In the last few years, a number of production companies have changed the way they sell their directors to advertising agencies. Some shops have opted to go the in-house rep route, while others have combined in-house and independents. Still others rely on independent companies for each region.
With a new decade—and a new millennium—fast approaching, SHOOT decided to canvass production company executives about what type of sales force they feel is best.
The execs were asked:
Why did you choose the type of representation, whether in-house or independent, that you have now?
Which type of sales representative is best suited to a production company: an independent firm for each region of the country, a single company that covers the entire U.S., in-house sales, or a hybrid combination?
Is the type of representation a production company chooses dependent on the number of directors represented by that company?
What are the benefits of in-house representation? Are there any drawbacks? What are the benefits and drawbacks of independent reps?
As we enter the new millennium, which type of sales team do you believe will be prevalent?
Here are their responses.
Julie Atherton
President/Executive Producer
Atherton
Bicoastal
Phillip Collins is our director of marketing. Phillip is an in-house rep and I chose him because as the company grew, I felt a need for a more cohesive and coordinated view and structure in our sales effort. Every company is different; each company has different needs and we all want something different from our sales team. Phillip and I are in New York, and we have Tracy Barnard and Carol Biedermann in the Midwest and on the West Coast. Both are independent reps with small client rosters. However, Phillip, by virtue of being on staff and director of marketing, makes the sales team work in a more focused way to better serve the needs of our company.
It is very important that one person in a company has an overview of the sales effort and is responsible for each part of that effort. Phillip has that overview and therefore frees up our executive producers to close jobs, and frees me up to run the company.
Smaller companies will obviously be more comfortable with independent rep firms. There are also some larger companies that have all independent reps. [The type of representation] depends on how many directors you have, how many offices you have, how you staff your company, et- cetera.
I think that after working with Phillip … it would be difficult for me to return to having all independent reps. … As our marketing director, Phillip’s only concern is with this company’s sales effort, and I have our reps in the other markets working on our behalf but bringing a different perspective to our directors’ careers. I think there are only benefits to in-house reps. I am completely sold on having this kind of representation. I think I have finally found the right combination.
As companies change to meet the needs of a fractious market, more and more companies will want to have a person or persons in-house to build their directors’ careers, understand the market and be as responsive as possible to whatever the market dictates on their directors’ behalf.
Robin Benson
Owner/Executive Producer
Villains
Bicoastal
The poor, misunderstood sales rep. The hardest working, most vilified, yet capable-of-making-millions, sales rep. I’ve noticed a certain trend with directors: If the director is working, it’s because of his talent; if he’s not, it’s because of the rep. But we executive producers know the truth. I know that we could not have built Villains without our reps (Carl Forsberg & Associates, New York, Novick & Associates, San Francisco; Marsha Icko & Associates, Chicago). Each understands how to develop a director’s career, and has been willing to invest the commitment in time and money to building those careers, and therefore the company.
Our approach is a hybrid one: Each of our sales teams also carries editorial and music companies, which I feel can only help the agencies and give all of us a different opportunity to be considered for the job. I have only one strict requirement for all of our reps, and that is that they be Y2K compliant.
Michael Bodnarchek
CEO/President
A Band Apart Commercials
Los Angeles
We have explored several types of representation at A Band Apart—in-house sales reps and regional and national independent repping firms—and it’s the latter that has proved to be the way to go for us. For a mid-sized roster such as A Band Apart’s, large repping firms provide the best exposure and board flow, and are capable of bringing in projects which smaller firms or in-house reps don’t have access to.
Usually, a company’s size determines what form of representation is most appropriate. If a production shop has a very extensive roster, in-house reps or a small outside repping firm can be effective. For a small- to medium-sized shop, large repping firms often provide needed reach to the agency community.
Regarding national repping firms with multiple offices versus regional, independent firms, what works the best depends on many factors. If a national firm has strong internal communications, it can develop a greater understanding of a company’s directors, their strengths and long-term goals. The overall effectiveness of such firms, however, depends on the qualifications of the reps in each market. If there is a weak link in the chain, a production company has no choice but to work with the system as it stands.
