Tina

Tina Starter

Wistia

Webinar: Recruiting Self-employed Sales Agents: Key Interview Questions & Etiquette

1099 sales reps

Accounting

advice

Agricultural sales

B2B Networking, 2024 Event Guide

B2B Sales Industry

B2B Sales

case study

commission only sales jobs

commission only sales reps

commission only sales

commission-only

CommissionCrowd

companies

company interviews

company setup guides

company training

Construction

customer experience sales

development

Education Platform

electric scooter sales

electrical manufacturing

electronic manufacturing

Experts Corner

Food & Beverage Industry

freelance

Global Remote Sales Platform For Digital Nomads

independent sales representatives

independent sales reps

Industrial Automation Sector

Industrial Engineering

interviews

lead generation

Machinery

manufacturers reps

Manufacturers sales reps

Mechanical Engineering

Medical Device

new features

opportunities

Partnerships

Pharmaceuticals

productivity

rep contracts

saas

sales agent interviews

sales agents

Sales Efficiency

sales hacks

Here at CommissionCrowd we bring independent sales reps only the very best commission-only sales opportunities, and today is no exception!

This amazing company are offering 35% commission + lifetime residuals! A recent $550k deal secured by this company would have netted you a commission of $192500 if you had closed the deal!

We're proud to introduce you to the Telios Group, a world-class global software development company based in Lagos, Nigeria.  They help their clients to excel in the modern age where disruptive solutions are released at an ever-increasing pace and time to market is a key standard determining whether or not and organization will survive.

Read the amazing company interview below and find out how they took one client from $13000 per week to over £130k per week while securing the deal for $550k (Sales agents would have received 35% commission on this deal).

Their company is built on a core of business/systems analysts, project managers, software architects and senior software developers and are supported by a scalable pool of 200 highly skilled intermediate and senior developers.

Telios offer a vast array of services including:

And they do it all within 90 days - guaranteed!

They are offering commissions of 35% + lifetime residuals on repeat orders for their independent sales partners.

*Please note, this is a commission-only sales opportunity and no fees or salary will be paid ahead of new closed business

We've interviewed The Telios Group to give independent sales reps a deeper understanding of the company and their commission-only sales opportunity.

Where did the inspiration for Telios Support Services come from?

Telios Support Services started from the founder’s experience with providing ICT advisory and consulting services for SMBs over a 10 year period from 2005 to 2015. During that period it became increasingly apparent that for many SMBs, competitiveness in the marketplace could be achieved by leveraging cost-effective custom software solutions that closely mapped the unique workflows of the SMB and which were designed to support the people resources of the SMB.

At that time, there weren’t many world-class custom software development houses in Nigeria which could offer these services to a global customer base. Therefore, after being engaged by a client in the UK to stand up a team to deliver a multi-platform Fintech solution, TSS took off in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. A key factor was the reality that talent is global and some regions of the world could really deliver high-quality software at a cost-effective price range and within agreed upon time frames.

Tell us a little about your expertise in the IT & Services arena

TSS has expertise across four areas of software development — Web, Mobile, Desktop, and what we call Automation solutions. Web, Mobile, and Desktop development are clear. Automation solutions cover custom solutions like; chat bots, web bots, web scrapers, and Applied Machine Learning. These four areas are delivered in an agile manner, by leveraging our proven project delivery methodology and incorporating the core ideas behind DevSecOps - Microservices, Infrastructure as code, and CI/CD pipelines.

Our core strength really is the ability to translate complex technology problems into business-friendly terms. This makes it much easier for us and our clients in developing and refining requirements, as well as incorporating feedback into the development cycle.

We strongly believe in the MVP idea - we guarantee an initial MVP delivered within 90 working days, followed by iterative improvements and bug fixes until the product/service is feature complete and ready for hand off to the client or transition into a Maintenance phase. We have found that this approach gives our clients a faster time to market than a traditional waterfall or non-MVP based approach.

Can you tell us about some of the work you have carried out to date?

At TSS, we have mainly acted as a secret sauce for our clients. Most of our work is behind NDA's so we can’t offer much in the way of intricate details — although we have worked across the FSI, Transportation, Hospitality and Healthcare verticals.

