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What is an independent sales agent?

Independent Sales Agents, Reps or Manufacturer's Reps are typically highly experienced sales professionals that have come from a background of employment in a particular industry and then make the decision to become self-employed and work on a freelance basis.

It takes absolute confidence in their sales ability, a strong entrepreneurial desire and incredible work ethic to become a successful self-employed rep.

An independent sales agent's goal is to then go on and build a sales portfolio of complementary products lines and services which they then sell into their existing industry networks.

Sales Agents may prefer to represent products and service lines in an already established territory i.e. where the brand already has a presence and existing client base however, some sales agents/agencies may express an interest in developing new territories and becoming exclusive suppliers in a new Geographic region. If this is the case then the agent may develop a Marketing strategy to help with brand awareness in the region they are looking to break into.

Independent sales representatives use a number of different methods to sell products or services within their portfolio to the end client. These may include:

• Appointment setting
• Face-to-Face
• Online demos
• Telesales

Key points to take away:

• Sales professionals who break away from the constraints of employment to become self-employed sales agency owners are typically highly experienced and have been at the top of their field in their industry.
• Freelance sales agents aim to build a portfolio of products or services that complement each other and do not have a conflict of interest.
• Agents may be happy working in an already established territory alongside others or prefer to develop their own territory.
• Be mindful that agents bring huge value to the companies they work with and also incur their own expenses.
• They may use one, or a number of different selling styles and methods to bring in new business