Finding Sales Reps
Calculate your budget for finding new sales reps. Keep in mind that you will need to fund the interview process. Then, you will need to settle on a commission scheme that will be mutually beneficial. It is a good idea to consult with your hiring managers and accounting department so that you know what pay range you are willing to give the right person. Hiring independent or in-house sales reps is likely to include a salary or commission negotiation process.
Define the sales rep's job description, region and products they will sell. You may also include the number of years of experience you are looking for. These parameters will help you to narrow down choices during your research.
Post a job on your company website. Posting your own job descriptions tells people you are expanding. A proactive sales rep may contact you to interview while you are searching other channels.
Post job descriptions online, if you are looking for a full-time sales rep. If you want to employ someone through salary as well as commission, you have higher risk, because you are giving benefits, training them and investing in support while they are on the road. Use targeted sales websites and national job search engines, like Monster and CareerBuilder. Keep in mind that products selling at a low price in high quantity generally have a lower commission. Products that sell at a higher price in lower quantities will have higher commissions. Generally they fall between 2 and 25 percent. Post each job under your industry and under "sales."
Ask friends for recommendations. If you have friends that market to similar people or businesses as you do, ask them if they use independent sales reps. If so, you may be able to find a qualified person who can offer both of your products during their sales trips.
Attend trade shows. This is the best place to find independent sales reps that have experience working in your industry. Consider having a booth and interviewing sales reps at the trade shows.
Contact local sales rep agencies. Ask if anyone has experience working with similar products. These agencies can give you a list of potential options, and you can arrange interviews with each rep.
Ask current successful sales reps for recommendations. Salespeople tend to network well, so ask people who you like if they know anyone else who could cover another territory. If they are willing to stake their reputation on the person, you are more likely to get a qualified candidate.
Look for independent road reps on sites. These sites list potential road reps or allow you to post your job on their site.
Choosing Sales Reps
Interview dozens of candidates. You should be picky about who you employ as a sales rep, so get ready for a lengthy interview process. Companies may interview between 25 and 100 candidates before finding several with whom they will contract.
Ask the right questions. As well as having experience and travel availability, you should know how much attention the rep can devote to your product. Ask how many products the person currently represents. 10 or more products and the person is unlikely to devote enough time to increasing your revenue. Make sure they are able to explain how your product will fit with their current workload. Ask about support staff. An independent sales rep usually hires someone to manage their schedule and call potential businesses, since it is required to sell all of the products. Ensure the support staff can handle another product. Get a feel for their sales process during the interview. You should be able to tell how respectful, energetic, genuine and ambitious they are. A good sales rep will try to close you during the interview process.
Offer a competitive package. You want to incentivize any sales rep with a volume-based commission structure. Consider including bonuses, some staff support and training or impressive materials to ensure that your sales rep will consider your product a priority.
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