With the rise of technology and the ability to work independently, more sales reps than ever are choosing to leave their employers and become self-employed.
Why?
It's simple... self-employed sales reps are not tied into the same constraints as employees. While a company that employs a sales professional might tell that person that there's 'no cap' on their commission earnings, this is simply not the case. We covered that in our previous article: 'Earning A Salary Vs Commission-Only - Is It Ever Worth It?' which you can read here: http://blog.commissioncrowd.com/earning-a-salary-vs-commission-only-is-it-ever-worth-it/
In this short article i'm going to show sales reps who are either working independently (self-employed) or are considering breaking away from the constraints of employment, 6 very easy steps to earning 10X+ your sales commissions every year... read on!
Leveraging Your Existing Contacts/Clients - Imagine This Scenario
Brian is an experienced independent manufacturer's sales rep. He works for himself and sells a range of products and services relating to the Construction industry into a network of clients that he's built up over time.
Brian's on the road every day visiting clients across the various territories he covers. He's not interested in learning how to sell products or services outside of his niche but he's entrepreneurial and likes to take advantage of new opportunities when they arise.
Maria is an entrepreneur. She owns a highly successful construction company and business is flourishing!
Brian has been supplying Maria's business with construction materials and equipment for over four years now. They meet at least once a month and have a close working relationship.
During one of their regular sales meetings, Brian asks Maria if her business is in need of anything else at the moment, even if it's unrelated to the products and services currently sitting in his sales portfolio.
Maria tells Brian that she's on the look out for an IT company that are able to update their Accounting software and is also in need of new, more cost efficient lighting throughout head office. Brian tells her to hold tight and he'll be able to help.
Maria already knows, likes and trusts Brian and happily gives him the task of finding and vetting potential companies who can supply those services.
Brian now needs to find a company that can fulfill Maria's company's Software needs...
So How Does He Do It?
He's a member of CommissionCrowd - https://www.commissioncrowd.com - the online service (free for independent sales professionals) that makes it easy to find new product/service lines to add to their portfolio and connect with verified and vetted companies that can service the needs of their existing customers.
He logs into his account and searches for the perfect companies to fulfill Maria's needs. Brian narrows down his search and starts a conversation with a number of companies directly though CommissionCrowd's award winning system.
He explains his client's requirements and lets the companies know he's happy to make an introduction and submit proposals for business on their behalf in exchange for a commission on the back of closed business.
6 Steps To Earning Higher Sales Commissions
Meet with your regular clients and always take the opportunity to ask if they need anything for their business, even if it's outside of your niche. Let them know you'll take care of it for them. You'll find the perfect companies, vet them on their behalf then make the introduction. Ask for specifics and you'll present relevant proposals to them shortly.
Join CommissionCrowd - https://www.commissioncrowd.com (Note: It's 100% FREE for independent sales reps here's why) Then use our sophisticated search filters to find the perfect companies who can service your client.
Once you've found those potential companies, had a conversation and vetted them, let them know you're willing to make an introduction to your client. You can either choose to close the business yourself or simply make the introduction on their behalf and negotiate your referral fee or commission % when the deal closes. Use CommissionCrowd's functionality to easily manage your relationship with these companies, receive their proposals and any other important documents they share with you.
Go back to your client and let them know you've found the perfect companies to fulfill their needs. Pass over their proposals and make the introduction. Set up the meeting if you don't want to close the deal yourself.
The deal closes and your client receives they products/services they were looking for. Note: Your sales pipeline and activity functionality within your CommissionCrowd account gives you a quick and easy way to see the stage each deal is at and your prospects can communicate with you each step of the way. You'll always be informed of how your introduction is progressing.
The deal is done! Your client is happy and so is the company you referred. You get paid your commission even if you've not had/wanted to close the sale yourself.
Rinse and repeat!!
If you have a company and are looking to partner with independent sales reps and would like to understand more about this type of sales professional, I would advise you to read this blog post which many consider the 'Blueprint' to working with self-employed reps: http://blog.commissioncrowd.com/ten-things-to-understand-when-working-with-independent-sales-reps/