How to Select an Agent or a Distributor? Could you give me some tips?

Replying to [yufang]: First off Agent/Manufacturers Representative and Distributors serve two entirely different purposes.

In the first case you are probally looking for a Manufacturer's Representative instead of an agent as the Rep. gets paid a commison directly by the manufacturer to market their products in global markets to specific companies in need of your products or who buy similar products.

A distributor on the other hand really markets/advertises nothing as they have a client base readily established who source products from them nor do they promote the items. A distributor is an integral part in in supply chain management for established products as they maintain levels of inventory based on the sales of the particular product. Distributors are also very product specific. Also another kind of distributor can be a one that offers only product fulfillment services in that they provide storage for, pack, and ship your
product(s). Distributor services in any case require contracts for the services they provide.

Ranger

Quoting from [yufang]:



How to Select an Agent or a Distributor? Could you give me some tips?

 An agent is a middleman who usually serves as a representative of a supplier and identifies sells opportunities for a supplier. Agent do not own or take title of the products they sell. Distributors often take title and sell products on their account. Agents are usually compensated through commission while distributors using mark-up. Here are few of the many criteria’s to use when selecting agent or distributor  size of the firm, competing products, financial Strength, financial needs, existing business, degree of know how and  Facilities.