260 | 3 Ways to Outsource Sales with Katie Hunt

Is selling and managing your wholesale outreach not something your enjoy or are even good at? You have options to outsource sales in your wholesale business. In today’s episode, I’m walking you through three types of sales reps that you can hire, the differences between them, and what you should expect in working with each one.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Paper Camp, our 4-week program that takes the guess-work out of selling wholesale. When you follow the strategies and methods in Paper Camp, you’ll not only feel more confident but you’ll reach your wholesale goals faster. Come join the waitlist to be the first to know when we open the doors for the next round of Paper Camp!

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3 Ways to Outsource Sales

As a business owner, you already wear a lot of hats, but add in outreach and management of sales to retailers–that’s a big job. While it’s a tough role, I do encourage all business owners to give it a try when they’re first starting out, because it offers education and experience that benefits your business. Once you’ve done it for a little while, that’s when you should consider your options.

Whether you don’t have the time to do it, you don’t enjoy it, or you just aren’t great at it, there are a few ways you can consider outsourcing your sales. Hiring a sales rep is a great place to start—today we’re walking through three types of sales reps to consider working with.

Showroom Reps

The first type of sales rep to consider working with includes showroom reps. A showroom rep has a dedicated showroom that retailers can come explore and review the current product lines from the brands they represent. This offers a great in-person experience for the retailer, while broadening the wholesaler’s audience. Showroom reps often have a team of road reps as well, but we’ll get into those in a moment.

While showroom reps have so many benefits to wholesalers, it’s important to note the costs associated. When you’re represented by a showroom rep, you are required to pay rent and commission on orders placed in the showroom and on the road. You’ll also need to provide sample kits, catalogs, and marketing materials for each rep associated with that show room. Additionally, you may be required to attend major markets to represent your brand, so the travel and expenses for those need to be considered as well.

Overall, showroom reps can absolutely build up your sales on the wholesale side and get you into more stores that you could on your own, but it is financially a large commitment.

Road Reps

The next type of sales rep to consider is a road rep, which either work on their own or are part of a group of sales reps. Road reps go into stores and meet with buyers on your behalf within a specific territory.

You can work with just one rep or build a team of road reps–the biggest consideration for a team is that you want to ensure their territories don’t cross as it can cause confusion for them and the retailers.

The costs associated with a road rep include 15-20% commission on orders they secure, along with the sample kits, catalogs, and marketing materials.

In-House Sales Person

The last type of sales rep you should consider investing in is an in-house sales person. If you’ve been managing your sales yourself for a while, you’ve already built out the sales systems and processes that can be easily replicated to another person then this could be a good option for you..

In-house sales reps are employed by you as a full-time employee, part-time employee, or independent contractor with payment through an hourly wage, a salary, commission, or a combination. Your in-house sales representative would be responsible for not only researching and securing new accounts, but managing and supporting existing accounts as well!

Tip on Samples: It’s a good idea to ask sales reps how they want to receive: loose or retail ready, tagged with sku’s and pricing.

As you begin to explore outsourcing sales for your wholesale business, make sure you’ve gone through the process, have determined the best pricing, and adjusted your brand as needed before you hire.

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Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct