Daniel Sachs
Owner
West Coast Branded Solutions
He got his first break at supplier Castelli Diaries where he spent two years as a sales executive right out of college, and then at supplier Prime Resources/VisionUSA/Graphic Vinyl where he was senior regional sales manager for almost four years. Those experiences proved the right mix to take the next leap.
In 2003 he launched Global Product Source LLC, a multi-line rep agency, which he still operates as West Coast Branded Solutions, with a team of four marketing specialists.
Over the past 10 years, Sachs has established a solid reputation among the suppliers he represents and distributor clients alike. One of his eight nominators, Les Dorfman, executive vice president at supplier High Caliber Line, says, “I have been working with multi-line reps for close to 30 years and I have never met a MLR who treats each line like he is a factory rep. Daniel follows up on everything from a quote to once it becomes an order. He’s a great communicator as well as a good listener. He’s always thinking out of the box and is always selling.”
Nominator Craig Hughes at distributor Geiger likes the way Sachs handles preparation on the front end. “He always comes to our meetings with a plan and totally prepared with all materials and samples to make a great presentation,” he says.
Nominator Jim Conway at distributor American Solutions For Business is keen on Sachs’s strong follow-up skills. “Daniel is the best at communication back to his factories with whatever we discuss after a meeting. If we asked for samples or marketing materials, he sends communication the same or next day to his factories.” That way, he says, when the samples arrive, what they discussed is still fresh on their minds regarding the product and the end-user solution.
One On One With Daniel Sachs
On the difficulties he faces as a rep: Each supplier handles our communication and needs differently, making it challenging at times. Having strong communication is a must have.
On maintaining exclusivity of his lines: We try to minimize the amount of like product categories, but there are some categories where it’s almost impossible to do so. We’ve done a good job of partnering with suppliers that are leaders in their category—who own their market. Our presentation is less about product, and more about telling a story. We give distributors a reason to partner with us.
On how industry acquisitions are affecting the future of multi-line reps: For us, our suppliers have been the ones acquiring companies, so it’s been a positive thing. Acquisitions give us more tools in our tool chest, and always turn into increased sales. We remain relevant by watching retail and industry trends, and capitalizing on those trends.
On how his clients can help him do a better job: Pay attention to what we say, as we have knowledge that can directly affect distributors’ sales growth. We are the eyes and ears in the industry, having access to both suppliers and distributor trends—we know what’s hot, and what’s not.
Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB.
