How to go from Sales Career to Become a Business Development Contractor

How to go from Sales Career to Become a Business Development Contractor

Do you think about what options you have working in sales? There are a lot. Climbing the sales ladder is one route. You can become a Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager or become a VP of Sales. There are great rewards in a sales career. But what about going on your own. What are the options to becoming independent? How do you go about it? How do you secure clients. Who will help you. What are the steps. How do I learn the process? These are the questions.

I am here to tell you there is another way. A way to become independent, do what you love and grow a business of your own. I have been an independent Business Development Contractor for 9 years. I’ve learned a massive amount of information from serving multiple business at the same time. I’ve learned the ins and out of keeping them all together, how to make it work and get clients.

I’ve been in Sales and Business Development for 26 years...climbing sales ladders and moving in and out of the corporate world trying different things as an employee, Entrepreneur and Business owner.

9 years ago, I come across an opportunity to represent multiple companies at the same time. It wasn’t easy at first and I needed to work out the bugs. The money wasn’t the best in the beginning because I was not working for 1 company at 1 time and I was not an employee. I had to justify my existence and value. I saw the opportunity to be on my own again, leverage multiple businesses and grow while serving others. Believe me there is a need for this. Instead of applying for a job you can create your own business and choose who you want to work with. Sound good?

I’m here to share how it all works. I have documented the process of years of experience. Not only can I show you how to do it and what you will need. But I can also share how working with multiple clients is done. I’ve written a detailed step by step guide…” How to Become a Business Development Contractor” It includes 6 steps spread out over a 15-page 6,500-word document that requires nearly 3 hours of my personal support. There are no other white pages on how to. Here is a summary.

 

  • It’s important to understand what it takes to become an Industry expert. You will not survive if you’re not taken seriously and do not have the sales knowledge, business tools, documents and processes in place. Customers will want recommendations, background information and ROI studies. They are used to the traditional route of hiring a direct representative. You will need to be polished when asking them to hire your company.

 

  • It’s also very important to determine if this is even a passion of yours. It’s not recommended to do something just for the sakes of doing it. You must discover your passion. Discover your why. This is part of the process. Learning your passion comes from what you enjoy doing while serving others and fulfilling a dream.

 

  • You will need to learn the difference between Sales and Business Development and why it matters with this opportunity. The difference is in compartmentalizing the sales process. Teaming up with the company you are representing to assign different tasks along the way. It may sound labor intensive or difficult, but it is not. I have a found working together as an alliance is the perfect way to make it work for you and your clients.

 

  • You will need certain tools to be successful. A proper CRM, equipment needs, a business structure, business plan, sales tools, etc. When becoming independent you will still need the same things as the larger company but on a smaller scale. You’ll need to learn how to use Social Media as part of your action plan. You will need to learn the best way to prospect, network and handle trade shows when working with multiple companies. You will need to have the proper training for you and your clients. It’s all very doable and possible...I’ve done it.

 

  • You will need to select your fees and rates. You will have to cost justify your pricing and compare them to alternatives. You will be asked to compare what you offer Vs hiring a direct sales person. You will need to know the advantages, disadvantages and how to work with multiple businesses. You will need to know how to handle the overlaps between companies. You must know the best way to make it work and to make perfect sense.

 

  • Lastly, you will need to know what the market potential is. Who are your ideal clients for this type of opportunity? I’ve worked with different industries and business sizes. Information Technology. Security System Integrators, Telecom, Website Designers, Printers and Printer Supply, Supply Chain Consultants, Beauty Industry, Digital Marketing, etc. I believe there are so many opportunities it will be hard to choose. I’ve found the sweet spot to be with Startups and established businesses that are now ready to expand their B2B presence. There are an endless amount of companies needing Business Development help. You can either work for them or have them as your clients. Now let’s look at what others have to say:

 

“I've had a variety of professional relationships with John McKee over the past decade. I've hired John as a business consultant, as a direct employee, and as a sales contractor and I've also watched John's independent entrepreneurial pursuits during this time as well. John is hands-down one of the most effective sales professionals I've ever worked with as well as one of the most knowledgeable businessman I've met during my entrepreneurial career. I look forward to continuing our work with John for years to come and I recommend John's skills and services to others as well” - Fred Dirkse Owner OIC Group, Inc

 

“John got my business started in the right direction. With all his contacts, leads and knowledge he was the person I was glad to meet up with. Great motivator” - Ray Rita, Capelli Innovations LLC

 

“John is a very personable guy. He originally came in to our office to introduce Prairie Tech. We quickly realized that the services we provide would be a natural fit to Prairie Tech. What I like about John is that he is out there talking to individuals to find out how he can help. He is not trying to sell he is trying to help. He listens, takes notes and finds solutions” – Heather Fitzanko CSDS

 

“John has introduced us to several companies over the years as our needs opened for new services. Seico Security has helped us secure our facilities through alarm monitoring, security cameras, and centralized building access control. Seico always delivers on time and understands our needs extremely well. Guaranteed Ink has allowed us to save money on ink and toner while simultaneously lowering our IT staff time spent on repairing printers. AAA Certified Confidential Security Corp. handles our sensitive material destruction for both physical and electronic media, helping us meet our compliance needs. All of the introductions that John has made have never felt forced on us and only when we truly have a need does he try to connect us to the right people. John’s professionalism and honesty always makes working with him a pleasure” – Keith Ritter, Advanced Medical Transport

 

“As a Management Consulting business I am a very busy executive and do not have a lot of spare time to work on lead generation and arrange new prospective client meetings. I have tried hiring a sales person before and it really didn’t work out so well. Nor did they produce any significant leads or meetings. 
I had met with John a few times in the past at Chamber meetings and I remember him discussing lead generation outsourcing. We met a few times over the last year and I finally decided to reach out to him. He explained how BuyingAMeeting works and that I can buy as many sales prospect meetings as I want. I knew him and trusted him, plus he has been specializing in connecting People and Businesses and Products for years, so I purchased a trial package.

The rates were very reasonable, justified and well worth trying Vs trying to hire and train another sales person. The payment was in advance, but I had nothing to lose because their policy is “No Meetings… I get my money back”. Now I will be moving forward with more meetings on demand. I recommend BuyingAMeeting to any busy Entrepreneur, Startup or Business Owner looking to generate new appointments and introduction meetings set with a lot of hassle. It sure saved me a lot of time and headache”
- Songo Dede DSMH LLC

 

It’s hard work and takes a lot of effort. It has taken me years and countless hours to develop a system that works. If you have an Entrepreneurial spirit and looking at a professional sales career there are alternatives to working for another company. Whether you are going to make a career in sales or already have, consider the alternatives. I can only hope that there are more discussions on this topic and I am happy to lead the charge. Find the freedom of working for yourself.

 

For more information and to get your hands on the full How to Guide and training. Contact me directly. It will save you years of development, mistakes, what works and what doesn’t work. A proven process. Please contact me on LinkedIn or email inquiries to: john@business453.com

 

John McKee… Author of “Nothing Happens Until The Meeting Is Set” and Patent Awardee

Social: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and FB Handle: @JohnMcKee453

 

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