How to find perfect middleman to sell your product

Finding the perfect middleman in a business is like finding the right mate to spend the rest of your life with or the right house help especially when it is a live-in house help.

It can take a lot of time and trust to understand your mate— a few test runs have to be made and sustaining the relationship takes honest commitment from both parties.

This is the kind of person you have to be totally open with when it comes to your expectations because the more you hide what you feel or not being happy with the services the longer you prolong your hurt and eventual break up.

I find this especially true when getting into a business venture while working with someone from different parts of the globe, not only can e-mailing be misunderstood, but so can talking on the phone. Tradition, cultural differences and accents can come into play.

I notice in the US everything is laid on the table – it is either black or white. There is no time to keep playing someone around especially when it comes to business. If you have done wrong or have let something slide it is mentioned almost when it is noticed.

While some may find that abrasive it is actually time saving and ill feelings are not harboured by any of the parties in the long run. A yes is a yes and a no is a no.

In Kenya it is a little bit different. I am not sure whether it is cultural or people do not want to hurt one’s feelings, but you find business persons seeming as if they are interested and yet they know in the back of their mind that they will not be working with you.

So instead of giving it straight they go around using a myriad or delaying tactics up until it takes so much time that one is forced to start looking other directions.

In the true world of business, middlemen must have been and still are important in transactions as early as the inception of a business. The role they play from services, to products cannot be underestimated.

Middlemen move the products, sell the services or give presentations that will see a wider target market for a company. I somewhat think of middlemen as mascots of the company or organisations they represent.

Simply because, when you decide to work for a specific company, then when you decide to sell the product or service – you have to be well versed with the product in order to sell well.

So, you must study and fully understand the product as much as you can so when you represent it or give talks on it, you know fully well what you are talking about.

Not only is the information you provide of utter importance – you have to show that you believe in the product – it will be futile if you are just taking it for a job and know nothing of it – it always shows in the way you present yourself and the product.

Apart from this, middlemen make it their business to make sure the company they represent flourishes – this is because when it flies, they fly too – when it hits the crapper, so will they, hit the crapper.

They not only invest their time, but also resources and finances to make sure the client is satisfied. Provide great customer support and are always available for the client no matter what.

When one decides to pick a middleman for their endeavour, they might want to consider the following. Look for someone who shares your vision and if they don’t, at least they work towards achieving it.

Look for an honest middleman – it will only hurt your company or integrity when dealing with someone who is not honest, your clientele will feel it and in the long run so will you.

Consider a passionate person, being passionate in nature is always a bigger plus in the world of growing business – someone who will take everything personal, because, after all business is personal. The more passionate the worker, more likely—the better results.

Take your time to get to know whom you are working with, most of the times we spend so much time asking what someone does instead of whom they truly are— knowing whom you are dealing with is of paramount importance.

Talk to them as much as you can and keep making your judgments before engaging in bigger opportunities in the future.

Picking the perfect middleman especially across borders is tough, but once you find the right partner – you can sail off with a happy ending and a smile on your face.