docs/old-docs/corp/SALESPEOPLE_PLAN.md

# **Open Source Freelancer Salespeople Recruitment Plan**

Here is a strategic plan to attract open-source freelancer salespeople to Swarms.

1. **Promote the Vision**: A compelling vision is the cornerstone of any recruitment strategy. Share the vision and mission of Swarms – its potential to revolutionize AI and digital automation – on every possible platform. The goal is to attract freelancers who are excited about the potential of AI and are eager to be part of this revolution.

2. **Compensation Structure**: Offer a highly competitive, commission-based compensation structure. This could include a base rate for each sale, as well as performance-based bonuses and incentives for high-performing salespeople. Make it clear that the better they do, the more they earn.

3. **Comprehensive Training**: Ensure all salespeople receive comprehensive training about Swarms, its capabilities, and the potential benefits it can offer to businesses. The more knowledgeable they are about the product, the better they can sell it.

4. **Collaborative Community**: Foster a community of open-source freelancer salespeople. This community will provide a platform for salespeople to exchange ideas, share success stories, and learn from each other. Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

5. **Clear Communication**: Be clear about expectations, targets, and performance metrics. Provide regular feedback and recognition to keep salespeople motivated and aligned with the company's goals.

6. **Sales Tools & Resources**: Equip salespeople with the necessary tools and resources they need to sell effectively. This might include sales scripts, customer personas, case studies, product demos, and any other material that can aid them in their sales efforts.

7. **Marketing Support**: In parallel to sales efforts, invest in marketing initiatives to build brand awareness and generate leads. The higher the brand visibility, the easier it will be for salespeople to sell the product.

8. **Advocate Program**: Introduce an advocate program where salespeople get additional rewards for bringing in more salespeople. This will not only increase the sales force but also instill a sense of ownership and involvement among salespeople.

**Flywheel Research Diagram**

Building a flywheel involves understanding and leveraging the compounding effect of a circular, connected process, where each stage fuels the next. Here's a conceptualization of a Swarms Sales Flywheel:

1. **Training & Empowerment**: Start by attracting freelance salespeople and providing comprehensive training and resources. As salespeople gain competence, they become better at selling Swarms.

2. **Sales**: As sales increase, so do the visibility of Swarms and the earnings of the salespeople. This attracts more clients and more potential salespeople.

3. **Client Success**: Successful clients serve as testimonials and case studies, helping to validate the product and making it easier for salespeople to sell Swarms. Success stories and increased visibility generate more interest among potential salespeople.

4. **Community & Advocacy**: A growing community of successful salespeople, satisfied clients, and a strong product fuels advocacy. Salespeople are more likely to recommend the opportunity to other potential salespeople.

5. **Growth**: As the community and client base grow, so do the opportunities for salespeople. Increased earnings and a stronger product reputation attract more salespeople, turning the flywheel faster.

6. **Back to Training & Empowerment**: The increased interest from potential salespeople leads back to the first stage of the flywheel – training and empowering more salespeople.

The key to the flywheel's momentum is ensuring each stage is performed effectively, creating a virtuous cycle that builds momentum over time. It relies on customer success, salesperson success, and product success, all fueling each other to keep the flywheel spinning.



# Risks and Mitigations
Embracing an open source salesforce represents an innovative approach and can have significant benefits, including scalability, diversity, and cost-effectiveness. However, there are potential risks that need to be considered and mitigated. Here they are, along with strategies for managing them:

**1. Brand Representation:** In an open source sales model, you can't control who represents your brand, as anyone can essentially become a salesperson. This can pose a risk if salespeople don't present the product or brand accurately, or don't uphold company values in their interactions.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Provide clear brand guidelines, sales training, and codes of conduct that salespeople must adhere to. Regular monitoring and feedback can help ensure compliance. Also, introduce a certification process to officially recognize salespeople who demonstrate their understanding of the product and brand.

**2. Product Misrepresentation:** Salespeople may overpromise or misrepresent the product to close a deal, leading to customer dissatisfaction and damage to the brand.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Ensure that comprehensive and accurate product information is readily available. Provide clear guidelines on what can and cannot be promised to customers. Regularly update salespeople on product developments so their knowledge remains accurate.

**3. Variable Quality of Salespeople:** In an open-source model, the quality of salespeople can vary widely, which may lead to inconsistent customer experiences.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Offer comprehensive training and provide sales scripts or guidelines to ensure a uniform sales approach. Monitor performance and provide feedback to help salespeople improve. 

**4. Competition and Infighting:** Salespeople may compete with each other for the same leads, causing conflicts and damaging team cohesion.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Create a clear system for lead assignment and territory division to prevent overlaps. Promote a collaborative rather than competitive culture, emphasizing the collective success of the team over individual achievements.

**5. Data Security and Privacy:** With more individuals having access to company and customer information, the risk of data breaches increases.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Provide training on data security and privacy policies. Use secure systems for data access and sharing. Regularly audit and monitor data access to detect any potential breaches.

