If only I could find a really good commission only salesperson…

If I had £1 for every small business owner I’ve heard say this…ah I’d be a rich woman. 

Having seen a number of clients trying out the commission only person route, it seems that there really are very few decent salespeople out there who are prepared to work on this basis.  Many of the small business owners I encounter seem to find this surprising and bemoan the lack of spirit in people…but look at it from the salesperson’s point of view.   Why on earth would they want to work in such a high risk way?  If they’re good at their job they can walk into somewhere that will pay them a basic and commission plus a load of other perks, if they’re not so good then they might take your commission only offer but then they probably won’t sell.  The third possibility is that they are excellent at sales but are only just starting out and will take any opportunity – if this is the case then they’ll soon be off when a better offer pops up.

For most businesses sales is key, no sales, no money.  So  it’s worth investing a little bit of money in getting it right, finding the right person and paying them fairly.  If you simply can’t afford a good full time salesperson, look at alternatives – perhaps a freelancer or a part time person.  Or make sales your own responsibility and find people to cover other areas of your business to free up your time.

Commission only may look tempting because it’s cheap but it can be hugely costly in terms of your time and ultimately business.  The chances are that an endless succession of demotivated, poor quality salespeople churning through your business is going to do more harm than good.  Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.