In-house sales reps have the opportunity to learn about a company and its directors in a way that no other rep can. They can observe firsthand a director’s strengths and growth areas. [This is] knowledge that can make them better able to determine which projects are appropriate for a director, and how to help a director grow. When in-house sales reps are at their best, they can provide invaluable help to executive producers. On the other hand, in-house reps often do not have as extensive relationships with advertising agencies as do outside reps. [The in-house reps] have less opportunity to develop these relationships by virtue of having only one company to market. They have less candy to persuade agencies to open their doors; fewer avenues to explore and capture the attention of agencies. In-house reps can also be less motivated, feeling more secure and stationary, and less focused on the sales aspects of their job.
As long as the commercial industry continues to operate as it has for the last decade, I don’t think that one form of representation will supplant the others. Commercial shops have divergent needs, and the success of their marketing efforts will be determined by choosing a repping situation that best matches their modus operandi.
Bill Bratkowski
Chairman
Coppos Films
Bicoastal
We have chosen both in-house and independent rep services to cover our national sales needs. Our biggest market is New York and the East Coast. We have in-house representation there because demand simply warrants it. In addition to full representation with Joanne Ferraro, head of national sales, we have Kira Gourguechon, an assistant rep on the East Coast. In the Midwest, we have Gay Guthrey. Gay covers all of the Midwest; Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Texas. … Gay also reps several other production companies and is not exclusive to us. In our backyard we have Vicky Miller on the West Coast. She currently handles Coppos Films only.
We prefer in-house representation, because we get the full dedication and day-to-day service that our directors need. All of our salespeople are in constant contact with our two offices and our directors. We feel very comfortable with this because they are an integral part of the company and have our total interests at heart. As we enter the new millennium, we feel that our needs are better served by having in-house reps where possible. It fills our requirements better and, simply put, we’ve always done business this way. For companies to do sales, [the ideal situation would be] in-house representation where possible, overseen by a head of sales.
Roberto Cecchini
Owner/CEO/president/
executive producer
The Artists Company,
The A& R Group
and Monkeyshine
Bicoastal/International
While there are two schools of thought, I feel that because we work so closely developing a specific career plan for each director, the company needs and continues to favor the single-minded involvement that comes with in-house reps that are exclusive to the company.
Lisa Cobb
President
Concrete Productions
Dallas
I have chosen my reps based mostly on my belief in the rep as a professional and as one who is going to care about my company’s directors. I have had a combination of in-house representation and independent representation in different regions, and both have worked well. It [all] depends on the region, the quality of reps available in that region and the comfort level one has with the other companies that rep is associated with. … It really comes down to ‘is this the right choice of person?’ I find it unlikely that one firm would have one individual in each region that I would find best suited to represent my directors. I understand the theory of one centrally orchestrated effort, but I think it probably works better in theory than in practice.
I believe this is true if the company has enough directors to justify and motivate an in-house rep. Most companies are of such a size that it is difficult to justify or afford an in-house person. Often it is the synergy of association with other companies that makes the rep more successful in terms of the directors he or she represents. This then makes the rep more effective for everyone.
The benefits of an in-house rep are simply that one has 100% of the rep’s focus on selling and building the careers of the directors at that company. That concentration is beneficial to a company and its directors, as it provides lots of feedback from agencies and a singular focus on the success of that company. The drawback is that agency creatives and producers will think of that rep for only one company, and not necessarily rely on that rep as a resource. That rep will concentrate more time on agencies that have work for the particular directors they rep, which will not necessarily broaden their reach.
As far as independent reps go, it is clear that the more directors one rep handles, the less focus there is on each director. Most independents address this problem by having associates to help them maintain their time commitments to the different companies they represent. … It is imperative that communication between the reps and the company is clear and constant, and it is up to the company to monitor that rep’s success in relation to the company’s goals.
