Small Business Networking | Information for small business owners

“One of the most crucial decisions you make is how to sell your products or services.”

Choosing Sales-Force Alternatives
There are basically four different alternatives for building a sales force:

1. You can hire a larger company or a distributor to sell for you.
2. You can hire independent manufacturers’ reps.
3. You can hire your own outside salespeople.
4. You can hire inside or use phone salespeople.

Which choice you make will have a huge impact on your ability to generate sales and, also, your cost structure.

Often the best solution is to use a combination of the different sales models. For example, we use distributors abroad and in specialty markets; our own sales managers for the largest book and software accounts; manufacturers’ reps for midsize accounts; and phone selling for the smallest accounts.

Use Someone Else’s Sales Force!
Especially if you have a small product business, you’re probably going to be better off trying to get a larger company or a distributor to sell your goods.

Even if you could get sales reps or manufacturers’ reps to sell your product, it may be difficult to persuade companies to open a new account for you, and getting paid may tax your patience.

Remember, you need a distributor with an outside sales force who will call on customers and push your product–not a wholesaler who typically stocks a very broad group of manufacturers and more or less waits for customers to send in orders. The terms “wholesaler” and “distributor” are often confused, and it’s difficult to judge how aggressively a distributor will push your products–so get references!
Read the Rest of this article on Choosing the right sales force here