One of the First Sales Management Decisions a Firm Must

Essay

One of the first sales management decisions a firm must make is whether the company should build its own salesforce or hire independent agents such as manufacturers' representatives. Abacus Designs sells high-end furniture to retailers and needs to make this decision. Independent agents would receive a 5 percent commission on sales while a company salesforce would receive a 3 percent commission, salaries, and benefits. In addition, with company salespeople, sales administration costs would be incurred for a total fixed cost of $500,000 per year. At what sales level would independent salespeople be less costly?