Final answer:
Because it is in the manufacturer’s best interest if resellers have a highly qualified salesforce, the best action they can take is to provide sales training to those individuals. This supports effective selling without violating antitrust laws, such as minimum price maintenance agreements or exclusive dealing agreements, which restrict competition.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering ways a manufacturer might support resellers to ensure a highly qualified salesforce, it is beneficial to look at practices that encourage competition and improve the sales process. Increasing the prices for resellers can be counterproductive, as it may lead to higher consumer prices and reduced competitiveness. Reducing the product range could limit the reseller's market appeal, and limiting access to marketing materials would not support the reseller's ability to sell effectively.
However, providing sales training to resellers is in both parties' best interest. Trained sales personnel can enhance the consumer's purchasing experience, better represent the product, and potentially increase sales and customer satisfaction. This practice aligns with competition law, as it does not directly affect pricing or competition among dealers. A manufacturer offering sales training enhances the overall value chain without engaging in minimum resale price maintenance agreements, which are illegal due to their restrictive effects on competition.
By providing this support, a manufacturer complies with antitrust regulations, avoiding agreements that could be seen as anticompetitive, such as exclusive dealing agreements that limit market competition or suggested minimum prices that affect a retailer's freedom to set their own prices.