After years of working with independent reps, I pulled together the essential strategies for finding principals, negotiating commissions, and managing your lines.

Download the free eGuide here https://bit.ly/guide-for-independent-sales-rep

—------------------------------------------------------

In this episode of the RepHunter’s RepIntel Podcast, host Jeffrey Simon sits down with Susan Cashion, President at Growth Wise Consulting, Inc., Executive Advisory Board Member at I AM WHO I SAY I AM.Global, Inc. does her best work. She also serves as a licensed Outsourced Vice President of Sales through Sales Xceleration®, the global leader in sales consultancy for small to mid-sized businesses to unpack the realities of building a successful independent rep channel. Susan shares firsthand experience helping small and mid-sized companies design world-class sales infrastructures, enter new verticals, and avoid costly mistakes when recruiting independent reps.

With 28 years of corporate experience in Fortune 50 companies across B2B and B2C environments, she brings enterprise-level sales expertise to small and mid-sized businesses. After a pivotal life event led her to start her own firm, Susan has spent the past nine years helping CEOs diagnose sales challenges, build scalable sales systems, and create high-performing revenue teams. She specializes in designing sales playbooks, launching new verticals, and preparing companies to successfully engage independent sales reps.

Expect to Learn

- Why being “rep-ready” is critical before hiring independent reps

- The biggest mistakes companies make when entering the 1099 channel

- How pricing strategy (especially D2C discounting) can sabotage rep success

- What motivates independent reps to carry, and stick with, your line

- How to balance flexibility and accountability with 1099 reps without micromanaging

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] – Teaser

[00:00:53] – Introduction

[00:02:02] – Susan’s Career Journey & Launching Growth Wise Consulting

[00:06:01] – Entering the Rep Channel: The Jewelry Case Study

[00:09:00] – What It Means to Be “Rep-Ready”

[00:13:58] – What Reps Actually Look for in a Line

[00:19:39] – Pricing Strategy Pitfalls & D2C vs. B2B Conflicts

[00:26:51] – The Role of Training & Ongoing Sales Calls

[00:33:37] – Setting Expectations with 1099 Reps (Without Micromanaging)

[00:43:24] – Final Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

📱 Follow the Guest Susan Cashion:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susancashion/

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scash0926/

📱 Follow Guest Companies:

👉 Growth Wise Consulting Inc. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-wise-consulting-inc/

👉 Growth Wise Consulting Inc. Website: https://growth-wise.com/

👉 Growth Wise Consulting Inc. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthwiseinc/

👉 Sales Xceleration LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-xceleration/

👉 Sales Xceleration Website: https://salesxceleration.com/

👉 I AM WHO I SAY I AM.Global, Inc. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iamwhoisayiam-global-inc/

👉 I AM WHO I SAY I AM.Global, Inc. Website: https://iamwhoisayiam.global/

📱 Follow the Host Jeffrey Simon:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyasimon/

📱 Follow RepHunter:

👉 Website: https://www.rephunter.net/

🔗 Listening Links:

👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0qsBiIxQno7umiZELZtR45

👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/repintel-insights-from-top-sales-reps/id1850733289

👉 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@repIntel