It stands to reason that the more qualified people you have selling your products and services, the more sales you will make. Although you may not be able to have a staff of salaried salespeople, there are several ways to get a network of dealers working for you.
Do you know people in an associated field who could recommend your products or services to their customers? They already have credibility with their customers, and selling for you can increase their incomes with little extra effort.
The Internet offers an opportunity through affiliate marketing. Affiliates are given a coded link which they put on Web sites and in emails. When a customer clicks on the link and buys, the affiliate gets a commission. It’s all automatic. (To see the software I use for my affiliate program, go to http://ShoppingCartAndMore.com/ )
Choose the right dealers. Make sure they are people you want to do business with, who will represent you well. There should be a good fit between their markets and yours.
Support your dealers by providing tools to help them sell for you. Don’t undercut your dealer network. You may decide to let your dealers handle all retail sales, while you focus on servicing the dealer accounts. If you do make retail sales, don’t offer pricing to your direct customers that undercuts your dealers. Don’t compete with them. Make it profitable for the dealers to sell for you.
