Hiring independent sales representatives can help small businesses expand their sales force in a cost-effective manner. Some key points to consider include understanding the background and experience of independent reps, creating a thorough sales manual, finding qualified reps through existing customers, trade shows, and industry publications, clearly communicating expectations, and being prepared to replace underperforming reps within 90 days. Both reps and businesses should maintain open communication, honesty, and shared goals for the relationship to be successful.

1. Special Report The Small Business Owner Working with Independent Sales Reps November 2009

2. Note: You may reprint any item from this Special Report in your own print newsletter, Enzine, Blog or on your website as long as you reproduce the report in its entirety. Please email us at [email_address] to tell us you are using it. You are welcome to pass this report on to your customers, clients, friends and associates. To subscribe to Martco Biz Bits and Blog visit http:// www.martcoassociates.com Copyright 2008, Martco Associates a division of Jancris International The Concept

3. Overview Many small business owners do not have the capital, let alone the time, to invest in training full time sales personnel. The independent sales rep gives small business owners an option to get professional sales people on the street to sell their product or services quickly and economically. In my 20 plus years of experience, I was an independent rep during nine of those years. I have hired more than 200 different independent reps in several different industries for my company and for other companies as a consultant. There are some points that you should understand before hiring independent sales reps. This report will address many points you should be aware of.

15. 10. No contracts - in the beginning of my career, I had reps sign contracts. I stopped after spending too much money on legal fees. I would give a contract to a rep and he would give it to his lawyer and of course his lawyer would want to change something, thus my lawyer would get involved. Then in 90 days the rep or I would decide this was not working out and we would part our ways. I decided that a “ Letter of Agreement ” as indicated in the Independent Reps Manual, is more than adequate and gives everyone an understanding. 11. Remember the core principle a rep lives by - they can always find a line to represent, but cannot always find new customers. Their loyalty is with the customer. I always felt it was important if a rep believed in a statement made to me in the very beginning of my sales career - “the customer writes the check and the company you work for signs the check.’

16. Tom Martucci of Martco Associates has been a very successful independent rep and has hired and worked with hundreds of independent reps from many different industries. Feel free to contact us to set up a phone conversation to see if we can be of assistance to you or answer a question. Do not forget to sign up for the Biz Bits and get weekly bits of information that may stimulate you to think about a new idea or a new way of doing something and save you money and time. It only takes 45 seconds to read. Also, you will get a Special Report on 13 Important Things You Need to Know about Your Website . Martco Associates is a flexible firm that works with companies in sales and sales management. They coach individual sales people, give training seminars to sales people or sales management and have acted as company Sales Manager on an interim basis. Feel free to contact us or call 732-691-5460. www. martcoassociates.com