We have however, been able to secure the permission to describe one of the projects at a high level. This project involved the betting industry; the client had developed a proprietary software, but with a manual process to secure a consistent edge in the horse racing betting industry.

TSS was engaged to design, develop, deploy and hand off a multi-channel solution for the client. Prior to the delivery of the solution, the best performing week with the manual system was around $13,000.00. Fifteen months after the solution was fully online, the average weekly performance was around $62,000.00 with a high of around $132,000.00 before the TSS hand off.

What's your greatest client success story?

The horse racing project described above. We had a 15-man team of highly skilled engineers and we leveraged multiple technologies including ML. The project was around fifteen months at a value of around $550,000.00. As a team, TSS was greatly enriched by the experiences we shared with the client in delivering this solution. We learned a lot, gave value, and still maintain a good relationship with the client to date.

What made you consider wanting to work with independent sales agents?

Being a company based in Nigeria and providing services to a global customer base, it's become a strategic necessity to acquire the services of competent sales agents in the countries we are targeting.

Having a team of independent sales agents representing us across multiple territories globally will enable us to reach our potential in the Market. We also highly appreciate and value our sales partners which is the reason we are happy to pay out high commissions of 35% to the right people.

Why would sales agents have an edge selling your products/services?

Not many software development companies offer delivery guarantees. We guarantee an MVP in 90 working days — no stories, no excuses. For potential clients who are seeking a cost-effective and time-bound service, this is powerful.

What makes your products/services unique, innovative and sets you apart from the competition?

A 90-day MVP delivery guaranteed is our USP. At this time we don’t have many competitors who can do this. One of the reasons we can stand behind this guarantee is because we have developed a proprietary requirements prioritization and project delivery methodology which ensures we deliver as promised on time, every time.

An example: during the client engagement discussed earlier, we delivered multiple MVPs within a tight time frame. The development of the core systems was accomplished in a little under ten months. The rest of the time was spent on refining and tweaking based on real feedback from customers and users, which allowed the client to refine and validate many of their assumptions.

Without our unique approach, it would have taken longer to deliver and perhaps, the end product may not have been as effective.

What are your plans for the future of Telios Support Services?

In the next 40 months, TSS plans to achieve a $ 5 Million ARR. We plan to do this by establishing a network of high performing freelance sales agents primarily sourced through CommisionCrowd.

Our target markets are primarily, UK/USA/Canada and the EU. On our part, TSS has a scalable team of highly competent analysts, designers, engineers and SMEs with expertise in Big Data, ML/AI, IoT, and Blockchain. We have tested scaleouts of up to 35 engineers from a core of 5 full-time engineers.

We have access to a pool of over 200 highly competent engineers, and so we are confident that the combination of our resource pool, proven processes and high performing sales network should get us to where we want to be around the timeframe we have in mind.

What are your best selling products/services and why?

Web, Mobile and Automation solutions (primarily web bots and ML). This is mainly because those are the solutions we’ve been called upon to deliver since 2016. However, we stand behind everything we offer in our product/service bouquet. If we can’t deliver, we won’t take the project — better to turn it down than to deliver less than the TSS quality.

Have you received any recognition or awards for your products/services?

Not yet, we’ve mainly been working behind the scenes, we hope to change that in the near future as we roll out some of our own initiatives for public consumption.

Please describe the typical sales cycle and process to sales agents

The typical sales cycle begins with some form of a request from the client — this may be through posts or conversations. We would then respond with an initial proposal that would describe at a high level our understanding of the project, what would be required to deliver the 90 day MVP and a request for a more in-depth engagement.

Typically, the engagement would allow us to show our understanding of the business drivers behind the project request. This often helps us shine since we approach the project not only from a tech perspective but also from a business one — this is much appreciated by the clients.

We would also offer some form of free work or expose some past work as appropriate. By this time, the TSS team and the prospect would have developed a rapport and begin to feel good about each other. We’d basically be interfacing with either the decision-maker or a key influencer, and would quickly know whether or not we would secure the project. On average, this process to project award takes 2 weeks.

World-Class Software Engineering Sales Opportunity - 35% Commission + Residuals

Here at CommissionCrowd we see the same question asked time and time again across a number of forums and business related communities on a daily basis.

