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Hiring sales people on commission only

oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
edited June 2009 in Business Planning
Hi again,
I have started my new business making flax seed and lavender eye and neck pillows.  I am very pleased with my product and my packaging and have actually sold them to a couple of shops already.  And thank you all, I did finally come up with a name:  "Simply Unwind". 
My problem is I love to make my pillows, but selling is outside my comfort level.  I have placed an ad on Craigslist for a commission only sales person.  What advice do you have to offer about that before I meet with anyone?

Comments

  • robertjrobertj subscriber Posts: 0 Member
    Olive,
    The common misconceptions about commission only sales people is:
     1. They don`t "cost" anything unless they sell something
    2.  They will be highly motivated because they need to sell something to make money
     
    Although I agree with the concept of  "if it`s not your genius - don`t make it your job"; unless you are prepared to guide and support your sales person(s) -I`m afraid the results will be disappointing.
     
    Who are your targeted customers?
    What type of skills are essential to successfully engage with them?
    What type of sale is this (ie one time or relationship)?
    What tools / materials will be necessary for a successful sales effort?
    What about pricing?
    Etc.
     
    I hope this helps. If you want to discuss your specific situation, send me a PM or contact me directly.
     
     
     
  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks so much for your feedback!  I will definitely use that when I meet with the person tomorrow.
     
    OO
  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks so much!  This is VERY HELPFUL!!
     
    OO
  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    THAnks for your feedback!  I`ll let you know how it goes!
     
    OO
  • StevenSStevenS subscriber Posts: 1












    Are you looking for a sales person to sell to individuals or a manufacturers sales rep. If its the latter you should look at sites like http://www.manufacturers-representatives.com But like what was said before. Just because you are not paying them a salary does not mean their are not cost involved. You still have to pay for all of the marketing, sales material, promotions, etc.







































     




































  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks!  I`m looking for the latter...I`ll take a look at the site you mentioned.
     
    OO
  • patentandtrademarkpatentandtrademark subscriber Posts: 103
    hire lawyer to register trademark
  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks Seth,  That is very valuable advice!!! 
  • WebJunkyWebJunky subscriber Posts: 8 Member
    build the website and have targetted buyers who are seeking you come to you.....run this parallel to your current infrastructure for optimal results
  • oliveoyloliveoyl subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks, I am attempting to do this, but funds are still short.  Thanks again!
  • WebJunkyWebJunky subscriber Posts: 8 Member
    domain = $7.99
    basic hosting = under $300 a year (maybe even less)sweat equity = a tonyou don`t need a lot of cash, just your time and efforts
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Hello.
    A lot of good advice.
    Let me add that a website could work wonders for your startup and future. 
    One thing it would add is the language (verbage) in how you describe your business, product etc.  Not only would that provide information to potential customers, but it would get your sales people on the same page as you which also adds to your success.  Getting your sales people on the same page is crucial.  Many companies have failed because their sales force had loose cannons especially when they were not provided the script and offered more than what the company could deliver.
    The other thing you could add are video clip presentations of various users of your product to say how wonderful it is and how they can`t live without it. They didn`t know what `unwind` meant until they tried your pillow.   To see an example of  a video player that plays multiple video clips using an RSS feed, take a look at this video player. There are links to other players on that page, also.
    It isn`t difficult at all to add an eCommerce application even to a 1-page site as you could use PayPal `Add to Cart` feature.  If you want to take a look at an example, look at the website `CavsMakingHistory.com`. In this case, the 67-year old "Rappin` Grandpa" created the main graphic and then the graphic was converted into a web page using various coding techniques to add the button graphics and PayPal and other links on top of the graphic.  Even the E-mail links on the graphic are `active`!Doing it this way made it much more affordable.
    There are many ways to get things done within a specified budget -- it may not have all of the bells and whistles that you may want, but it can get your point across. Getting your page hosted with great support is affordable also.
    Also what I`d suggest is that you add a form field that asks visitors how they found out about your product and website.  It accomplishes 2 major objectives: 1) provides you with marketing data and 2) your sales folks will be able to refer their prospects to your website knowing that they will receive credit for their sale.
    HTHprofitizer6/21/2009 4:04 PM
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