Web Design Sales Workers

16 replies
Hey Warriors,

So in the midst of investigating a potential market for the business of web design I'm looking into passive ways to drive customers before I spend to much effort into this. I was thinking of hiring commission based sales workers to go to events and pitch my web design services at a price point which would allow me the resources needed to hire managers & technical managers (coders/graphics people) as necessary to run it's self. I'm thinking $1500 for any basic website even wordpress one's.

Does anyone know any good places to hire commission based sales workers? I've heard of timetohire.com, but curious if you guys know any others? I want to test this theory of mine out and see if it has a good return on investment.
#design #sales #web #workers
  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Phone or in person sales?

    I always recommend you recruit them yourself. Go out shopping and find sales professionals you like where you could pay them more for less work. Then sell them on working for you vs. where they are now.
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    • Profile picture of the author ginnysclub1
      I know how you can recruit some commission based sales people.

      http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...e-reviews.html
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
        Originally Posted by ginnysclub1 View Post

        I know how you can recruit some commission based sales people.

        http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...e-reviews.html
        Oh, look. The second promotion of this WSO by the seller, in a discussion thread, in the same day!

        Closed it. If you put the order buttons back in that offer after the ban expires, I'll extend the ban significantly.

        I don't know where the folks in the Offline and Mobile Marketing sections got the idea these are places to promote offers, but y'all may want to reconsider that notion.


        Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    I've tried craigslist but that didn't work at all, I got only advertising people trying to contact me and weird... people. I could try monster.com and some of those sites perhaps, but have never done this, so curious if it's worth it.

    I have a problem with recruiting them myself. I mean... I'll do it at first, but I need to find a system for reliably hiring sales people in person to go to events. For this business to run it's self, eventually my general managers will need to hire people.

    The reason for this is I'm trying to create a 'business' not be 'self employed'. By definition, I believe a business is something you can walk away from and it still runs it's self.

    For this to work I need a reliable source to get sales commission people, then I need to prove a tactic/price-point that works for them.

    I attached an image of my proposed business plan in visual terms.

    The points with 'red' triangles are 'leaps of faith' as they are called (according to the Lean Startup) that need to be proven before this business model will work smoothly. I already have my technical and general manager in place (at least 1 of em anyways). I just need reliable ways to get sales people, and then I need to test my pitches to see if it brings in customers. If it does I'll take the next steps. No point doing the business if I can't prove I can get customers, so that is my main focus right now.



    So as of now, I've proven that 'Craigslist' Advertising Source for sales comission people does not work. I assume fiverr will probably not work as well but I'll give it a try. If all else fails I suppose TimeToHire might be the only way. They do seem to have a good reputation.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Spangler
    I think you will have a very hard time trying to create the organization you have mind mapped. The 2 most glaring issues I see are
    1.The compensation for sales reps.. $30 per event and $100 per sale, you arent likely to find good people for those peanut wages. Even if you find a couple good ones that blow up they wont stay long when they find out how much they can really make.

    2. The $1500 price point is going to be on the low side to sustain the organization and make a substantial profit.
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    Yeah I'm realizing that now, I'm going to probably raise the cost to $2000 for a website, and pay commissions much higher, probably $600 a sale. I'm learning a lot from reading his article. You are right people are not going to work for commission only basis unless it's worth 4X their time they think it will take.

    Then the big question is, will clients really pay $2000 for a website? I think they will from my personal experience selling websites before, but I'm not sure how 'fast' this can happen. I'll keep this thread updated though.
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    • Profile picture of the author Eddie Spangler
      Originally Posted by x11joex11 View Post

      Yeah I'm realizing that now, I'm going to probably raise the cost to $2000 for a website, and pay commissions much higher, probably $600 a sale. I'm learning a lot from reading his article. You are right people are not going to work for commission only basis unless it's worth 4X their time they think it will take.

      Then the big question is, will clients really pay $2000 for a website? I think they will from my personal experience selling websites before, but I'm not sure how 'fast' this can happen. I'll keep this thread updated though.

      1. They will pay more IF you are selling solutions rather than websites and frankly lots of people can sell "websites" for more, you just have to be selective of who your prospects are.

      It gets said over and over around here but I guess its still not enough because this concept still isnt being grasped by people seeking advice around here.
      People arent interested in "stuff" they want more customers, more sales , more success.
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    I see what you are saying, sell how the website will make them money not how it's 'stuff' they will have. I can see that.
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    I figured he was probably promoting it in the wrong area, I will say it was a useful WSO for what it is so far and I purchased it (hopefully that is not bad), mostly I'm trying to get insight into my idea and business model and get inspiration.
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    • Profile picture of the author IneedProfit
      I have a problem with recruiting them myself. I mean... I'll do it at first, but I need to find a system for reliably hiring sales people in person to go to events. For this business to run it's self, eventually my general managers will need to hire people.
      So, you're wanting someone to do all of the dirty work for you? Get out there and sell. If you can't sell, you shouldn't be self employed. If you had too much business, you wouldn't need to be asking where to hire people.
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    I wouldn't say I'm having someone do all the 'dirty work' for me. I want to focus on the business. I've 'ALREADY' done all the dirty work that gets you nowhere. I would spend all my time getting customers and no time to work on expanding the business or even working on the products. That is being 'SELF EMPLOYED'. I want to create a 'BUSINESS', not be 'SELF EMPLOYED'. Hence my model I'm displaying.