That question is: “Where can I find self-employed sales people who will work on a commission only basis?”

Some of the most common responses come from people who mean well, but have had little or no experience of working with this type of sales professional before.

They simply suggest that the person or company place an advert on sites like Gumtree, People Per Hour or one of the many generic job websites and hope for the best.

Why Generic Job Websites And AD Listing Sites Like Gumtree And Craigslist Are Unsuitable For Finding Self-Employed Sales Professionals?

Our team have worked extensively on both sides of the fence, both as professional self-employed sales representatives and also as company owners (principals) that have built and run large teams of commission-based, self-employed sales agents. We can tell you from experience that a company will rarely, if ever find a truly great sales professional of that nature in those places.

In order to answer this question you first must understand why some sales people choose to become self-employed in the first place. If you think it’s because they can’t find work and are willing to forgo a regular wage in place of a commission only sales job you are very much mistaken. It’s this misconception that leads to sites like Gumtree, Craigslist and many generic job websites being flooded with poor quality, spammy or unsuitable opportunities from companies that are mostly looking for free or cheap labour to sell products or services that haven’t been successful in the Marketplace. The result being that truly great self-employed sales people avoid these sites as well as the companies that use them at all costs.

Self-employed sales reps, sometimes known as manufacturers reps or independent sales representatives, are seasoned sales professionals that have spent many years working as company employees in a specific industry. They are also entrepreneurial and have a desire to leave the constraints of employment in favour of setting up their own business providing sales as a service to companies they choose to work with. These companies will be chosen by the salesperson because their products/services compliment their existing networks.

The ultimate goal of a self-employed sales professional is to connect with companies whose products or services complement their existing networks. This means a quick win for the sales agent, and a potentially very fast route to Market for the company. However, having the right kinds of products and services is not always enough to ensure that an independent representative will decide to work with you or not.

If you would like to find out more about the list of criteria that a self-employed sales professional considers before deciding on which company to partner with then please take a few minutes to read over the following articles from our blog which answers this question in more detail:

Why it can be extremely difficult for companies that are looking to outsource the sales function of their business to independent sales reps

While it may be fairly straightforward to target people using a very specific job title such as Business Development Manager, CEO, VP of Sales, or Sales Associate, the self-employed commission-based sales industry is a different matter entirely. There simply isn’t a single title that self-employed sales professionals come under, in-fact we have identified no fewer than fifty variations of job title to describe agents who provided sales based business development services using a commission-only sales model, and this is before you even consider industry specific titles.

Even after you have identified an individual that you would like to present your company’s opportunity to, do you know if you have an attractive enough proposition to interest that person? This is especially true for companies seeking to work with independent sales reps for the first time and are unfamiliar with the points that reps take into consideration before even deciding to open a channel of conversation.

If your company is looking to partner with self-employed sales reps or agents for the first time, you may want to take a second to read this article: 

Our team have sat on both sides of the fence during our lengthy careers in the world of sales. We have been self-employed sales professionals and we have also worked as successful company principals. We quickly came to identify that there are major problems in this industry, and in order to make it better we had to set out to build CommissionCrowd with very specific goals.

We Are Dedicated Entirely To The Commission-Based Sales Industry

CommissionCrowd serves a specific segment of an otherwise very large and diverse industry – and we do it well. As well as setting out to build a platform that we ourselves would have benefited from as company owners, we have also collaborated with many seasoned independent sales professionals and built a complete solution to the problems they asked us to solve.

We Go Beyond Simply Providing A Place For Companies And Sales Agents To Connect

CommissionCrowd was developed to address many issues that stem far beyond making quality connections between great companies and sales professionals globally. This is the point in which other companies in our industry stop. Job websites and traditional connection agencies are old hat, and simply aren’t enough to meet the challenges that come after two parties connect and begin their working relationship.

Not only does CommissionCrowd provide collaborative accounts which allow companies and sales people to manage their remote working relationship effortlessly, we also ensure that the everyday mundane – yet necessary – business tasks that take valuable time away from selling are eliminated.

