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Forum nameMarketing Mix
Topic subjectContract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Topic URLhttps://www.businessownersideacafe.com/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=1239
1239, Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by BelieveTBP, Thu Jan-08-09 06:01 AM
I'm looking for sales people in my area and have posted with the local work force commission.

The problem is that I have to pay on a sales commission only. I offer 35% of the sale and spend every penny I get over that into advertising at the moment.

My question is ....... Why doesn't anyone want to do this for me? I've had 247 people look at my job posting and 13 inquires but no one has wanted to actually do it. I tell them they can work anytime any hours they want and the sky is the limit if they sell.

I'm not a sales person and thought that I would hire someone else to do this job. But what now? I'm at a lost.... I'll start paying salary once I'm profitable, but for now all I can do is give a percentage.

Has anyone had this problem? Why is this so hard?

Thanks, Deb:(
1241, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by Bizseller, Sun Oct-19-08 07:12 AM
Do you have an item that is perceived to be a difficult to sell product with a long sales cycle?
Steven Seidner CBI
609 468 6315
1242, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by BelieveTBP, Sun Oct-19-08 10:12 AM
I don't think its difficult, but maybe it is?

I'm trying to sell advertising memberships on my website. Its a website for small businesses in my local region. I've tried to create a place for them to band together. This is for the smallest of business that don't have yellow page ads etc. They usually operate off of cell phones and signs on their trucks. We have hundreds of these folks around in my area. They can also trade services on there with each other (barter system).

If I could afford to advertising my site on TV or billboards I don't think I'd have such a problem starting up. But I can't afford that yet. Neither can I afford to pay a salary to a sales person yet. But I'm more that willing to share the profits with them when/if it ever happens.

Here is my site, your comments are most welcome.

www.texomabusinesspages.com

Also here is my job posting on the local workforce site. Maybe you can read that and tell me whats turning sales people away. Is it the commission only?

https://wit.twc.state.tx.us/WORKINTEXAS/wtx?pageid=EM_JP_JOB_DETAILS&id=8054479&frompage=JV_POSTING_BROWSE_RESULTS&pageNo=2&ctx=mDTRVvpFJdISXCVqcmPR&referralPage=twc.em.employer.page.jobposting.search.BrowsePgOpr

Thanks, De

1256, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by BelieveTBP, Thu Oct-30-08 03:43 AM
I'm still getting lots of people looking at my job posting but no one wanting to do it.

I guess if its to be..... its up to me!

If anyone has ideas on how I can learn to do this myself please feel free to tell me. I'm not a social person that feels comfortable in approaching folks. But I'm going to force myself into becoming one if I have too!

Thanks for your input, De
1295, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by painperdu, Sat Dec-27-08 01:24 AM
Why would I buy into what you're offering? I certainly do want more business but your site doesn't show me how that's possible. Even if you offered it free why should I list my business on your site? It doesn't seem that anyone visits it anyway.

Pretend I'm a lawncare guy in Texoma. You catch me while I'm cutting your neighbor's lawn. What would you tell me?

1296, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by BelieveTBP, Sun Dec-28-08 01:32 PM
Thank you for taking the time to post your comment. My original question was on how to get a commission sales person. Not the problem of getting a business to sign up.

But please let me address that since you asked. If you look under the "About Us" it outlines the benefits for both business owners and consumers.

As I noted in other posts I'm not good at approaching people (it scares me to death) that is why I'm trying to hire a commission based sales person. I've had some success myself but feel this area is best left to someone more qualified in that area.

If I saw you cutting my neighbor's lawn I'd want to go over and give you information and tell you about the site. I'd ask you if you did any advertising like newspapers, flyers etc. I'd tell you how the site could save you money and time while reaching everyone in the Texoma area. Your customers can rate your work and help you build a great reputation (or not). You'll also have the opportunity to trade (barter) services with other small businesses you never new existed.

My site is getting some traffic so why/how do you say it?s not being visited? I've have/had several small businesses and getting the word out was always hard. I want to give even the smallest of businesses a chance on my site to succeed. If they succeed, I succeed.

Thanks for your time, De
1342, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by LisaPR, Fri Feb-13-09 08:26 AM
De,

I have not looked at your website but I do have some advice for you. First take a look at Kudzu.com or Angieslist.com. These are site that ae big and established but are doing what you propose to do on a local scale. See how their sites are designed and think of how you can improve your site. Do they have services you don?t? Do they have an easier vendor sign up program?

