An independent sales consultant is often times a self-employed professional who works for different clients at the same time. Independent sales representatives have some very typical tasks. They include getting in touch with the customers, answering inquiries, promoting the services and products, preparing reports and so on. They are also responsible for securing some new gigs for the brand and creating great relationships with customers.
The day-to-day tasks
There are different things that a sales consultant needs to handle on a daily basis. These are the things that they are basically hired for. Regardless of whether they are in a company or a firm, the responsibilities are pretty much the same. The tasks include:
Searching for potential clients
This is one task that the independent sales consultants are responsible for. There are many ways in which they can reach potential customers. With the entry of internet marketing, there are different platforms that can be explored by the sales team. You need to know the audience you are targeting, the age group, their location, and the most reasonable way of contacting them.
You need to identify who the model clients are. You should learn about their needs and requirements. When you know them well, then you can address their needs better. When you are looking for clients, you will have to convince them and so it is important to know a product inside out. When you are in a position to answer all their questions, then you have a better chance of convincing them why they need the product in the first place. A good sales representative will always follow up on a customer who shows some level of interest in the services or the products.
Preparing and submitting periodic reports that are based on sales
A good sales rep always stays self-disciplined and they concentrate on tracking their own progress at all times. As such, they record the sales made and, usually, the sales manager will be responsible to make the reports that are based on the sales that have been achieved over a period. These have to be prepared in a professional and easy to understand format. It is therefore important to have a team that is capable of delivering and recording progress regardless of how little such progress is. It is important to have concise and clear reports that the manufacturing company that has hired you can easily understand. Ensure that you concentrate on showing the client the most important and relevant information about the selling of their product within that time.
Studying the potential needs of clients
A good independent sales representative should be conversant with how the industry operates. In this way, they can understand the different issues that people are dealing with. When you are promoting a product, you should know what kind of solutions it can offer people within a particular place or area.
You can only do this successfully by conducting extensive market research about the product and what solutions it has to offer to the clients. Being a solution helps people relate to you and the product you are selling to them. This works very well, especially when you believe in a product that makes convincing others that the product is good even easier. Understand what people need and then relate it to the product. This should help you gain more clients faster.
Extensive cold calling
Cold calling is where one solicits business from different customers that do not really have any contact with the person making the call. This is an attempt to convince the customers to make a purchase of the services or products. Cold calling can be a business tool, especially when it is done legitimately.
You need to have the right tools to do it right. It is also very important to study the potential client. You can learn as much as possible about a person before you place the call. A social media profile can provide you with some basics and some of the things that the potential customer is interested in. This allows you to prepare a friendly conversation that could possibly convert them. It is also important to find the best time to make a call. Find out about the geographical location and the time zone where the client is based. It does not make any sense to call in the dead of the night.
Keep monitoring the project life cycle
It is essential for a sales representative to keep on monitoring the life cycle of different products that they are undertaking. This is the only way you can tell whether you are doing things right or not. You need to come up with a sales case and then conduct a feasibility study. You need to have a project team, depending on what you are dealing with. It is always important to do a phase review after each phase is completed to ensure that you are meeting the set goals. A sales rep should be active and should take time to monitor everything that happens around them to make the correct conclusions and correct any mistakes for better performance in future.
