How software developers can make great apps and leave the selling to the experts.

You’re a world class programmer with lots of ideas.  You uncover a solution to a common business problem, and set about solving it with technology.  You build a great new app and launch a website.  Then… nothing.

What to do next?  

You can:

A.  Cold call prospects yourself (but you hate the thought of sales and prospecting)

B.  Hire a sales rep (do you have around $20,000 which is what it will cost only to figure out you hired the wrong person?)

C.  Invest in SEO – you should do this no matter what.

D.  AdWords – expensive, hard to manage

E.  Banner ads – a good option, but who is going to handle the incoming leads?

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F.  Build and manage a direct sales force.

Wait, you say, go no further, stop there.  Virtual sales force?  I want to know more.

More and more software companies (and small startups) are learning the benefits and possibilities of a virtual sales force.  At Repfolio, an on-demand platform that allows businesses to build and manage virtual sales teams, we define a virtual sales force as a “group of individual business consultants and professional sales reps who market your solution for commission only on their own time.”  Another popular term is “referral agents.”  Sound like a good deal?  Commission only?  What’s the catch?

In a recent post, we wrote about strategies for getting the most out of referral agents.  Convincing a handful of talented sales professionals to spend time marketing your latest creation is only the first part.  You’re going to need to be prepared to manage the reps as you would your own employees, to keep them motivated and productive.  If you don’t have the time or knowledge to do that, a company like Repfolio can provide Account Management services for you.

The best news for you is that all hope is not lost.  There are thousands of very professional independent sales people who are passionate about software and SaaS (software as a service) and are always looking for the next great thing to market to their network of prospects and/or existing customers.

We encourage you to consider the possibilities of using a virtual sales force to create traction for your product/solution.