Your technical sales team in the Southeast.

Start with the form on our For Manufacturers page or call our Huntsville headquarters. Send a short overview: your products and what sets them apart, target applications and industries, current sales or customers in our territory, pricing structure, literature and demo equipment, and the coverage you are looking for. We will set up an introductory call, review fit with our line card and territory, and discuss whether a partnership makes sense for both sides.

We look for engineered test, measurement, process and control products that complement, rather than compete with, the lines we already carry and that sell to the engineers we already call on. We also look for responsive factory support, product and application training, useful literature and evaluation equipment, and a manufacturer committed to a fair written agreement and a long-term presence in the Southeast.

Vaughn’s full territory is Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., served through five sales areas from our Huntsville headquarters and Baton Rouge office. Many of our manufacturers use the full territory, while others assign a subset of states based on their existing channels. The territory for each line is defined in the written agreement.

Rep commissions are usually a percentage of the net invoice price of orders shipped into the rep’s territory, paid by the manufacturer, typically monthly after invoicing. There is no industry-standard rate, and MANA does not set one. For technical and industrial products, rates commonly fall somewhere around 5% to 15%, depending on order size, sales cycle, support required and whether the line is new to the territory. Vaughn works out terms with each manufacturer individually.

A solid agreement defines the territory and products, commission rate and payment timing, split commissions, any house accounts, order acceptance and pricing authority, each party’s responsibilities, indemnification, term and renewal, termination notice, and commissions owed on orders placed before termination. MANA recommends a balanced written agreement reviewed by an attorney who knows rep law, and many Southeastern states have statutes governing how and when rep commissions are paid.

Good onboarding treats the rep like a new sales team, not just a new product listing. Plan product and application training for the rep’s salespeople, walk through quoting, order entry, returns and escalation contacts, and agree on a few shared goals and target accounts. Joint calls with factory staff in the first months help the rep learn the line in real applications. Vaughn plans training and early joint calls as part of every new line launch.

Expect regular updates on significant opportunities, forecasts, quote activity, competitive intelligence and market feedback, plus periodic territory reviews. Guidance published by MANA suggests agreeing on a reporting cadence, often monthly, and a dollar threshold for which opportunities get reported, because every hour spent on reports is an hour not spent selling. Vaughn agrees on reporting format and frequency with each manufacturer at the start of the relationship.

Yes. Reps commonly staff regional trade shows, technical conferences and customer events for the manufacturers they represent, and they follow up on the leads collected there. A common practice described by MANA is that at in-territory shows the manufacturer covers exhibit costs while the rep covers its own travel and expenses. Vaughn discusses event plans with each manufacturer as part of territory planning.

Leads from your website, trade shows, advertising or factory calls go to the Vaughn salesperson who covers that location. Because each of our salespeople works a relatively small area, they can qualify a lead by phone or in person, learn the application and move it toward a quote. Share leads promptly and completely; local follow-up is what turns a marketing inquiry into an order.

A rep firm is a variable cost; a direct salesperson is a fixed one. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $104,920 for technical and scientific products sales representatives (May 2025), and benefits make up about 30% of private-industry compensation costs (June 2026). That puts pay and benefits near $150,000 per salesperson before travel, vehicles and technology. A rep firm’s commission is paid only when orders ship.

Often, if the product solves real problems for customers the rep already serves and fits alongside its other lines. Developing an unknown line takes significant time before commissions arrive, so the rep carries real risk. Manufacturers improve their chances with strong factory support, good demo equipment, realistic expectations about the sales cycle and, in some cases, a market development fee or higher startup commission during the launch.

Split commissions divide a single commission among reps when a sale involves more than one territory, such as equipment specified by engineers in one state, purchased in another and installed in a third. Industry guidance generally gives the largest share to the rep where the design or specification work happened. The split formula should be written into the rep agreement before orders arrive, so there are no disputes later.