As your Information Marketing business grows, you will be able to position yourself so that your products and services are marketed to corporate clients by other people. How do you do that?

There are hundreds of individuals who make their living by selling other people’s products and services. They establish a network of clients, find out what their clients need, and seek out the products and services that will meet those needs. These people are usually referred to as “independent sales professionals.”

Working with a team of sales people can be very lucrative as your business grows. Here’s how it works:

1. Find Candidates

The easiest way to find qualified candidates is to place an ad in the classifieds. Your classified ad should indicate you’re looking for an independent sales person and ask for a resume. Make sure you include your company name and the mailing address; it might be helpful to have candidates mail to “Human Resources” or another specific name that will help you quickly sort out the mail when hundreds of resumes come in.

2. Interview and Select

Schedule and conduct telephone interviews with each of the candidates whose resume matches your needs. Have your interview questions prepared before the call, and focus on finding out what kind of results they’ve achieved. Explain the work they would be responsible for and ensure they understand the position is 100% commission based. Ask for references, and check them! Don’t forget the importance of rapport in your selection; you want to be able to work with your sales staff for a long time to come.

3. Offer and Educate

Once you’ve selected the right sales person for you, make them an offer. Negotiate fairly and try to look at things from their perspective. Sign a contract with the terms of your affiliation clearly laid out. Commission, when and how they are paid, how they will get orders to you, and your rights concerning client contact must be clearly stated. Then educate your new sales person about your product and how it will benefit their clients.

4. Fulfill and Pay

As orders come in, be sure they are fulfilled quickly. When you’re just getting started, require payment with the order. That way you can use the clients money to pay the fulfillment and shipping costs. As you grow, you can decide whether or not you want to extend credit, to whom you would offer it, and what terms you would be willing to accept. In either case, pay your sales person immediately after the guarantee period expires.

5. Follow up

Stay in contact with your new clients, of course, but also stay in close contact with your sales person. Find out what challenges they’re facing in selling your material. If necessary, educate them further to help perfect the sales process. If you notice problems, such as an unusually high number of refund requests, work with your sales person to identify the cause and implement solutions. Take care of your sales team, and they will take care of you.