Independent Sales Rep Job as a New Career | How to Make Money

Independent sales rep jobs are a vital part of any our economy. Recently, CNBC posted an article about how sales jobs were still in plentiful supply because they are revenue generating positions.

Even in an economic recession, sales jobs will always be in high supply. And that means that independent sales jobs will also be in high demand.  No one really knows how much money independent sales jobs make, but in general, successful ones tend to make a lot more than a typical employed sales professional.

Here are the salary and income numbers for regular employed sales jobs according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It will give you an idea of what you can potentially make doing this kind of sales.

Median income of sales reps were $70,200, including commissions, in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned and income of $48,540 - $99,570 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned and income of less than $34,980. The top 10 percent earned more than $133,040.

Independent sales jobs require that the sales rep make potential customers interested in the product or service their company has to sell. They should know how to present their goods as well as be able to answer questions that the prospect may have.

They show their prospects how their goods and services can help a business save money by lowering costs or increasing sales. They might require you to represent one line of business or multiple lines of goods and services. Most also represent multiple companies as well.

It may also require that them know how to engage a wide variety of industry players. Just about anyone and everyone is a prospect, depending on the industry and what the sales rep is selling.

The sales process can take anywhere from 1 day to several months to close a deal. A sales rep will present their product or service with the intend of closing a deal and making that sale.

This job also requires that they call on sales leads, negotiate deals and contracts to make the sale. Once a sales rep makes the initial presentation, they will be required to answer questions regarding the service or product.

Independent sales jobs also require good record keeping. The sales rep maybe required to log in all their customer and prospect interactions into a database like salesforce to keep track of their progress as well as do a sales analysis and provide reports for sales managers.

There are 2 major types of sales jobs. One is technical and scientific sales jobs and the other is non-technical sales jobs, which would include everything else.

Technical and scientific sales jobs include selling things like software, equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and the like.

Non-technical sales jobs include selling things like office supplies, retail apparel and other everyday things. Technical and scientific sales jobs offer a higher income. See my article on Sales Jobs Are Recession Proof to see salary information for sales jobs.

Sales jobs in technical and scientific areas may require additional expertise or an advance degree. Or it may just require you to learn a new industry and terminology.

Sales jobs require that the sales rep stay updated on the latest news and products coming out in their industry as well as their clients industries. A sales rep will do this by subscribing to industry magazines and journals as well as doing research and reading on the internet.

Additionally, sales jobs will often take the sales rep to expos, conventions, conferences and the like to network with other sales reps in the industry as well as connect with other industry players on the latest news and technology in their field.

Sales jobs will also often incorporate a team effort of the entire sales force. It is common for sales reps to work together and collaborate on best practices for making sales and to help give each other ideas, new pitches as well as encouragement and support.

Often times in technical and scientific sales jobs, sales reps will be paired with a technical person to present highly technical information and answer questions that the sales rep may not be able to answer.

In this scenario, the sales rep would make the initial contact by cold calling, networking and getting referrals, make the initial pitch, but then bring in a technical expert to present the details of what they are selling.

Once the sale is made, the sales rep would maintain that relationship and act as a liaison between the clients and the experts depending on the situation. This frees the sales rep to focus and spend time on his sales job rather than on learning the details of his technical and scientific product.

If you are able to handle these types of sales jobs, especially technical and scientific sales job, you will be able to make a lot of money. Sales jobs is a meritocracy. Income depends on how much and how well you work in the sales jobs you are in.

Virtually all sales jobs are done on commission, which means you get paid a percentage when you make a sale. Many full time sales jobs also come with a base salary plus commission.

Independent sales rep jobs also can make a lot of money, with the added benefit of work for yourself and working from home. It's can be a tough direction to go, but very rewarding for sales people who are persistent and diligent.