    Your attitude is exactly why you will never be rich. If you want to do everything yourself then by all means do it, we'll see who reaches the finish line faster. I'm trying to create a system, I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm just going to 'work hard' at my system and not in the areas that distract me from business (dirty work as you put it).

    There is no point in creating this business if I can't free my time to focus on it. To do this I need to automate the sales process through a sales team for starters. Until I can reliably prove a customer stream there is no point to continue further. This includes the process of hiring commission sales workers.
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    • Profile picture of the author IneedProfit
      Your attitude is exactly why you will never be rich.
      You have no clue where I am at, but I can tell you, it's better than where you are. It's probably better than where you'll ever be.

      I have a very successful business, and I don't have to ask silly questions on a message board. I sold myself and business, until I needed to hire more people. Hold on, I think Carleton Sheets is just around the corner, to help you out.
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      • Profile picture of the author IneedProfit
        There is no point in creating this business if I can't free my time to focus on it.
        Maybe I am wrong, but you haven't created anything at this time. You want people to sell for you, you want people to hire for you, you want people to create your business. You want a get rich quick scheme, but that just doesn't happen.

        Go to work.
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    • Profile picture of the author PanteraIM
      Originally Posted by x11joex11 View Post

      I wouldn't say I'm having someone do all the 'dirty work' for me. I want to focus on the business. I've 'ALREADY' done all the dirty work that gets you nowhere. I would spend all my time getting customers and no time to work on expanding the business or even working on the products. That is being 'SELF EMPLOYED'. I want to create a 'BUSINESS', not be 'SELF EMPLOYED'. Hence my model I'm displaying.

      Your attitude is exactly why you will never be rich. If you want to do everything yourself then by all means do it, we'll see who reaches the finish line faster. I'm trying to create a system, I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm just going to 'work hard' at my system and not in the areas that distract me from business (dirty work as you put it).

      There is no point in creating this business if I can't free my time to focus on it. To do this I need to automate the sales process through a sales team for starters. Until I can reliably prove a customer stream there is no point to continue further. This includes the process of hiring commission sales workers.
      No one that has their own business started out as the Director/CEO from day one, these things take a long time to gestate.

      You have the right ideas about how to build a business, but you need to do it yourself first before you can scale or automate the processes. You need to understand it more than anyone else in the world before handing the responsibilities over to someone else.

      It's also utterly unrealistic to expect to hire commission only reps the first day of opening your doors without any kind of internal processes or sales strategy.

      You need to be out there by yourself for at least the first year.. you are a leader after all.. people won't follow you until you have proven you can do this yourself.
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  • Profile picture of the author x11joex11
    So, you're wanting someone to do all of the dirty work for you? Get out there and sell. If you can't sell, you shouldn't be self employed. If you had too much business, you wouldn't need to be asking where to hire people.
    Maybe I am wrong, but you haven't created anything at this time. You want people to sell for you, you want people to hire for you, you want people to create your business. You want a get rich quick scheme, but that just doesn't happen.

    Go to work.
    1.) I'm on this board to get inspiration and ideas to create my business and find a business model that works. You are clearly on here to troll me or you would have said something more helpful instead of attacking. If you are going to attack my position at least counter with a solution... even if you are a successful business owner you are acting like a child with a big ego. Going to work is not a solution, but an insult. If I wanted to 'get a job', I would not be on this board.

    2.) I DO NOT have a successful business hence why I am asking questions on this board to learn. At least I can admit that like a man.

    3.) Every day I hear 'go to work' from parents and other people with jobs. This is not the way to get rich, all I would do is trade my time for money. I'm honestly wasting my time writing this, but maybe it can help someone. Explain otherwise and I'm open, but if your method takes 20 years don't bother. I don't want to be old and can't move by the time I can use my money.

    I mean... I'll do it at first
    4.) Notice in my previous posts I said I don't mind doing the work in the start to prove the concepts. So I have no idea where you got the idea I only want to hire people to do work for me... but in the long run it's IMPOSSIBLE to run a national scale company (which I plan to do), without a system in place to handle every problem, including sales. You can only do so much sales yourself. I have gone out to sell before, but I don't count that as a business even if I did make $10,000 or so. I would go to mixers and talk with people and pitch web design service and I'd get sales in the $1000- $1500 range. I have not proven yet that clients from mixers will pay more, but they might. I don't want to bother going back out there to test the $2500 range until I know that I can hire sales staff in an automated fashion. I don't intend to use Sales Personnel as Guinea pigs either. I will make sure that people pay the amount I need for a website to make the system work.

    Anyhow, I'm off to work...oh I mean to work on my business . You don't have to respond unless you have something constructive to say or you would be wasting your time as I won't read it or respond.
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  • Profile picture of the author synthetik242
    I wouldn't say I'm having someone do all the 'dirty work' for me. I want to focus on the business. I've 'ALREADY' done all the dirty work that gets you nowhere.
    Agreed. I think in many cases it only makes sense to outsource the recruiting portion of your business. How else do you get access to quality sales people? You will certainly NOT find quality people on Craiglist -- this has been proven time and time again.

    I think one of the reasons that TimeToHire.com works is that it doesn't use Craigslist, but better sources such as Monster or Careerbuilder. Instead of you having to search for sales people, they search and contact people for you.

    I don't do my own taxes, fight my own legal battles, write my own CRM software (zoho rocks!) or host my own servers. Outsourcing makes sense for most things and I can't imagine trying to recruit without a good source of leads (candidates).
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