November’s One-A-Day Q&A – Question #1

Q: When is it better to go to the manufacturer instead of an agent?

A: When it comes to utilizing an agent vs. just going to the manufacturer yourself, it really depends on you. If you can market yourself, this is one industry where you can fully market yourself, build your brand and develop your own company. There are industries, such as publishing, where you must, for example, as a children’s author, have a literary agent. Publishers literally will not talk to you without an agent, and that’s not true in licensing. If you’re doing art licensing and you’re contacting a manufacturer, it’s really up to you as to whether you do it yourself or go find an agent.

It has more to do with:

1. Who you are as a person.
2. How you want to spend your time.
3. How good you are at getting on the phone and talking with people and selling yourself
4. How organized you are
5. How you want to spend your time and money
6. How much money you want to make

There are a lot of different factors that would be involved in making the decision. Not everyone has the right personality, temperament or skill sets for sales.  However, no one will ever sell you as thoughtfully as you can sell yourself.