I believe independent reps are thought of more often … as a resource to agency producers. The more established reps will want the challenge and diversity of handling different companies and types of directors, and will be motivated by this challenge. I think this often results in opportunities for a company and its directors it might not otherwise have had with an in-house rep. This, of course, has to be weighed against the singular focus the in-house rep provides, but I go back to the [onus] being on the production company to monitor the success of the rep, and to evaluate the relationship depending upon the accomplishments of its goals by that rep.
As we enter the new millennium, I believe the independent regional rep will continue to be the most prevalent. I feel it is most difficult for one [repping firm] to maintain relationships at the level at which they need to be maintained. Perhaps there will be more heads of sales positions within production companies. This person would orchestrate the sales effort and communicate with and manage the sales force in each region.
Steve Dickstein
President
Partizan Entertainment
Bicoastal/International
Although I am partial to staff reps, having worked in both scenarios in my career, I have come to the opinion that it’s about the individual rep and not necessarily the structure in which the rep works. There are reps who are more like telemarketing agents working for production companies, while there are good career managers working at repping firms and vice versa. The best reps can positively impact both the career of their charge and the outcome of the work they commission. Being sensitive to the creative needs of a job or the skill set of a director isn’t the domain of one structure or another. Making an impact on a director’s career requires an understanding of what a particular director might accomplish, what the potential of any specific job is even when it isn’t obvious on paper, and ultimately the ability to influence the thoughts about the work. By the numbers, this would be a more appropriate domain for in-house reps, but in reality, there are good and bad reps on both sides of the divide. There is certainly something to be said for the sheer clout a big repping company can have, within the marketplace, for information. However, information is actually not difficult to come by because of the liquid nature of the repping community. On the other side of the equation, there is little doubt that individual attention is preferable—although without marketplace muscle, the attention doesn’t necessarily translate [into work]. So it is up to the individual to make the difference in performance and in career and company management.
Colin Hickson
VP of Commercial Production
Propaganda Films
Bicoastal/International
In production it is common to refer to the process in child-rearing terms. " We’ve lived with this baby for the last eighteen months." "We’re handing this baby over to the director now." At the risk of straining this analogy further, sales would therefore become sex. And quite frankly, there are many similarities between sales and sex. There’s the romance, the courtship and finally the consummation—if you’re lucky. But even more salient here are those who talk about it a lot while not actually getting any; those who quietly get on with it; those who have taken it upon themselves to tell everyone how good they are at it and how everyone else should be doing it. Finally there are those who simply tease. But at the end of the day, we obsess about it, spend millions on it and everybody thinks everybody else is having a far better time of it than they are. Which is a long-winded way of saying that for each and every couple/company, there is a technique/model that suits it best.
Propaganda is built on dual platforms: the first being its directors, and the second being its in-house sales force. Both platforms are inextricably joined at the hip. The idea of making the sales function a tool of director career management is a legacy that continues at Propaganda. This idea is too vital a function to be left to an independent contractor. This legacy has surpassed some of the more overt sales techniques of the ’80s and ’90s, which are now seen by producers and creatives as outdated.
I can understand for financial reasons alone why smaller companies would be interested in independent representation, and I understand there are many good [independent reps] out there. … The involvement of reps in the production process, and the need to build a sales division, are an integral part of developing, shaping and informing the company as a whole. [This is what] prevents us from seeking independent representation. For me, it is a strange idea that the reps would be independent. What are they independent of? … However, I completely understand that for some, it is not a problem.
No one can claim to know exactly what the future holds (although anyone who has gotten on the phone to an agency business manager seems to be doing so). Speaking personally, I feel sales [in the future] will be about brands and insightful information.
Loretta Jeneski
Executive Producer
non•fic•tion spots
and longform
Santa Monica
A tried-and-true independent rep is still a good way to go for a company like non• fic•tion. As we move into the new millennium, we’re taking that traditional approach and combining it with backup from the Internet. We’re very specialized here. All of our directors are also working documentary filmmakers, so we count on smart reps that understand the marketplace and the directors. Reps who really know the people in their territories become a resource for agency folks. Flint & Sons in New York and Mary Ida Bonadio in Chicago are reps who have developed relationships and enjoy the respect of the agencies they deal with, and I appreciate my own company being represented in that way.
