More and more often, seasoned salespeople are abandoning the traditional 9-to-5 company office life in favor of becoming freelance sales agents. While many people prefer the structure and stability of a sales representative's job, others are discovering and reaping the benefits that being an independent sales agent can provide.
What are those benefits, you ask? I'm happy to break it down for you! Here are just a few of the perks you'll find as an independent sales agent.
Become your own boss
Are you tired of commuting to the company office every day? Would you love the chance to sleep in an extra hour and start the work day a little later? Does your own personal sales process work better for you than your company's standard process and playbook?
One of the best parts of freelancing is that you become your own boss. As long as you aren't violating any of the conditions in the company contract you signed, you are free to approach your daily work routine however you want. For some people, that means renting office space downtown and starting the day at 9 a.m. sharp; others prefer to work from the comfort of their living room and only dress up if they plan to meet with clients.
You can also develop your own marketing and sales processes rather than needing to follow the company's standard sales process by the book. As an independent sales agent, you have the freedom to work in whatever way will make you the most productive.
See higher income opportunities
Something that scares many people away from freelancing is the absence of a salary; as a commission sales agent, your income is entirely dependent on the actual sales you can close. But if you're an experienced salesperson and know what you're doing, this commission-based work can actually work in your favor. In theory, there is no limit to how much money you can earn!
This goes back to finding your perfect, tried-and-true sales approach. Some agents focus primarily on enterprise clients with higher rewards, where closing a sale or two will pay your bills for several months. For others, a focus on smaller clients with shorter sales cycles, which add up quickly, is the better approach. Either way, freelance agents have the potential to earn more through commission alone than some sales reps do with their salary and commission combined.
Choose your favorite industries
One factor that separates the good salespeople from the fantastic ones is whether the rep has a genuine interest in what they're selling. Leads can often tell which reps truly believe in what they're selling and which ones just jumped at the first job offer they could find.
We've already talked about all the freedoms agents have when approaching their work day. Another freedom that agents have is the ability to choose which companies they represent. Whether you have a real knack for car insurance or could talk for hours about your favorite health and beauty products, you can choose the industries and specific companies you'll work for. This ensures that you truly care about everything you're selling and that you're familiar enough with the industry to offer additional advice and insight to your clients.
Grow your reputation
If you want to expand your network and make a name for yourself in the industry, becoming an independent sales agent might just be the solution for you. When you partner with a company, it's not just that you're selling their products to your clients; you are also directly associating yourself and your services with that company. And if you're working with highly respected companies, this tells your clients—and potential employers—that you're a trustworthy agent who only sells the best of the best.
Want to become an independent sales agent?
If you want to reap all these benefits and more, you may want to consider becoming a sales agent. And if marketing automation speaks to you, maybe give the SimplyCast Agent Program a look! You can promote and sell SimplyCast's marketing automation solution to your clients and earn a generous commission, all while having the SimplyCast team there to help you behind the scenes. For more information, you can contact us at agent@simplycast.com.
