A majority of the printing industry is made up of small businesses with less than 100 employees. Since small businesses rarely have additional budget for advertising or sales staff, small print companies may use print distributors. Print distributors are men and women who act as independent sales representatives, middle men essentially, bringing the products from a variety of printers together with businesses who need printing work done. Becoming a print distributor may take some work, but determined sales people can make it their career.
Instructions
1. Gain some experience in the sales industry. Whether you're working with print media or with another product you need to learn match customers with products that fit their needs. Additionally, print companies will be more likely to trust and rely on someone who has a good sales record behind them.
2. Get a business license. Go to your local courthouse or town hall and talk to the clerks who handle business licenses. They will explain what you need to have in order to be licensed by local laws as a sales company. Make sure you fulfill all of those laws, apply for a business license and pay all necessary fees. You can have a physical location, but that may not be necessary if you intend on working from a home office.
3. Find clients. Go to print companies that need independent representatives and present yourself as an interested business man. A print distributor is paid a commission or percentage on the sales that the agent brings in, and you will need to draw up and sign a contract with your clients stating how much your rate is. Bigger companies may have certain restrictions and rules that independent sales distributors have to follow, and you will need to agree with your client's rules before you can proceed.
4. Sell your clients' products. The more clients you have, the bigger the range or printed media you have access to. As such, when you have a meeting with a prospective buyer you can match that buyer's wants and needs with the most appropriate client or clients that you have. It helps make sure that everyone gets what they want, builds a necessary business relationship and makes everyone more money.
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