But more and more, I think you will find companies using technology to support their reps and their companies’ sales efforts. Developing a presence on the Web is one [way of supporting reps with technology]. Production companies and ad agencies are not yet really tapped into that resource, but they will become more so [in the future]. Non•fic•tion is developing a presence on a number of sites, and reps who have never met someone face-to-face can use the sites to "screen" spots in real time while they are on the phone with a producer. There’s still a personal connection—just not always in person anymore.
The Web adds an element of in-house representation to support the reps in their own territories. Reps and repping firms will continue to be important. We’re human; we crave a connection. But production companies will supplement those relationships as technology changes the day-to-day way we all do business—sending reels on DVD, screening spots by downloading them, and referring creatives to Web sites. Intelligent sales reps will continue to be assets to production companies, but some of the relationship-building will spring out of online exchanges rather than drinks after work.
Stelio Kitrilakis
Executive Producer
Pandemonium
San Francisco
I know that a lot of executive producers sign commission checks with shaking hands and bile-filled stomachs. I also know that certain directors resent that their profit participation is reduced by payments made to glorified gossip peddlers that don’t know the difference between an apple pie and an apple box.
As for me, I love signing those commission checks. My reps earn every dime I pay them. They’re smart, they work hard, they talk (and listen) to my directors and they know most of what’s going on in their territories.
The success that we are enjoying with our reps is due in part to several factors: All of our reps are independent; they have other clients that both complement our roster and add to the scope of the work that we see. AND they’re trying to build the careers of individual directors—NOT repping empires. [My reps and I] talk almost every day and actually strategize on nearly every lead. We respect the role that they play in the process. In turn, I think they understand and appreciate the skills of Pandemonium’s directors and the effort that we put into pursuing every lead that they bring to us.
So here it is, the magic solution: Work hard, focus and respect the process and those involved in it. Who knows, you may even learn to enjoy paying the people that do the work for you.
Dan Lundmark
Executive Producer
Manarchy Films
Chicago
We are repped by independent rep firms. The owners of these firms have better access to decisionmakers than to the level of in-house rep available to us. Each of our rep companies has an interesting mix of production companies that together present an array of solutions to agencies. There really is strength in numbers.
I think that an in-house rep with the same reputation and access as an independent rep is always preferable. Obviously he or she is focusing 100% on your directors. There are only a handful of companies with rosters that represent a high enough level to attract top reps as in-house. The number of directors a company has is much less important than the quality of those directors. A company with four $10,000 directors can probably attract a good in-house rep. A production company with eight $2,000 directors probably can’t.
Generally speaking, independent reps have a broad cross-section of production companies, with a music and post house thrown in for good measure. Agencies now expect to see a variety of solutions for their immediate or future production needs. An in-house rep gives his or her company more focus, but if the rep does not have the reputation that gives access to decision-makers, what good is that focus? I think the future of sales in our industry is very [dependent upon] the independent rep.
Billy Near
Executive Producer
Populuxe Pictures
New York
The Sales Rep Challenge: 3 Steps to Take When Your Company is an Unknown Start-up
Today’s production industry is filled with ambitious and talented production companies vying for attention in this competitive business. It’s a two-fold, unique challenge for boutique startups. First, where does an executive producer go when your company has zero name recognition? And second, how does that executive producer find the best representation with the best directorial roster?
It’s a steep climb, but it can be done. Consider these three approaches to successfully getting your foot in the sales rep company door. Knock on the Director’s Door With a Briefcase Full of Incentives. So you’re building a company from the ground up and need to attract the best directors who in turn attract the best sales reps. Remember, money isn’t the only incentive for snagging good filmmakers. Work to build a company around a small nucleus of talented directors, each with individual strengths in a company environment that supports each director collaboratively, and provides a high degree of creative resource and production expertise. This positive company vibe will attract creative people, both directors and sales representation.
