Winter 2025 – ERA XCOM Digest
Click on the “+” to expand each article.
Representor Winter 2025 - ERA XCOM Digest
Click on the “+” to expand each article.
By Ellen Coan, CPMR
Sound is a vibration of waves that travels through the air to reach our ears. All members of this Association are engineers either by degree or self-proclaimed by everyday onthe- job training. This science we have learned behind sound is critical to our success. As we sit together with our customers or at a table with our peers at the ERA National Conference in Austin, Texas, the size of the room, number of people and other factors affect our comprehension of the sound we hear. We call it listening.
As podcasts educate me through my windshield time in the Midwest between customers, I use the sound to push me toward skills I didn’t know I needed. I found a new, favorite TED talk (these are short and match my attention span) by Julian Treasure who expounded on sound and listening. There are filters we apply (unconsciously at times) through our culture, values, beliefs, attitudes and expectations. We have a listening position— is it critical or empathetic; active or passive; deductive or expansive? We can close our eyes and know the size of the room and number of people around you just by the patterns of sound. Your other senses take over and expand the experience. Some amusement park rides now offer 4D experiences. How developed are all our senses? Focusing on sound—you can hear a symphony of sounds, channels to be identified—they can also tell the story as you identify each one. They can become a hidden choir of the HVAC motor hum and the crashing of waves on the beach and the chatter of the TV and the rustling of trees and a baby’s breathing. How many can you identify?
Some of us choose to place headphones in our ears and create our own island of sound — a bubble that is hard to penetrate at times. We get distracted on so many levels and read every article we can to limit the distractions, but reality is here. The distractions come in sound bites as our world has become so loud that we are desensitized and need clues to understand the priority of the sound. We strive to listen to understand but sometimes the lecture—written, auditory or visual—is not a conversation. We walk into a customer meeting with a set of personal objectives and forget to ask the questions that can help us progress to the next meeting. The first meeting is appreciated, but the next meeting and beyond is golden.
A key comment from Julian Treasure was his request to teach listening as a skill in school—this would be amazing! Like math, we could expand on the skill as children grow toward contributing individuals in society. As we take the sound waves and convert them to meaningful expressions (or find the power of silence), we work towards understanding and respectful response, and our world becomes a community that works together with all its creativity and introspection. Together, we are better.
By John Hutson, CPMR
As we bid farewell to 2024, this time of year invites reflection. It’s both productive and rewarding to look back on the highs and lows of the past year and assess what can be improved—for our businesses and ourselves— in 2025. If you’re already contemplating areas of improvement, you’re in good company. Many ERA members are taking stock of the past year to position themselves for the future, and ERA continues to provide invaluable tools to help achieve those goals. Whether you’re a rep, manufacturer or distributor, ERA’s website, ERA.org, is an excellent starting point. There’s no better time to explore the resources available to maximize the value of your membership and gain a competitive edge in 2025.
The breadth and depth of information available on ERA’s website is remarkable. If you feel overwhelmed navigating the resources, ERA’s friendly staff is ready to assist you in identifying the tools that align with your needs.
Yes, you can still access the popular Lines Available section, take advantage of the improved geographic search with ERA’s HoverMap® and leverage the powerful ERA Search- Link.ai tool to discover customer contacts. But these are just a few highlights—there’s so much more to explore and utilize.
For instance, when was the last time you visited the “White Papers & Standards” section under “Publications?” This resource features industry best practices designed to enhance the rep-manufacturer-distributor relationship. These white papers, crafted by seasoned professionals, offer actionable insights that could make a meaningful difference for your business in the new year.
The “Resources” section is another treasure trove of information. It’s thoughtfully organized to provide strategic and tactical guidance, helping you prepare for 2025 and beyond. Whether you’re focusing on streamlining operations, improving collaboration or identifying new opportunities, you’re likely to find resources tailored to your goals.
Lastly, don’t miss the “Events” section. Here, you’ll find details about ERA’s many events, including our highly anticipated (and already sold-out!) annual ERA Conference. These events are intentionally diverse, offering content designed to benefit everyone: reps, manufacturers and distributors; executives, managers and employees; and new-career and veterans alike. They provide unparalleled opportunities for networking and collaboration, ensuring that all members can share ideas and strategies to thrive in our ever-evolving industry.
As we look ahead, I wish you a productive and prosperous new year. Thank you for being a valued member of ERA. I encourage you to visit ERA.org, explore the resources available and find the tools that will help you succeed in 2025. Let’s strive together to grow, adapt and excel as we navigate the year ahead.
By Ken Bellero
The fast-paced electronics industry demands innovative marketing approaches to stay competitive. Manufacturers and their representatives must embrace digital marketing to reach their audience, enhance brand visibility and drive sales. This overview outlines the key strategies for successful digital marketing in the electronics sector.
A compelling online presence is critical for attracting potential customers who research products online. Key steps include:
Having user-friendly websites: Ensure your site is visually appealing, easy to navigate, mobile-friendly and packed with resources like product specifications, whitepapers and datasheets.
Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your site with relevant keywords, meta tags and high-quality content to boost visibility in search engine results.
Next it is important to consider content marketing and thought leadership. In an industry driven by technical expertise, highvalue content can establish credibility and influence decision-making. This needs to include: Educational content: Share blogs, eBooks, webinars and videos addressing industry trends, challenges and solutions. Case studies and testimonials: Showcase customer success stories to highlight product applications and build trust.
Adding email marketing for B2B relationships is another important consideration. Email remains a powerful tool for engaging with prospects and customers in the B2B space. Suggestions include:
Segmentation: Tailor campaigns to specific audience needs for greater relevance and engagement.
Automation: Streamline email campaigns with automation tools to maintain consistent communication, including product updates and event invitations.
