Most won't deal directly with them. It must be through a dealer. There are a couple that will sometimes work directly with a pro. Usually in an underserved area that the mfg would like to get into. In this way they get exposure for their line. They do risk pissing off their other dealers though so it's a very tricky area. The thing is smart shops will work with individual pros and perhaps even set them up as affiliates. This is a win, win, win for the dealer, the pro, and the student the pro sells to. The student gets gear they want at a fair price without shop politics. The pro makes a few dollars themselves. The dealer gets sales and customers they otherwise would have never seen.
---------- Post added November 9th, 2015 at 08:18 AM ----------
Plus the mfg may now have more exposure to their line and a greater presence overall. The only ones who don't make out are the shops that get cut out of the equation. Which if they really cared about gaining more business they would not give divers reasons to look elsewhere. Whether it's due to pricing, selection, poor service, or just a bad feeling they have somehow alienated the person they should be trying to serve in every way possible.
---------- Post added November 9th, 2015 at 05:31 PM ----------
One other thing. DM's usually don't get paid because they have been led to believe that it's ok to be taken advantage of. DM's should get paid.