We’re combining and simplifying the best features from targeted job boards, sales-force automation, sales/pipeline CRM and modern productivity and management tools to bring the world an affordable, beautifully designed web application for the self-employed (commission-based) sales industry.

We even go a step beyond that and have partnered with some of the worlds finest legal professionals who specialise in mutual contractual agreements between companies and sales professionals. Therefore we are also able to provide a complete legal pack to ensure both parties start off on the right foot.

We Don’t take money from companies With Unsuitable Opportunities

The very core of our business is about ensuring quality connections. Education plays a big part in what we do as we recognise that as well as working with companies that have lots of experience of working with self-employed sales people, there are also many companies that haven’t had experience but have great opportunities to offer.

There are also too many job websites and platforms that are more than happy to take money from companies with unsuitable opportunities for sales agents. Infact, we have turned down many companies that we just didn’t feel had opportunities suitable enough to satisfy self-employed sales professionals that come to CommissionCrowd to find high quality opportunities. If we did, it would simply destroy the very core of our business which is to become the home of commission-based sales.

You might be interested in reading this article our company CMO; Ryan Mattock, recently published on Linkedin 

We are lucky that a great number of influential organisations, award winning sales professionals and even a TED X speaker support our vision for the future of the industry. We can’t reveal specific names at this time, but all will be revealed soon. There are some hugely exciting partnerships in the pipeline!

We’re not just another job site out to make a quick buck

Above all else, we are massively passionate about the self-employed sales industry. CommissionCrowd has evolved along with our team’s experience of working on both sides of the fence. We are lucky enough to have been able to identify very specific problem which need solved in order to progress the industry to where it should be. CommissionCrowd is the result of many years of personal experience and not just a platform that was put up overnight with the aim of making a quick buck. In-fact it’s taken over a year and a half of solid development to create the CommissionCrowd platform and that’s not even counting the huge amount of time spent planning, strategising and formulating the perfect solution for the industry.

As of March 2015, we are still accepting applications to join our Private-beta (test phase) before we launch to the general public.

*Please note: If you are reading this article after our public launch then please see the website for details on how to join us.

Why You'll Never Find Great Self-Employed Sales Professionals on Gumtree or

In this article we explore the concept of being an Independent Sales Rep VS working as a salaried company employee. We also explain why independent sales reps earn more than employed sales professionals.

CommissionCrowd is the home of Independent Sales. Our industry leading online networking and collaboration platform connects companies with experienced independent sales reps globally and gives you everything you need to effectively manage your remote working relationships.

Wages are used by companies to essentially purchase a person's time. Not only is a wage used to purchase time, but employees are also then locked into a contract of employment which can prohibit a number of extracurricular activities such as taking an active role in other business related matters designed to earn that individual an income.

Independent sales reps or commission-only sales agents typically begin their sales career in an employed position within a company. That's where individuals learn their craft as well as become familiar with the particular industry sector(s) they serve.

Further down the line, entrepreneurial individuals may make the decision to break away from the constraints of employment and go into business for themselves. These independent sales people then aim to connect with companies whose product lines or services compliment the networks of contacts they have built up over the years.

An independent sales rep may carry multiple, non-competing lines that compliment their networks in order to maximise sales and earn more commission than possible when representing one company on an employed basis can achieve.

Multiple product lines/services: maximum profit

Three Facts About Self-Employed Sales Professionals

Why do employees break away from the safety of a wage?

Why would someone forgo the safety of employment and work for themselves without a steady wage? Well, ask yourself this: Why would a chef open their own restaurant? Why would a Lawyer start their own firm? Why would a consultant start their own consultancy?

Entrepreneurial sales people are no different from any other business owner. They choose to break away from the constraints of employment and use their existing networks to sell complimentary products and services into.

Self-employment isn't for everyone. We also wouldn't recommend becoming self-employed when first starting out in a sales role.

Being able to sell well is an art that needs to be mastered. The best way to learn how to sell usually begins by working as an employee in a salaried position. It's important to be able to learn from others and working as part of a sales team in a competitive environment is arguably the best place to learn your craft.

What type of person becomes an independent sales rep?

First of all a sales person has to have an entrepreneurial streak and a desire to start their own business providing sales as a service.