Also use various social networks to talk about your business. Join your Chamber of Commerce, place ads in penny savers and other inexpensive local venues. Provide an incentive for current vendors to tell their vendors about your services. Also do an email marketing campaign. This is a good way for you to get over your shyness. Write the text as if you are talking to someone. As you hone the message down and make it tighter over the next months, try saying it out loud to yourself and immediate family members. Start networking online and offline, via phone and in person in small groups. For in person networking go to a function with a goal of talking to three people. Do not worry about pitching your business, that is not what networking is about. It is about building a relationship.

For example, after striking up the conversation with ?Hello is this your first time too??. Move on to ?Do you happen to know of any professional sales people? I am looking to hire more staff in the next couple of months.?

See you did not pitch your business but you will because their comment will be either no ?Sorry I don?t. But I know someone who may.? Or ?What type of business do you have.? Sometimes people will start tie conversation first if you look approachable. Make eye contact, look a little lost or overwhelmed if the function is big enough.

Also try your local SCORE, SBA, SBDC or other small business organization for more insight in to how you can grow your business.

I hope some of this helps you or at least limit the fear of talking with people. As a former shy person I can tell you that it can be done. By the way my trick was to make a separate business persona. That persona knew no fear, talked to people even eventually approached people first. It?s like pushing an on switch and the business side of you comes out. After awhile you will forget about the persona and do it naturally.

Remember that you are on a mission to grow your business by any means necessary (so to speak). Also try not to think it to death. Just walk into a room and say in your head that this is easy, no sweat, I meet people everyday. Relax if you keep telling yourself that you can do this, you will.

Think about this ? ?What would you do, if you knew you could not fail.?





Lisa Douglas, Inklusion PR
New discounted PR packages priced from $500-$2,000
www.inklusionpr.com
1243, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by Pepperfire, Mon Oct-20-08 04:50 AM
Commission only sales jobs are great if you've got an established company with established sales territories.

When you're a startup... what exactly makes YOU think a good salesman thinks your stuff (product/service, whatever) will sell?

When we first started up, we signed all sorts of sales agreements with all sorts of people and to-date, nobody has done a gosh-darned thing... In fact, as our agreements come up to their anniversary dates, I find myself writing cancellation letters to those sales people.

I do our sales and marketing, with the help of my husband. We have just started with someone in whose best interest it is to make us work (he found himself unemployed and is available to us and believes in our product). But I can't tell you how that will work out until we've actually had a go at it.

I don't know what the optimum answer is, all I know is that you either have to pay someone sufficiently that they will do the work that brings you the sales or at the very least someone who will do the work with a draw against commissions.

I look forward to reading the responses to this question myself as our new salesman and I intend to build a sales team.

Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!
1298, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by bizconsultant, Tue Dec-30-08 05:24 AM
De, Even though this may sound like a services push..it is not. What you need in order to attract commision sales people is two very important things if you are not a well established company with sales territories...a) a USP - Unique Selling Proposition and b) Warm/Hot Leads for them to close.

The USP you can probably develop on your own but the warm/hot leads is something that you should focus on with whatever budget you can. Not advertising, but more direct methods of contacting prospects so that your salespeople have some incentive since they are not being paid hourly. You know the only reason why people (or the main reason) people get into car sales on a commision basis is because the lot has an advertising budget and a physical lcoation where prospects can come to. It makes it easier for them to feel assured that they have a chance of making a sale.

Hope this helps. If you need services along that line (USP development or warm/hot sales leads) feel free to contact me at ajones@abcsolutions.cjb.net


>I'm looking for sales people in my area and have posted with
>the local work force commission.
>
>The problem is that I have to pay on a sales commission only.
>I offer 35% of the sale and spend every penny I get over that
>into advertising at the moment.
>
>My question is ....... Why doesn't anyone want to do this for
>me? I've had 247 people look at my job posting and 13
>inquires but no one has wanted to actually do it. I tell them
>they can work anytime any hours they want and the sky is the
>limit if they sell.
>
>I'm not a sales person and thought that I would hire someone
>else to do this job. But what now? I'm at a lost.... I'll
>start paying salary once I'm profitable, but for now all I can
>do is give a percentage.
>
>Has anyone had this problem? Why is this so hard?
>
>Thanks, Deb:(
1305, Deleted message
Posted by healthychocolat, Thu Jan-01-09 11:16 AM
No message
1310, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by potpourri, Sun Jan-11-09 07:40 AM
De,
First I don't know what your product is and for someone to sell it on a "contract" basis, they have to believe in the product and it has to have a marketable value to them in order to have interest.

