Our Friends To
The North Worksheet #1
Choosing A Canadian Agent or Distributor
Your strategies for marketing
and selling your products or services in Canada may include contracting
with an agent or distributor. An agent or distributor will be the
person who Canadian customers identify with your product. Agreement
regarding these questions and any others you believe are important
to ensure a positive reputation for your product should be discussed
and agreed on with the agent or distributor before a contract is signed.
When considering an agent
or distributor, answer the following questions before signing the
contract:
1. Will the contractual
agreement fall under United States or Canadian jurisdiction?
2. Does the person present
themselves in a professional business manner?
3. What is the person's
philosophies on promotion and advertising?
4. Does he or she have
enough information (or is willing to learn) about your product or
service to represent it effectively to potential customers?
5. Does he or she represent
or conduct business with competitive firms?
6. Will he or she commit
to forwarding all inquiries and sales requests for your product that
come from outside of his or her designated territory?
7. What is the dispute
resolution process you will use? Is it documented in the contract?
For distributors who may
be providing customer service or support after the sale is made:
8. What is his or her policy
for responding to customer service requests?
9. What product support
is he or she qualified to provide to your Canadian customers?
