In the promotional products industry today, there are approximately 3,500 suppliers and  20,000 distributors.  There also are estimates of as many as 150,000 promotional products salespeople!  Despite comprising the largest constituency within the industry, it is the position of OOPPS that salespeople are not adequately represented.  As support for this view, individual salespeople are not permitted to become members of the national or any regional industry association – only distributor companies, suppliers and industry service providers can become members.  The mission of these associations is to work for and serve their members – which are, again, NOT the salespeople. 

Why is this?  It is due to the influence of distributors who have salespeople working for them as either employees or independent contractors.  Distributors rely on their salespeople to generate significant revenue for their companies.  They are afraid that if properly informed, their salespeople may leave them either to join a competitor or to start their own distributorship.  Unfortunately, by exerting their influence, distributors have discouraged, if not prevented, the promotional products industry from doing anything that might aid salespeople in any way.  Distributors have taken the position that all industry information should be funneled directly through them so that they, only if they are so inclined, may forward the information to their salespeople.  As a result, salespeople are often precluded from receiving relevant information about various aspects of the promotional products industry that is important for them to know.   

While this reaction by distributors is entirely understandable, their protectionist behavior in order to preserve their own pecuniary well-being is detrimental to their salespeople.  Moreover, the industry’s support of these distributors, at the expense of salespeople and the industry as a whole, is unfortunate and disappointing.      

And this is why the Organization of Promotional Products Salespeople has been established.  OOPPS wants to be the voice for the promotional products salesperson.  OOPPS wants to inform and empower promotional products salespeople.  OOPPS wants industry salespeople to have the information that will enable them to make decisions that they feel are in their best interests – decisions that will enhance their careers and their earning potential.