Too, many that are just starting out in sales need the stablility that a salary offers. This is more obvious in a down economy.

A couple of questions to ask yourself are:
1. Is there a market for your product. (this you should have researched before starting)
2. What demographic is using your product.

Assuming there is a market for the product, the second question becomes more viable. Look for users of the product and try to recruit them as sales people.

I hope this helps.

Ocha

website: http://www.infoesource.com

blog: http://www.infoesource.com/blogindex

Follow Me On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/OchaNix
1323, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by oviedostyle, Sat Jan-31-09 09:40 AM
I also tried the Sales on Commission when I first started a website directory. It didn't work, so I changed tactics.
I think you should offer a Free Listing to businesses.
Most business directories offer free listings that are simply a Business Name, Location, Phone and or a website link.

When I started my directory for Eco-conscious products and services ( www.findagreenstore.com ). I first offered free listings. after I had 60 free listings and my site traffic increased, other businesses started to buy ads. As of now, text links are free, but banner ads and product placements are paid for. I also keep my prices low while I grow traffic to the site.

You can do 2 other things.
1) lower your prices and keep them low for the next 6 months or until your site has more traffic. or
2) Have an Ad Listing Sale of 50% off the regular price. advertise in your local classifieds, and email local businesses directly.

Think of new ways for people to advertise on your site, such as product placements or commercial videos. There are hundreds of business directories already so you really need to stand out.

If you are on Linked In or Facebook, join some local business groups and get involved in discussions.

Good Luck Leah Oviedo
Mercado del Mundo
1341, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by The Goodie Bag, Thu Feb-12-09 06:35 PM
How much monthly traffic does your website have? My advice to you is to get the word out locally. Hand out business cards, tell friends and family members, offer some local businesses free advertising on your website for 1 month in order for them to spread the word and leave your business cards at their storefront, etc. There are many things you can do in order to get the exposure. You can offer banner links on your website to your sponsors, etc. If you need anymore help or information, don't hesitate to contact me.

Peter Coultas | Owner | The Goodie Bag
10 Copperfield Drive. | Kingston | ON | K7M 1M4
T: (613)-542-0158 | (613)-542-0158 | M: (613)-583-4663
peter@thegoodiebag.ca | http://www.thegoodiebag.ca
goodie_bag@live.ca | http://www.goodiebag.org
1402, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by NightLifeReview, Sun Apr-19-09 11:57 PM
I've worked alot of sales and business developement positions in the past. If i was looking for work and I ran across your ad, I would give it no consideration after briefly reading it. The reasons why:

1. Your company is brand new, which means no established territory, no clients, and no brand recognition.

2. Your company has no support system and not even a plan as to how these sales people are going to get the business. You need someone to help design a marketing plan and then document in detail how your going to carry it out. That also means you need to do alot of work, such as scripting the sales, lead generation, referal system, marketing brocuhers, powerpoint for presentation, training on a crm system, etc.

3. Unless your product has a huge monetary value like a house, car, or corparate big ticket items such as equipements. Nobody will do it on commision. The reason is why even for a good salesman, they would have to work to the bone and still only make chump change.

4. Selling is alot harder then most people realize and that means that most sales person you will run into will be just average, which isnt saying much. For them to try to move your product is going to be hard and even more so when under your leadership.

The only way you can do is is either by doing it yourself or hiring a firm to take care of it. The firm will have the means to design, support, and train thier sales force to help move the products. However it is not cheap to hire such a firm and in general not as effective as you might think.



1412, RE: Contract Sales -- no one wants to do this!
Posted by ikedunne, Mon May-04-09 04:43 AM
De,
Here's what I would want...and what you need to be prepared to explain to anyone asking(By the way, we only work on commission so this comes from experience)

1) How big is my territory
2) Is it protected
3) If I generate traffic to the site and people sign up, can you track that
4) How quickly do you pay commission
5) Is it a flat rate (better) or percentage of ad revenue
6) What kind of support (to close the sale) will you give

You need to know your competition and USP just so you can explain it to your new sales people. If you can't, then you'll have people asking for guarantees because they can't see success in their future.

Michael
oxmg2005@yahoo.com