Selling agents operate much as wholesalers do, except they don't buy products. Selling agents sell the entire product lines of multiple producers simultaneously. Typically, they have no territorial sales boundaries. When producers cannot maintain exclusive marketing departments, they often hire a selling agents.

Some of the marketing activities selling agents undertake are
  • promotion,
  • market research, and
  • pricing strategies.

Selling agents do not sell products in direct competition with one another. They sell unrelated products to avoid conflicts of interests.