Don’t Sign Just Anyone With a Camera and a Film Degree. A production company’s pool of directors, however large or small, must be good. Good sales representatives know a strong reel when they see one. When an executive producer is about to sign a director on the dotted line, remember the sales guys will be as deeply invested in this director as your company.
Offer to Wash the Rep’s Car and Paint Their House. Yes, it’s a joke. But truly, a bit of humility may be involved. Remember, your rep is your partner, and collaboration is key. Work with your sales team to collectively bring the right director to the right agency. The executive producer should work with and empower the sales rep as much as the sales rep collaborates with and empowers the executive producer.
An aside: It’s also critical for the sales rep to have an established relationship with producers on the agency side. The best reps are the ones a harried agency producer can call and ask, "Who do you think I should work with?" and get a fair response like "I don’t rep ’em, but here’s someone to call that can help you."
On the flip side, it’s important for the executive producer to focus on the rep firm’s approach and reputation. Double- and triple-check the sales rep’s references. Confirm that they are knowledgeable about the industry’s political landscape. Ensure that they know and have influence over ad agency decision-makers. Make sure their geographical coverage covers the three tiers of the production industry, from Manhattan to Chicago, to last and not least Toledo, Ohio. Moreover, the best sales rep firms always survive. The ones to court will have charisma, deep sales expertise, the ability to sell good rosters and finally, the ability to say no when a director simply isn’t appropriate for the business being pitched.
Billy Poveda
President
Oil Factory Films
Hollywood
I have made several attempts to enter the commercial marketplace. As my company is involved in music videos, I could not assume that our talent would naturally translate to the ad community. On two previous at-tempts I hired independent sales agents who specialized in specific territories. This proved to be ineffective for one key reason: As an independent rep, the economic rules of small businesses apply heavily. This means you need a biller [a company or director whom you can commission regularly]. Without a biller, a rep needs to seek new companies who will pay a retainer for their services. The servicing of this biller tends to take up a great deal of a rep’s time, as does finding new clients; hence, the energy and focus needed to develop a new company on an independent rep’s roster is limited. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I did not want a rep who was connected to a balance sheet.
Having failed with the independent salesperson, I decided I needed a stronger presence. I needed a company that knew what was happening in the marketplace and that had leads for the type of commercial work that was suited to my directors. I could find this in two ways: one, which was unacceptable to me, was to merge with an already established commercial company. The second was to be a part of a larger network of sale reps. This is what I found in CMP [bicoastal and Chicago]—a group of motivated professionals with two goals: to get the right boards for my director, and to leverage their collective roster to bring attention to my company. CMP has enabled me to survey the commercial landscape and target the agencies that are doing the creative work best suited for my directors. I never get a small-business mentality from my reps. I always feel that I am a part of the big picture.
I am a firm believer that communication among sales reps is important, particularly when dealing with a young company. All territories must talk to each other. In my case, I try to get on conference calls with my sales force to discuss director schedules, performance needs and sales strategies. I believe that by having all territories under one company, I can get the best communication flow.
The quantity of directors never was a factor in selecting a sales force. I am more concerned that my salespeople fully understand the quality of my directors and use that knowledge to play to their strengths. I have tried two of the three methods available for sales representation. The one that I have yet to experience is the in-house rep. I suspect that will be my next step, though not in the near future. My advice to new companies who wish to enter the commercial market is to go in strong. Of the two methods I have tried, I saw no benefits of having solo independent reps. If you choose solo independent representation, do not pay for it. Keep it strictly performance-based.