The majority of successful independent sales reps have come from a long background in sales and have built up many industry contacts before pursuing their own self-employed career path. Again, it's the same in every industry; a restaurateur probably won't be successful without having an extensive background in the hospitality industry.

Being self-employed is certainly not all glitz and glamour and there are many hardships and tasks that either won't come naturally which will need to either be learned or outsourced. Many of these tasks are usually taken care of by a company when working as an employee and can demotivate individuals who aren't mentally prepared to run their own business.

What Type Of Companies Do Independent Sales Reps Work With?

There are a multitude of criteria that highly experienced independent sales reps consider before working with a company.

We cover those points in this article we recently published: 

Why Independent Sales Reps Earn More Money Than Company Employees

If you're a B2B freelance sales rep who operates on a commission-only basis, you need CommissionCrowd. Here's why...

 I want to start by saying we know how frustrated you are... we were too! You chose to become self-employed because you had a long and successful career in sales and made the decision to break away from the constraints (and limitations) of being employed by someone else. Your goal is to build a diverse, yet complimentary sales portfolio and make more money than you could as an employee while enjoying a better work/life balance.

But it's just not that easy to find quality companies who understand the value of working with commission-based sales professionals and it's certainly not that easy to manage multiple company principals at the same time.

This is where CommissionCrowd comes in...

Common Misconceptions Of The Commission-Only Sales Industry

One of the biggest misconceptions of the commission-only sales industry is that independent reps are unemployed and therefore desperate for work. Companies that have no prior experience with reps and don't understand how you operate can very often mistake your business model as being cheap or free labour.

We know it's not your role to build a company from the ground up. You expect to work with companies that respect your experience in the industry and value the contacts and networks that you have painstakingly built up over the years... That's why our primary mission here at CommissionCrowd is to screen and vet every single company that joins us.

The first thing we make companies do is move through an on-boarding process. We turn away more companies than we accept, regardless of whether or not they have their cash in-hand and are ready to join. Maintaining a quality database is highly important to us because we know that in order to attract the very best self-employed sales professionals into our network, the companies we allow to join must be too.

Job websites are rife with companies who are happy to pay a few pennies to put stick an ad up in the hope they can get someone to work for free. How do we know? Because many years ago before CommissionCrowd, we were part of one of those companies also. Clueless and uneducated, hoping someone could come in and grow our business without having to pay for the pleasure.

Here's a high level list of things we look for before allowing a company to join and connect with you:

We're continually working towards improving the lives and finances of every sales professional who chooses to use CommissionCrowd to build their sales portfolio. You're going to love what's in-store for you coming in the next few months!

To sign up for a CommissionCrowd account and start building and easily managing the perfect portfolio check out our page for sales professionals here: 

Why Freelance (Commission-Only) Sales Reps Need CommissionCrowd

In recent years, it has become popular to predict that B2B salespeople will soon be rendered obsolete by the rise of e-commerce. After all, today's buyers can browse, compare, and purchase products online at the click of a button, bypassing traditional sales processes altogether.

However, this prediction overlooks a fundamental truth about business buying: while self-serve e-commerce is growing in importance, it will never completely replace the human element of business-to-business sales. In fact, the most successful companies are those that master the balance between digital self-service and high-quality human interaction.

The Rise of E-Commerce — And Its Limits

It’s true that business buyers are increasingly comfortable making purchases online. Many B2B buyers now prefer to handle straightforward transactions without speaking to a salesperson, valuing speed, simplicity, and autonomy. Basic office supplies, replenishable inventory, and other low-consideration products are often purchased entirely online.

But when the stakes are higher — whether due to cost, complexity, or operational importance — buyers still overwhelmingly prefer to engage with knowledgeable, trusted sales professionals. E-commerce, while powerful, often cannot replicate the reassurance, consultation, and tailored recommendations that experienced salespeople provide.

An easy analogy is the world of home spa kits. Sure, you can order a DIY facial kit online and follow the instructions. But when it comes to achieving truly customized care, advanced techniques, and premium results, nothing compares to a visit with a trained spa professional. Similarly, business buyers may begin their journey online but often seek human expertise to ensure they make the right decisions.

