I have a business of bakery ingredients trading and have been doing this full-time and part-time for the past ten years. Recently I have decided to do this full time and get more serious with it.  My problem is sales generation: how can I assure adequate sales each month to surpass my break-even point? Right now I’m the only sales agent, and I have one helper. Is it wise for me to train an inexperienced agent regarding the details of the product so he can start selling?  He is very willing to learn the ropes of the trade and wants to start selling next week.

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Jay’s Answer: You need to develop a large enough client base so that you’re assured sufficient sales in any one month. Ideally, you create an ongoing relationship with your clients so that they get the benefit of your services on a regular basis (think “automatic”) without you having to sell them. Otherwise, you need to continue to enlarge your prospective client base.

Unless you can create a sales system that basically runs itself, you’re limited by how much you can do each month. How many calls? How many emails? Would having another person around who knew as much as you did about selling be valuable to your business?  How much? Would you feel comfortable entrusting someone else with your client calls?

If you haven’t already, I suggest you read “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” (Michael Gerber). It describes a bit of the situation you’re in and suggestions for transforming your sales job into a full-blown business.