Sterling Ray
President
Atlas Pictures
Santa Monica
I have utilized both in-house reps and independent reps. The obvious advantage of an in-house rep is that the company, and its directors, are the rep’s number one priority. Most reps are smart and understand the subtleties of our business. They channel all their energy and information into one company, as opposed to three, four or five. I find a combination of in-house representation with regional sales assistants much more personalized and direct. Of course, all of this is dependent upon the number and type of directors as well as the number of billings coming through the front door. In order to maintain an in-house rep, the company must generate enough commission to satisfy and keep the rep from working with multiple production companies. The drawback of independent reps is that they have far more power and leverage than people might think. For instance, when an agency producer calls a rep and requests a comedy director, that rep may represent seven different comedy directors. He or she is not likely to send all seven. Instead, they will choose only two, possibly three. I can assure you that each of those seven directors would expect their reel to be the first submitted. Are the reps always open to which reels are submitted? You’ll have to ask them.
I believe that in-house representation with a strategically placed sales assistant is best suited to a production company. This will become more commonplace as we enter the new millennium. However, it will take time to get there. Smaller companies will need to dramatically increase billings in order to afford this type of strategy.
Michael Romersa
President/Owner
Stoney Road Productions
Santa Monica
The Budweiser salesman extols the virtue of his brand to the local tavern owner in an effort to convince the barkeeper to feature his beer on tap. He speaks of five generations of a tradition of quality brewing, passed down from fathers to sons. He emphasizes the freshness and goodness of his product and insists it’s the number one choice in America. When the proprietor declines, what does the sales guy do? Well, what he doesn’t do is reach into his bag for a Miller Genuine Draft hat and start talking about the Miller family. He might try to sell the tavern owner Michelob or Bud Light, but not MGD.
Competition among production companies can be just as intense as that between Anheuser-Busch and Miller, GM and Ford, etcetera. These types of companies spend a fortune to brand themselves by creating lasting images in an effort to separate them from the rest. We follow the same practice with our directors, sales and production staff.
I believe a sales staff should be part of the overall management team of a company. They should be responsible not only for sales, but for helping to create an image and mystique that sets the company apart from the competition. An independent rep service that represents competing production companies has conflicting objectives, [which makes it] impossible to focus exclusively on one company.
Production companies go through a never-ending cycle. I’d like to know that when my company is on a downside of a cycle, my management team (which should include sales reps) is there to help get us back on top. This is difficult for an independent rep service to do if my competitor, who is enjoying an up trend, is also one of their clients.
The independent rep services were originally created as a response to declining margins. This was attractive to production companies because it allowed them to maintain their high-caliber sales reps without the overhead, thereby reducing costs. Today, many independent rep services require hefty retainers or guaranteed draws with little relief in commission rates. In fact, some have begun to increase commission rates to cover soaring overhead costs.
I have had the pleasure of working with some of the all-time top reps in the business and have enormous respect for them. I understand the difficulty of their job and admire their efforts. While I’m all for the entrepreneurial spirit, I’m on a mission to create an exclusive, top-notch sales network to prepare my company for the changes in the new millennium.
Cami Taylor
Co-owner/executive producer
Crossroads Films,
X-Ray Films, X-1 Productions
Bicoastal and Chicago
Crossroads, X-Ray and X-1 Productions all began with in-house sales representation. Over the past three to four years, we have moved to an independent repping situation for each company—in some cases using the same reps we had in-house, and who have since become independent. … As happy as we currently are with the independent reps we have, we are constantly reviewing new structures that might include both in-house and repping services, or in-house reps for particular markets. I feel that the benefits of independent representation far outweigh the drawbacks, because of the particularly successful high-level independent reps we have in place. With an organizational and ethical repping service, your sales coverage, off-sell opportunities, and overall profile can only be enhanced. In the new millennium, [Crossroads, X-Ray and X1] will definitely maintain the current independent structure [in that area], but we will always continue to analyze sales, and specifically address escalating costs and need for continued growth.
