Professional Field Sales and Marketing Services

Outsourced sales representatives are independent, professional providers of field sales and marketing services to Clients who have a product or service that needs to be presented to a customer base. They handle a portfolio of related, but non-competitive product lines, working within a defined geographic territory, or on an exclusive basis within their field of responsibility.

Solving Customer Problems

By representing multiple product lines, outsourced sales representatives bring value to both those they sell to and those they sell for. Their multiple-product portfolios allow them to present broad-based solutions to customer problems, rather than the typical price-and-delivery nature of single-product selling. As true "sales consultants", outsourced sales reps open the door for other product lines, add value and develop a partnership with the buyer, as single-product purchases grow into entire projects.

Synergy in Multiple Product Lines

Outsourced sales representatives provide even more benefit with the synergy of their product portfolios. The commonality of their multiple products not only makes it possible to cost-effectively increase market potential and market share, but also increase the speed of market penetration. The outsourced rep has been there before with other related products. He knows where to go. The multiple-line sales rep can afford to call on customers too small to be profitable for a single product line. Multiple product lines get all of the Clients into more places more quickly than could be achieved by a single-line, Client-direct sales force, no matter how aggressive and proficient.

Basic economics may drive start-up companies to go the outsourced sales rep route, but demonstrated successes within large, established companies typically show that 50% of all companies continue to use outsourced sales reps in at least some of their territories or market segments forever—a figure that rises above 80% in high-tech industries.

Outsourced Sales Reps as a Resource

The ability of outsourced sales representatives to outperform Client-direct sales employees arises from the benefits of multi-product line synergy. Outsourced sales rep success is directly tied to productivity. As a result of this, the outsourced sales profession attracts and retains the top talent in each industry—the entrepreneurial, the competitive and the goal-oriented. The outsourced sales rep's success is singularly linked to their contacts with customers and distributors in their local territory, and not to leveraging friends and managers in their company's corporate hierarchy.

With the outsourced sales rep being deeply rooted geographically in the territory they cover, the stability of their customer relationships is critical. They go to church with their customers. Their kids go to school with their customers' kids. They know the local hang outs and the local customs. All are key ingredients to success in a world where the customer is king.

Additionally, the multiple-line sales call is simply more cost-effective. The customer saves time discussing several needs during a single meeting and can buy products from one sales rep to solve all of these needs, even though the solutions might come from many different Clients.

What an Outsourced Sales Rep is Not

Unlike distributors, who take title and add cost to the goods they sell, outsourced sales reps are not middlemen. They are similar to Client-direct sales people except they are paid on a different basis—commissions only, rather than salary plus incentive plus expenses. In fact, reaching the customer in the most cost-effective manner is probably the most common reason for choosing professional, outsourced sales representatives. However, most companies report that their outsourced reps bring many marketplace advantages in addition to the clear benefit of paying no sales expense until there is a profitable sale.

Contact us today to learn more about how Rep Channel Management can find professional outsourced sales representatives who are a perfect fit for your business.