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How to build a network of resellers

by sitekrafters
11 replies
By "reseller" I am referring to a person that sells your services (web design, SEO, video production, etc.) to small business owners. A reseller is not your employee nor is he a salesperson on commission. A reseller is independent and he's free to set his own prices. He sells to his clients the white-label services he purchases from you.

How do you go about building a network of resellers?
Any books or WSO's on the subject? Where can I learn more?
#build #network #resellers
  • Profile picture of the author kenetix
    Sounds very similar to affiliation, there are many articles on the web on building an affiliate network. Same principles can be applied to offline marketing.
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    • Profile picture of the author sitekrafters
      Originally Posted by kenetix View Post

      Sounds very similar to affiliation, there are many articles on the web on building an affiliate network. Same principles can be applied to offline marketing.
      An affiliate usually receives a commission and he doesn't set his own prices. I just can't see how to apply the same principles to resellers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Handdy
        See who are popular in the area or industry where you want to focus your efforts on. Try contacting these folks (bloggers, industry specialists, consultants etc.) and see if they are open to sending you referrals for a commission.
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        • Profile picture of the author sitekrafters
          Originally Posted by Handdy View Post

          See who are popular in the area or industry where you want to focus your efforts on. Try contacting these folks (bloggers, industry specialists, consultants etc.) and see if they are open to sending you referrals for a commission.
          Thanks for the advice but I am only interested in building a network of resellers so that I don't have to deal with the client. I want to deal with the reseller only.
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          • Profile picture of the author CreekChub
            Originally Posted by sitekrafters View Post

            Thanks for the advice but I am only interested in building a network of resellers so that I don't have to deal with the client. I want to deal with the reseller only.
            I think you'll probably find that you're looking at it backwards. You're looking to be an independent contractor who works FOR people who can sell. Guys who can do SEO, guys who can design and guys who can put together web sites, are a dime a dozen when compared to guys who can sell. That's not a slam, that's just the way it is in the real world (and online, for that matter).

            I don't think you'll probably find many guys looking to be a "reseller" for your services. Who you will find, if you look hard enough, are "guys" - be they one man shows, small businesses with an employee or two, or full on marketing firms - who are willing to farm out their excess work. Just gotta find 'em, have a solid portfolio, and develop the relationships.

            I'm a sales guy who can design, make a pretty darn decent web site, and I dabble a little in SEO. I'm a one man show, and for now that's how I like it. I have no intention of ever being a "reseller" - but I do on occasion farm out excess work in order to meet deadlines. Just a different way of looking at it, I guess.
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            • Profile picture of the author sitekrafters
              Originally Posted by CreekChub View Post

              I think you'll probably find that you're looking at it backwards. You're looking to be an independent contractor who works FOR people who can sell. Guys who can do SEO, guys who can design and guys who can put together web sites, are a dime a dozen when compared to guys who can sell. That's not a slam, that's just the way it is in the real world (and online, for that matter).

              I don't think you'll probably find many guys looking to be a "reseller" for your services. Who you will find, if you look hard enough, are "guys" - be they one man shows, small businesses with an employee or two, or full on marketing firms - who are willing to farm out their excess work. Just gotta find 'em, have a solid portfolio, and develop the relationships.

              I'm a sales guy who can design, make a pretty darn decent web site, and I dabble a little in SEO. I'm a one man show, and for now that's how I like it. I have no intention of ever being a "reseller" - but I do on occasion farm out excess work in order to meet deadlines. Just a different way of looking at it, I guess.
              "Guys" who can design, do SEO, etc. might be a dime a dozen in the internet marketing community. I am not interested in that. I am looking for resources on building a team or network of local resellers, guys who can sell. They do not need to do SEO, design, and all that stuff you mention. They just need to sell and make tons of money with me. And no, I don't think I am looking at it backwards, sorry.
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              • Profile picture of the author PanteraIM
                Originally Posted by sitekrafters View Post

                "Guys" who can design, do SEO, etc. might be a dime a dozen in the internet marketing community. I am not interested in that. I am looking for resources on building a team or network of local resellers, guys who can sell. They do not need to do SEO, design, and all that stuff you mention. They just need to sell and make tons of money with me. And no, I don't think I am looking at it backwards, sorry.
                20% of the salespeople in any industry make 80% of the sales. It's just how it is, online or offline the same economics apply.

                You will need to give the distributors a damn good deal to go thru the effort of changing product and doing all the leg work for you.

                I hope you have awesome leadership and organizational abilities as well as a proven sales methodology for them to follow.

                No one's attacking you here buddy, we're just pointing out a cold reality of doing business. Good salespeople are golden and they KNOW they're good so they're usually well taken care of by whoever signs their paycheck..

                You should try to find out who these people are and network on the ground level, but be prepared and put an awesome offer in front of them. Show them the respect they deserve and you will go a long way..

                Best of luck
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  • Profile picture of the author Adrian John
    I'm looking for the same thing too for some time.
    I managed to get several partners(resellers) outside WF for my custom mobile website design service in the past year(USA,UK and AU) but only after exchanging 70+ emails and couple phone calls with them ... it's really hard from my opinion but worth the time.The main issues it's the trust factor from my experience.
    I've contacted over 2000 possible partners through email only in the past year and I only got like 7 partners which send me regular work beside the orders I get through my service here on WF.
    I got a team of 3 new designers to cover more work for the same hi quality and I want to expand my partners(resellers) database, or at least double the size within the next few months so I think I'm gonna continue sending emails.I don't know how effective my emails are but I'm trying different approaches with/without prices, short/long emails etc.

    I would love to talk with someone who has some experience with this to learn some tricks.

    Good luck OP and if you find something that works maybe you can share with us.

    Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author visimedia
    attracting resellers will be the same as attracting affiliates. But can be easier because they can have much more profit.
    just open a thread in "wanted" section in WF.. it works really well
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  • Profile picture of the author cash89
    Its all about making the right contacts. i am currently looking to build a network of contractors that I can outsource my web design and SEO to. I am getting too much business to handle on my own and can not keep up.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
      Sitekrafters,
      Let me try to shed some light for you. There are a couple of options.

      Option 1 - You want to basically be the go to guy or the outsourcer, by providing the product or service while letting others sell your Stuff and make whatever spread they can.

      FOR STARTERS
      What you will need is a a Kick Ass Portfolio for them with Good materials that they can easily White Label. One for each product or service you offer. One of things to do is to offer to create that for them as part of your pitch to a reseller.

      If it were me, I would create a Pitch Deck, a Tear Sheet and Pricing Sheet for each service/product. Make it easy as hell, Done for You System.

      Create a Simple Sales Funnel for Each that can be white labeled. Take some time and do it right.

      Once you have those things in place, now ur ready to go after resellers.

      GETTING RESELLERS
      Create your own sales funnel, the one you will use to close resellers with.
      Landing Page - Free Report (How to Make a Fortune as a Reseller) - Target Questionaire - Free Consultation to see if they qualify. (Buy Book Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff)

      Be very very choosey about who you pick up as a Product reseller. Go after High Quality then it is worth the time to do everything I stated above.

      Hell, you could create a Whole Offline Niche and call it Massive Passive Profits as a Reseller. 100% Done For You.

      There is more too it, but that should get you started, its the 2nd best option to hiring Kick Ass Salespeople in my humble opinion.

      If it were me, I would just hire Sales Super Stars only and Make all the Spread myself while paying them a Fabulous Commission.

      Robert
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