How to Find Sales Reps: Winning Remote Salespeople and Sales Partners Who Stay

I've been reading up again on the problems people are dealing with. And one question is coming up remarkably often in business owner forums right now: How do I find someone who sells for me?

If you want to find sales reps, your first thought is usually a job ad. Good salary, decent commission, done. But the cases I read this week show something else. The problem is rarely that there are no salespeople. The problem is that the offer to the salespeople isn't right. Or that after their first day, they have nothing to work with.

I picked the three cases from both sides of the table: once from the business owner, twice from salespeople.

Case 1: "Do I Hire a Salesperson or Put the Money Into Ads?"

Just recently, someone running a media agency asked exactly that in r/smallbusinessowner (see the original post). Around $60,000 is available for next year. Option A: a first salesperson on base salary plus commission, someone who does cold outreach and closes deals. Option B: $5,000 a month in advertising.

The key sentence sits almost in passing in the post: right now there's no system for inbound inquiries and none for active outreach either. Almost all clients so far came through LinkedIn, through the owner's own network.

I understand the dilemma very well. Both options cost the same, and both feel like a big step. But look closely: a salesperson without leads spends their first months building lists and cold calling. Ads without anyone following up leave inquiries sitting there. So the question isn't "salesperson or ads" at all. The question is: in what order?

Case 2: "Only With Recurring Commission, Otherwise No"

Under a job ad for closers in r/highticket_sales that paid a one-time commission per deal, someone who says they run a very successful closer team commented, in essence: With ongoing commission I'll do it, otherwise not (see the original post).

It's a short answer, but it explains a lot. Good salespeople do the math. If they win a client who pays every month and they only get something out of it once, the offer is unattractive to them. The experienced ones filter out ads like that right away. So if you want to recruit sales partners who stay, you have to ask yourself honestly: Does my salesperson keep earning as long as the client stays?

That doesn't mean every model needs recurring commission. But you should know that exactly the people you'd most like to have are the ones who ask about it.

Case 3: "No Experience, but I Want to Learn"

Under an ad for remote appointment setters in B2B cold outreach in r/B2BForHire, someone with experience as a freelancer and virtual assistant applied (see the original post). They said so honestly: no experience yet in cold outreach, appointment setting or B2B sales. But willing to learn and flexible on price.

You get a lot of applications like that when you search remotely and on commission. Some of these people turn out really good, others quit after two weeks. The difference rarely comes down to talent. It comes down to whether there's a product that's easy to explain, a short call script and real feedback on the first calls.

What the Three Cases Have in Common

If you put the three posts side by side, a clear picture emerges:

• Without leads, every salesperson starves. Experienced or new, if you have no conversations, you can't close anything.
• Good salespeople choose you, not the other way around. They look at the commission model and at whether the offer is sellable.
• Beginners need structure. A script, materials and feedback decide whether a willingness to learn turns into closed deals.

How to Find Sales Reps in Six Steps

1. Clarify what you actually need. Do you need someone who finds contacts, someone who books appointments, or someone who closes? Those are three different roles. Many job ads want all of it in one person.

2. Make sure the conversations come first. Before you hire anyone, you need a steady stream of inquiries. That can be advertising, content, partnerships or your network. A salesperson who gets warm inquiries from day one gets up to speed much faster than one who starts from zero.

3. Build an offer salespeople want. Decide: base salary or commission only? One-time or recurring? When does it pay out? The clearer this is in the ad, the better the applications you get. Unclear terms attract unclear people.

4. Search remotely, not just in your city. Remote commission sales widens your search radius enormously. Many people who speak your customers' language now live abroad, in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus for example, and are looking for an income that isn't tied to one place. If you only try to find field sales reps who live in your region, you'll miss them.

5. Test before the big promise. Do a role-play with your real offer. Let the person handle two or three real calls and listen in. With freelance remote sales, a trial period is normal on both sides.

6. Provide structure from day one. A short call script, the most common objections with answers, materials to share and a fixed weekly slot for feedback. That costs you little time and decides who stays.

Back to Case 1: What I Would Do at This Point

I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. First, I'd put a smaller part of the budget into ads to see what a real consultation call costs. Then I'd set up a simple follow-up process and run the first calls myself to learn which objections come up. And only once inquiries come in predictably would I bring in someone who closes. That person then starts with warm contacts and with what you learned from the first calls. That's the better starting position for both sides.

What You Gain

So far you've carried your business yourself, and most clients came through you and your network. Now you want to grow, and you know you can't handle every conversation alone. But the worry is there: What if I hire someone and three months later nothing has happened?

When the conversations are there first, you'll find salespeople who stay, because they can earn from day one.

Here's what you gain:

• Less risk when hiring. You know in advance how many inquiries you have and what a conversation costs. So you're not hiring blind.
• Better applicants. A clear commission model and real inquiries attract exactly the experienced people who immediately filter out bad offers.
• Time for your core business. When someone else handles the conversations and you only take on the most important ones yourself, you win your week back.

A salesperson isn't a magic button, and not every hire works out. But with inquiries, clear terms and structure, you have the odds on your side.

How This Looks at Plaith

Plaith helps the self-employed and small businesses get a predictable flow of inquiries through Meta Ads. At Plaith, 6 specialists, combining people and AI, take care of videos, ad messaging and campaign management, from €26 a day plus a one-time setup, cancel monthly. That way your sales team has conversations to work with.

If you want to know whether this fits your business, book a short call with René. Fifteen minutes, no sales pressure, and we'll tell you honestly if it isn't a fit.

And if you're on the other side of the table: we're looking for sales partners ourselves who work remotely. Find out how to become a partner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Do I Find Good Sales Reps?

Not only on job boards. Sales communities, LinkedIn, referrals and groups for remote work are often more productive. If you search remotely, you also reach salespeople abroad who speak your customers' language.

Base Salary or Commission Only?

Both work as long as the terms are clear. Experienced salespeople pay particular attention to whether they share in recurring revenue.

Should I Hire a Salesperson First or Invest in Advertising?

Usually take care of inquiries first. A salesperson without leads takes a long time to bring in deals.

Can a Salesperson Without Experience Work Out?

Yes, if the product is easy to explain and there's a script and regular feedback. Plan for a trial period.