Independent manufacturer's reps have fallen out of fashion as companies build internal sales teams instead, but for the right product category, they remain one of the most capital-efficient ways to build geographic sales coverage fast. I've used rep networks to enter regions where hiring a full-time salesperson wouldn't have been justified by the near-term revenue.
Commission Structure Determines Everything
Reps work on commission, which means the cost scales with revenue rather than existing as fixed overhead before you've made a single sale in a new territory. That's the appeal. The risk is that a rep who carries multiple lines will naturally prioritize whichever line pays the best commission or moves the fastest with the least effort, and if your product isn't near the top of that list, it gets a fraction of their real attention no matter what the contract says.
I structure commission at a level that keeps my line competitive against whatever else is in a given rep's bag, and I check in on what else they're carrying before signing, because a rep whose other lines directly compete with mine is a conflict I want to know about upfront, not discover in a lost account six months later.
Manage the Network Like a Sales Team, Not a Vendor List
The mistake I see most is treating reps as a set-and-forget channel. I review performance by territory quarterly, cut underperforming reps promptly, and give the strong ones more territory and better terms. Reps who know they're being actively managed, not just paid on autopilot, perform differently than ones who've been left alone for years.
A well-run rep network is sales infrastructure you don't have to build, train, or carry on payroll. Manage it with that level of intention, and it scales distribution faster than most internal hiring plans could.