If you are thinking about starting an import and export business you aren’t alone. One of the surprising side effects of the poor economy is that it seems like everybody is starting to debate the pros and cons of starting their own business. If you actually do end up starting the business, at some point you are going to have to think about how you are going to handle sales. Unless you have more money than the average first time business owner does when they start their companies, you are going to want to seriously consider enlisting the services of a good sales representative. Having just one or two good sales reps can sometimes be the difference between your company surviving the first year or it failing.
Knowing that you are going to use sales representatives to help you market your company and create sales is one thing. Finding people that will make good representatives can sometimes be more difficult. Doing things like posting an advertisement on your website or CraigsList is one of the ways that you can find people who are interested in representing your company.
Taking advantage of a website that matches registered sales reps with companies that need sales representatives is a great way of making sure that the reps you are going to be working with are serious about the idea and have the training needed to do the best possible job. When you are looking for a sales representative to sell your product make sure that you are very clear about the type of product you manufacture and the field that you are involved with.
Even though they don’t work for a regular salary, at some point your sales representative are going to want to be paid. You should already know how much you are going to pay and be able to present them with your proposal right away. Most sales representatives work for a commission. It is up to you to decide what percentage of the sale you can afford to pay the rep.
Knowing how much commission you can afford to provide your sales representative is only part of the deal. In addition to that you should be able to provide them with information about when they can expect to be paid. The more consistent you are about making sure your sales representative get paid when they are supposed to, the happier they are going to be and the better they’ll be about pushing your product.
As the general public starts to take an interest in your product and you are able to operate in the black, one of the things you might want to consider is starting an incentives program which will provide your sales representative with additional motivation to continue to push your product.
