Greetings,

I have been tossing around the idea and concept of Marketing/Sales reps. What I am trying to get a handle on is how most hosts structure this position. In my thinking the position would involve the following-

1-Monitoring search engine submissions and placement

2-Monitoring boards like WHT for potential clients

3-Devising brand awareness campaigns and monitoring for effectiveness

4-Producing newsletter for existing and potential clients on a regular basis

5-Follow up on sales leads and providing solution to the prospect

6-Networking with other hosts for strategic alliances

7-Most of all producing quality clients and closing the sale

What else am I missing?

Okay…. So you get the job defined and know what you need to have happen. The next issue is a compensation package. What have you folks provided that was effective and motivating? When I look at the polls most of us are not grossing a lot of money. And it seems many are a one person shop. What is the likelihood of structuring this position so it is solely performance based? The more sales you close the more you make….. close no sales and you get no check.

I am interested in how this has been approached in the past and what advice you folks can give in creating such a position so that it is a win-win proposition for everyone involved.

Thanks
Bill

I am also very interested in this prospect :)

I would highly suggest a place like www.elance.com We use them to outsource on a constant basis.. The only thing is that you will want to make sure of, is to post this sort of job not in the web development section
(This will give you a lot of offers, but more then likely they will just keep the customers for their own business, or they are not necessarily good at developing relationships). You will want to post it under sales, or customer service. You want someone who is very Internet literate, but does not necessarily have competing interests.. Sometimes the customer service relationship is more important, then someone necessarily knowing all the ins & outs of your service.. Example: We have a company that pays us $200 a week to handle their recruitment online for their automotive advertising company.. We do all the items you listed & more. We don't really know all the exact tech. details, but we bring them customers because the customer liked our attitude,our suggestions, & the way we say (if we don't know an answer) let me go ahead & get you connected with so & so from "the company". I know you will want to sign up, so l will go ahead & connect you with "the person". This makes the customer feel "special" and once they ask a buying question to "the person" you know its a sale..
Just my 2 cents=) Im a new busines consultant=)

Thanks NewBiz. I will look around there and see if I can get any ideas. But....... this looks like a site to advertise once you have defined your needs and determined a compensation package.

Sooooo.......... Hosts. What have you done that worked, or is this a too closely guarded industry secret? :eek:

What is the likelihood of structuring this position so it is solely performance based? The more sales you close the more you make….. close no sales and you get no check. I think the problem you'd have with doing that, considering the kinds of services you're looking for, is that a lot of those activities produce no direct sales: Monitoring search engines, developing branding and marketing campaigns, networking with other hosts... a lot of time would be spent doing that with no compensation. As I see it, if you structure it that way you'd have to pay a pay a percentage of all your sales, not just those that this person or company produced or closed directly -- because all sales would be influenced by these activities.

I agree. I would say it would be your best bet to pay someone on a contract basis, to take care of all the items you need done. Pay them a set fee per week to cover the marketing. Of course you are going to want to make sure that they are doing their job.. Heres a few ideas..
Every week have them send you a detailed report on what they did, how they did it, & what they accomplished.. Example: Monday-Signed up for 10 forums.. Was able to pitch the hosting to 3 new people.. etc. Submitted site to new business directories..etc.

If I can help in any way, let me know..