Page 229 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

Step 1 1 . Make Your Trade Show Debut 223

Look for companies that rent scanners to exhibitors at trade
so that you can scan their badges instead of collect­

a carcl. The scanner companies work in conju nction with
show management, so you receive a l l the critical contact
information from the person. If it's a busy show with a lot of
attendees, it's a good idea to use a scanner system if the

rental rate is reasonable (it can go as high as $300). It'll be a

big timesaver and you know the information is correct. The
downside is that you can't write notes on the back of a card
you don't have. So you have to take better notes.

Should You Hire a Sales Representative?

When the show results were not as good as expected, some people
may ask themselves this question. Working with a rep may help
spread the news about your brand faster than you can alone. How­
ever, if you just have one or two products, your line may get lost in
the rep's assortment of other, larger lines. Reps like lines that have
lots of SKUs because they make the most money with those brands.

How the Financial Arrangement Works

Since many reps make no money unless they actually sell your
products, you really have nothing to lose. Start with a three- to six­
month contract. Sales reps charge approximately 1 5 percent com­
mission on orders that they write for your company. If they open
an account and receive a purchase order for $1 ,000, the rep is paid
$1 50. Some reps get paid once you have received your payment
from the company; others request payment on the 1st or 1 5th of
every month, whether you have been paid or not. If, for some rea­
son, an account cancels and you have already paid the rep, deduct
it from the next check.

Rep groups will show their lines at trade shows, so you can often
visit some you are considering. A rep group will charge you a fee