You will also need to include a wellthought- out social media engagement plan. Social media offers a platform for interaction, brand promotion and industry leadership.
For example:
Targeted advertising: Leverage precise targeting capabilities on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter to reach specific demographics and industries.
Community building: Share regular content, engage with industry discussions and respond to inquiries to foster relationships with customers and leads.
To ensure ongoing success with the program, analytics and continuous improvement must be reviewed and tailored. Ongoing analysis is essential for optimizing digital marketing efforts.
Key metrics: Monitor website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates and social media engagement to assess campaign performance.
Refinement: Use insights to adapt strategies, focusing resources on the most effective tactics.
In our current competitive climate and with many organizations struggling to consistently grow business within the electronics industry in the past year, it is my opinion that digital marketing is essential for manufacturers and representatives. It must be part of the overall strategy and can be instrumental in building a solid relationship between the manufacturer and its representative organizations. By building a robust online presence, delivering valuable content, leveraging email and social media and embracing data-driven improvements, companies can enhance visibility, cultivate customer relationships and drive growth in a competitive landscape. Staying current with digital trends and tools is vital for maintaining a competitive edge.
As always if you would like to reach out to me directly to discuss this topic or any others that are pertinent to our industry, please email me at: kenbellero@gmail.com or give me a call 732-910-1717 anytime.
By Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP
In the electronics industry, pressure to compete on cost is nothing new. However, today’s economic and political climate has heightened concerns that even more intense cost pressures may arise in 2025. Now is an ideal time to revisit a principle many of us already understand: focusing on value has been, and will continue to be, a more sustainable sales strategy.
To expand on this topic, I’m including the expertise of an industry veteran —Tim Jordan, regional sales manager at TDK-Lambda Americas, a global supplier of highly reliable power conversion products for industrial and medical equipment. For years, Tim has trained sales teams to adopt value-based selling as a strategic advantage. Together, we’ll break down the fundamentals of value-based selling and how it can help manufacturers’ representatives thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Value-based selling is a sales approach that emphasizes the unique benefits a product provides to the customer, rather than focusing solely on price. In the electronics industry— where competition is fierce, and many components are commoditized—this approach is essential. To succeed, salespeople must differentiate their offerings through features such as innovation, quality, reliability and service.
The foundation of value-based selling is understanding how the customer defines value. This begins with investing time and effort into an account long before a design is initiated. By pre-selling, you gain critical insights into your customer’s engineering and production needs. From there, you can dive deeper into their application to understand their specific challenges before proposing a solution.
Jordan highlights the importance of this approach: “We must adopt the mindset of the engineers, for example, and focus sharply on the unique problems they need to solve. With presale understanding of the key stakeholders and their priorities—whether it’s price, performance, reliability, long-term savings or support services—we can articulate the benefits that our solutions provide. We must define value early to continue the project engagement and become partners in their success.”
A value proposition is your sales strategy: a clear and compelling description of how your product solves the customer’s problems and meets their definition of value. To create an effective value proposition, you need to thoroughly understand your product’s technical design strengths and align them with the customer’s needs.
But value goes beyond technical specifications. Customers may also prioritize aspects such as reliability, product life cycles, pre- and post-sales support, faster lead times, customized solutions, warranties or inventory management.
Jordan underscores the importance of this continuing preparation: “As the engagement progresses, it is imperative to keep asking and listening. Programs evolve. This allows you to have appropriate facts and quantitative data at your fingertips. Don’t hesitate to bring in appropriate resources from the manufacturer— whether FAEs, engineers, quality teams, or executives—to demonstrate your ability to solve the customer’s challenge and be part of their solution.”
For salespeople transitioning to a valuebased strategy, the key is preparation. Start by thoroughly understanding how your product and manufacturer differentiate themselves from the competition. Then, craft a clear and compelling value proposition tailored to the customer’s specific needs. This approach may require more upfront effort, but it pays dividends by fostering longterm customer relationships. Value-based selling leads to better solutions, sustained success and stronger partnerships. Jordan adds: “Customer brand differentiation is critical. Your OEM customers need suppliers to provide solutions which positively support their brand differentiation. We need to challenge ourselves to continually research, qualify and then define how we can provide differentiated value to help them drive their brand. When successful, we become trusted advisors for future programs.”
Adopting a value-based selling approach doesn’t just benefit your customers—it enhances your value as a salesperson. By solving meaningful problems and building lasting partnerships, you position yourself as an invaluable resource to both your customers and your principals. In today’s challenging market, focusing on value is not just a strategy—it’s the key to staying relevant and thriving. Sounds like a win-win to me.
By Gary Zullo, ERA SVP of Distribution
It’s hard to believe we’re on the heels of another sold-out conference in Austin. Each year, we have a fair amount of “first timers” participating in the Conference, and I thought it would be timely to share a few tips on maximizing the experience.
• Prepare before you go. The event’s mission is education. The Conference is full of subject matter experts, whether it be outside speakers or members of the organization. Choose your breakout topics wisely and leverage topics you want to learn more about.
• Build your network. This is a great opportunity to formally deepen your network with suppliers, distributors and reps that share your line card.
• Be engaged; actively participate. The old saying “you get what you give” truly applies here. Be active in breakout sessions, both offering expertise, as well as asking questions. This is not the time to sit on your hands!
• Use social media strategically. It is a great opportunity to both brand the Conference and your business. It’s an opportunity to show our collective customer base what we’re doing to provide greater value and support. Conference attendance is a significant investment in both time and expense.
While the above tips may seem obvious to many, a simple reminder can help ensure we make this our most successful conference to date. I look forward to seeing everyone in February.
Thinking of Joining ERA?
If you are thinking about joining the hundreds of representatives, manufacturers and distributors in the electronics industry who benefit from their ERA membership, click here for more info!