Today’s business buyers expect options. They want the convenience of researching and ordering products online and the ability to access expert help when needed. Companies that understand this dynamic — and design their customer experience accordingly — will be the ones that win long-term loyalty.

Providing a seamless blend of self-service e-commerce with human support is no longer optional; it’s a competitive necessity. This might mean equipping sales reps with real-time access to customer data and digital tools, enabling them to assist buyers more efficiently. It also involves making it easy for buyers to escalate from online browsing to speaking with a rep whenever the situation demands more guidance.

A well-supported B2B buyer feels empowered — not forced — into either an online-only or rep-only path.

The Human Element: Trust, Advice, and Relationship Building

Business purchases often involve multiple stakeholders, longer decision-making cycles, and significant risk. Buyers are not just purchasing products; they are seeking solutions that impact their operations, profitability, and reputation.

In such an environment, trust becomes a crucial factor. Buyers want to know that if something goes wrong, they have a real person they can call. They need to feel confident that the products or services they are buying will meet their needs not just today, but well into the future.

Consider the example of buying a simple stapler. A consumer might pick the cheapest one available online for personal use. But a business purchasing office equipment for dozens of employees will prioritize durability, service agreements, and supplier reliability — even if it costs a bit more. In business, reliability, after-sales support, and ongoing partnership often matter more than just the upfront price.

In short, even in a digitally-driven world, relationships remain at the heart of B2B commerce.

The future of B2B sales isn’t a choice between e-commerce or human sales. It's about combining the strengths of both.

Companies must enhance their e-commerce platforms to offer better self-service experiences for low-risk, repeatable transactions. At the same time, they must empower their salespeople to deliver even more value — acting as consultants, advisors, and problem solvers rather than mere order takers.

Smart businesses will invest in training their sales teams to be digitally fluent, capable of guiding customers across both digital and personal touchpoints. Sales professionals need to be equipped to step in at critical moments, provide expert advice, and help buyers navigate complex or customized purchases.

Importantly, buyers themselves expect and appreciate this hybrid approach. They don't want to be forced to engage with a salesperson for every small transaction, nor do they want to be left entirely on their own when making a major investment.

Another important element that highlights the value of human interaction is after-sales service.

When a business buys mission-critical equipment, technology, or services, the real test often begins after the purchase is complete. Installation, troubleshooting, upgrades, and warranties — these are areas where a human relationship can make all the difference.

Self-service may be enough when everything goes smoothly. But when issues arise, having a trusted, accessible human contact builds confidence, satisfaction, and repeat business. No AI chatbot or FAQ page can fully replace the peace of mind that comes from a knowledgeable and invested sales professional following up personally.

Humanity Still Matters — Especially in Business

At its core, business is still about people. Technology can accelerate transactions, automate tasks, and provide convenience. But it cannot fully replicate human empathy, intuition, or trust-building — at least, not yet.

Salespeople who understand this and adapt their roles accordingly will continue to be indispensable. They are no longer just intermediaries between the buyer and the product. They are strategic partners who can offer insight, guide decision-making, and build lasting relationships that outlive any single transaction.

As businesses become more global and digital, trust and reliability become even more prized commodities. Buyers will seek suppliers they know will stand by their products and services — and human connection is often the deciding factor.

Conclusion: The Future Belongs to the Balanced

The digital transformation of B2B commerce is real, and it’s not slowing down. Buyers expect and deserve the speed and convenience that e-commerce platforms offer.

But they also need the expertise, customization, and personal reassurance that only experienced salespeople can deliver.

The companies that thrive in the coming years will be those that recognize and embrace this duality. By offering a thoughtful blend of self-service tools and human-driven consultation, businesses can meet customers where they are — and help them move confidently toward where they want to be.

In B2B sales, it’s not about man versus machine. It’s about creating the right partnership between technology and humanity to serve buyers better than ever before.

Webinar: Recruiting Self-employed Sales Agents: Key Interview Questions & Etiquette

Ryan Mattock

More articles from CommissionCrowd

World-Class Software Engineering Sales Opportunity - 35% Commission + Residuals

Why You'll Never Find Great Self-Employed Sales Professionals on Gumtree or