Higher Ed and K-12 Schools
• Healthcare
• Stadiums
• Entertainment Parks

Ready to strengthen your security systems? Security Reps will connect you with the perfect solutions for your needs. Contact us to learn more!