Outdoor Retailer - December 2020 - 70

#replife: w/Dave Egan

Community
Endeavor

BORN INWESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, DAVE EGANTOOKAN INTEREST
in backpacking at a young age. He discovered skiing via a friend at age 12
and broke his first pair of skis on his first day skiing (his mom replaced
them but made it clear he'd be on his own going forward). In the early
1990s, Egan was working in a completely different field when he was
given the opportunity to rep Prijon Kayaks. Once he got started, Egan
never looked back. He's now been in the industry for 28 years and runs
Perpetual Motion NW, sharing the stoke along with six team members.
What are the biggest challenges reps are facing during the pandemic? How are you overcoming those challenges?
The obvious loss of face-to-face time with dealers. This makes it harder
for us to listen to them and observe their business, traffic, merchandising, and customer behavior. Yes, there are dealers who are open to seeing
reps, but we need to exercise extreme caution when making a visit. Our
respect for the health of others needs to be front of mind.
What advice do you have for reps new to the work on how to handle
pandemic-related issues?
Respect and listen. Dealers, reps, and vendors all have different perspectives on the current conditions. Thoughtful reps will connect and find
the best options to support their dealers and agree on an action plan. Let
your dealers know you are there to help, not get in the way.
What's the most fulfilling thing about being a rep?
Community. This industry is an amazing group of people. It is a privilege
to have the opportunity to learn from others, and I enjoy sharing the
excitement about the activities we all love and have the opportunity to
advocate for the outdoors.
What can reps do to create better relationships with the retailers
with whom they work?
Listen, be honest, and follow through. We essentially work for the dealers-that is how we are compensated. The dealer's business health is the
only path for a rep's success.

70 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ December 2020

AGENCY: Perpetual Motion NW
HOME BASE: Fall City,
Washington
BRANDS HE REPS: Altra, Feetures,
Gregory, Korkers, Meridian Line,
Sterling Rope, Sealskinz

How do you live the brands you rep?
Playing hard in the gear we rep is the enjoyably selfish part of our work.
That, in turn, gives us the opportunity to take that experience into our
conversations with others. Experiencing the outdoors is the goal, and
yes, it does help to sell more stuff. But the underlying motivation for me
is to increase the number of people who recreate-to have more voices
protecting the places where we love to play. Most recently, I was dry-tool
climbing on Sterling ropes, waiting for ice to form! Hauling my gear
comfortably with the Gregory Alpinisto.
When did you start your own agency? Why?
I started an " agency " around 1995 when it became too much for me to
manage on my own. Building an agency allowed me to surround myself
with smart and talented co-workers to offer best-in-class service and
support for our retailers and vendors. As my team continues to raise the
bar in data management, virtual training, and dealer and vendor support, I keep my rep hat on while attending to the general management
responsibilities. All the members of my agency have an equal voice in
process and business growth, and each offers individual skills and talent to create a very cohesive team. Twelve years ago, I saw the need to
collect and manage data, both from the vendor and, more importantly,
the retailer, and have continued to invest in this portion of our business.
Data is not the only driver, but a clear understanding of the numbers,
combined with facts, gives us great insight for planning.
What is a notable change related to outdoor retail rep work you've
experienced in the time you've done this?
How fast we all expect a response. Sometimes I miss the simple, slower
days of a clipboard, calling card, and sleeping in the back of my truck.
Sometimes the frenzy of urgency is laughable. We sell " stuff " for fun!
Yes, it is a business, and getting people outside to enjoy themselves is
important. But, in general, responding to an email within five minutes is
not saving lives. O.R.

Photo courtesy Dave Egan

Longtime industry rep Dave Egan has succeeded
by listening and building up the people with
whom he works. By Cameron Martindell

What can retailers do better to
get the most from their reps?
Recognize that the rep's goal is
for the dealer to succeed. It's really helpful when the dealer trusts
their reps and is willing to share information like sales data, goals of
the shop, as well as successes and
challenges. It's also great when
dealers are willing to provide any
kind of feedback-that helps the
rep fine-tune their business plan
for each individual dealer.

https://perpetualmotionnw.com/

Outdoor Retailer - December 2020

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