**6. Lack of Control:** The company may have less control over an open-source salesforce compared to an in-house team, leading to potential inconsistencies and inefficiencies.

   *Mitigation Strategy:* Regular communication and feedback are crucial. Use a performance management system to set expectations, track progress, and identify areas for improvement. 

Ultimately, the key is to adopt a long-term perspective, just like Jeff Bezos. Invest in training and building relationships with the salespeople. Foster a culture of customer obsession, and instill a sense of ownership and responsibility in the salespeople. Just as with any other risk, these can be mitigated with careful planning, continuous monitoring, and regular feedback.






# Open Source Salesperson Onboarding Experience

Creating an efficient, streamlined, and effective onboarding experience for open source salespeople is essential to minimize time and maximize engagement. Drawing inspiration from the simplicity and user-focus of Steve Jobs, this document proposes an onboarding flow that is effortless, engaging, and educational.

## Landing Page

The journey starts with a landing page that is clean, crisp, and intuitively designed. A minimalistic aesthetic, akin to Apple's design philosophy, helps the user focus on what's important. The landing page should contain:

- A bold, clear headline, expressing the value proposition for becoming an open source salesperson for Swarms.
- A short video or animation introducing Swarms and the opportunity for the salespeople.
- Clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons to start the onboarding process or to learn more.

## Interactive Learning Modules

Once the user clicks on the CTA, they're taken to an interactive course platform. This platform should feature short, digestible video modules covering a range of essential topics, including:

1. An Introduction to Swarms: An engaging video that explains the concept, the value it brings to businesses, and the open-source ethos driving it.

2. Understanding the Technology: A simple, jargon-free explanation of the underlying technology, how it works, and why it works that way. Emphasis should be on benefits rather than technical intricacies.

3. Successful Sales Strategies: Sharing effective sales techniques and strategies that have worked for Swarms, along with case studies and testimonials.

4. Navigating Customer Conversations: Guidance on how to effectively communicate with potential customers, including understanding their needs, presenting Swarms as a solution, and addressing objections.

After each module, the user is asked to answer a few questions to ensure understanding and engagement. This also helps in identifying potential areas of confusion or difficulty.

## Personal Interaction

Once the user completes all the modules and successfully answers the questions, they're invited to schedule a one-on-one call with a member of APAC AI or an experienced open source sales freelancer. This serves as a validation step, providing personalized feedback and guidance to ensure the salesperson is ready to start selling Swarms.

Throughout this journey, the focus should be on simplicity and intuitiveness. Just like Steve Jobs did with Apple's products, the onboarding experience should be so seamless and enjoyable that it's almost invisible, allowing the user to focus on what truly matters – learning about Swarms and how to sell it.



# Open Source Salesperson Onboarding: Post Course Completion

### For more assistance check out these resources

* [Pricing Package](https://www.acquisition.com/hubfs/Offer%20Checklists%20-%20PDF%20Downloads/Pricing-Value-Checklist.pdf?hsLang=en)

*[Alex Hormozi](https://www.acquisition.com/offers-value-equation)

Once a salesperson has completed the initial course and had their one-on-one session, the onboarding continues to the next phase – preparing them for sales activities and ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources.

## Access to CRM and Sales Tools

Every salesperson is provided with access to a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. This CRM would be a simplified, user-friendly system that allows them to manage their prospects, track their interactions, and monitor their sales progress. They would also receive training on how to effectively use the CRM to streamline their sales activities.

## Sales Resources

Salespeople would be provided with a suite of sales resources, including Swarms product brochures, case studies, presentations, and a script guideline. They would also be given access to a community forum where they can connect with other salespeople, share experiences, ask questions, and learn from each other.

## Making a Sale

In terms of the actual sale process, the salesperson would direct the customer to a unique landing page on the APAC.ai website. This landing page would be specifically designed for the sales journey, and it would allow the customer to input their salesperson's ID during the checkout process.

This ID linking mechanism is critical, as it ensures that the salesperson gets credited for any sales they bring in. Once a sale is made, the salesperson's commission gets credited to their account.

## Post-Sale and Account Management

Post-sale, the salesperson's role transitions to more of an account manager. They become the primary point of contact for the customer, responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction, handling any issues or concerns, and identifying opportunities for upselling or cross-selling.

The salesperson would also receive a recurring revenue from their accounts. This not only incentivizes them to maintain a good relationship with their customers but also rewards them for the ongoing value they provide.

## Feedback and Performance Reviews

Periodic performance reviews would be conducted to provide feedback to the salespeople and help them improve. These reviews would also be an opportunity to recognize top performers and share their success stories with the wider community.

Overall, the objective is to create a smooth, rewarding, and self-sustaining sales ecosystem. Salespeople are empowered with the tools, resources, and incentives they need to succeed, and in return, they help drive the growth and success of Swarms. It's a win-win scenario that has the potential to dramatically accelerate Swarms' market penetration and customer adoption.