Both sell your goods, but the business model, the risks and the control are entirely different. The wrong choice only becomes clear a year later.
A distributor buys the goods in their own name and resells them at their own margin: their customer is theirs, not the end buyer. An agent brokers transactions for a commission, but the contract and the invoice are between you and the end customer.
The distributor takes on the inventory risk and the credit risk; the agent does not. In return, the distributor controls the market and the customer relationships, and you see them only through their lens.
A distributor is a good fit when the product needs a warehouse, quick availability and local service: furniture, building materials, consumer goods. An agent suits project-based and technical sales, where there are fewer transactions and every customer wants to talk to the manufacturer directly: machinery, subcontracting, custom orders.
In negotiations, watch out for exclusivity: do not grant sole rights to the entire USA before the partner has proven the volume. Limit the territory or set minimum quantities.
Our sales-representation model is essentially that of an agent, but data-driven and without long-term commitment: you test the market before tying yourself to an exclusive partner. Many clients use us precisely for the first phase and then choose a permanent partner based on real offers already in hand.
The first consultation is free: together we'll see who in the US already buys your product and how to reach them.