Luke Thornton and Liz Silver
Executive Producers
The End
Bicoastal
In the last few years, several trends have emerged in the love/hate world of sales reps, agency producers and production companies. There is no one perfect model for a production company’s choice of independent versus in-house representation, but here are some questions that must be asked upon searching for and sustaining the best possible representation. First, consider the trade-off between board flow and in-house expertise. While an outside rep firm can boast strong agency relationships and high-profile companies, it may lack the intimate knowledge of its production company’s directors and production company branding strategy. Whether in-or out-house, any rep must deliver the right message to the right agency with the appropriate follow-through.
On the flip side, an in-house sales individual provides highly personalized service. This in-house rep has fire under his toes to succeed for the company. His or her day-to-day success is intimately linked to the success of the production company. Unfortunately, sometimes these individuals lack access to a broad range of boards and industry connections because independent rep firms have smaller staffs, and most seasoned reps have moved from the in-house side to collective agencies.
Second, what are your reps’ priorities? With an independent rep, an inherent danger lies between building a sales representative company’s reputation and the production company’s profile. As the independent representative becomes an increasingly potent resource for advertising agencies, the production company itself—the client—can get lost in the shuffle.
One potential solution to this issue: if your production company is focused on branding, work hard to educate your independent firm on each director’s individual set of strengths and on your company’s branding messages. Of course, in the busy and sometimes frenetic world of the production house industry, a smart sales rep firm will take an aggressive initiative to know its production house, with or without motivation from the executive producer.
Finally, watch the Internet. With the emergence of video streaming and shared Intranets, the gap between agencies and the production house will decrease. Think of the scenario: An agency producer needs a director with an expertise in shooting car spots. He goes online to the production company’s Web site, searches the site for "cars," and voila!—director profiles accompanied by downloadable reels are available. It’s critical that both production companies and reps adapt to this evolving Internet scenario.
What sales representation works for a production company today may not work tomorrow. A successful production company should always be decisive in how it is being sold, and should make strong changes when required.
Thom Tyson
Executive Producer
Plum Productions
Santa Monica
Sales representation has always been a balancing act of weighing the pluses and minuses of in-house, exclusive representation versus a national sales organization with dedicated sales agents. Ours is the latter, as we feel we are getting better quality attention and an overall marketing strategy for our particular brand of company. The benefits are market penetration, sales expertise and overall knowledge of what is going on in each market. The bottom line is that we are getting more value for our money with a well-established company with plenty of horsepower. The disadvantages can be internal conflicts and divided loyalties. It can and has happened, although rarely.
A successful company needs strong reels, brand identity, inventive and aggressive sales and competent, innovative production. The next millennium will require the sales team to find new markets to sell our creative services and, by doing so, help define the complexion of our directorial roster.
Steve Wax
President
Chelsea Pictures
Bicoastal/International
Chelsea Pictures chooses its representation based on several requirements. First, the sales representative in each territory must be smart, deeply knowledgeable of our industry, and firm but not pushy. Next, the sales rep will preferably boast a production company or agency background. Finally, we require sales reps to work in-house or virtually in-house—meaning they only represent our company, [and if they do represent other shops] they must be in completely different fields, such as music or animation.
I treasured Ray Lofaro, who invented out-house repping. However, like everything else Ray did—God rest his soul—he invented out-house to solve money problems. He passed on Propaganda because he wanted the freedom to take on other companies. This ranks with the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth so the Sox owner could mount a play on Broadway.
The only rep that makes sense in today’s business environment is an in-house rep. Out-house repping is just that: toilet repping. … Why? Out-house repping is two businesses, the rep’s and yours, trying to work together. When the rep’s business has its own strategy as well as a number of other clients with competitive strategies, it’s great for reps because they make more money, but it’s terrible for companies and directors because they become commodities. Out-house repping is an oxymoron—that is to say, you’re an oxygenated moron to consider the idea.
The type of representation a company chooses is not dependent on the number of directors at the company, but on their quality. There are many benefits to in-house repping, but the main perk is the full-time focus of someone who’s solely dedicated to your team. Ideally, this sales rep lives and dies for your success and sees the production company as non-expendable. I think the new millennium sales team will consist of staff reps.
