Job Description - VDI: Independent Home Seller

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The VDI is not part of a sales team strictly speaking. He is very autonomous and can be organized as he wants.

Independent Home Seller: definition

What does VDI mean?

VDI corresponds to the first letters of Independent Home Dealer.

What is a VDI?

A home salesperson is a person who goes to the homes of individuals for their sell a business's products or services with which he signed a contract. To do this, he must find his customers himself. These visits can bring together one or more people for the same presentation. Thus, various activities fall under the responsibility of the VDI, such as the Canvassing, the group performances And the vending.

What is the role of a VDI?

The role of the VDI is important since it must convince its audience that its offer is the best on the market. He must do everything he can to the customers to close a sale. To do this, he prospects and approaches new customers, builds sales pitches, which he then adapts in the field to the specific case of each client. Then, he presents his product, answers questions, negotiates prices and conditions of sale and ensures after-sales follow-up.

The specificity of VDI lies in its mobility. In order to optimize its travel time and maximize the chances of sales, the VDI organizes its canvassing routes according to the place where its customers live.

VDI vs VRP difference

Unlike the VRP, the VDI is independent. He is not an employee of a company and works on his own account. It is an entrepreneur who sells products (of a company or not) in a manner standalone and completely detached from any hierarchy.

What status, what employment contract in VDI?

A home salesperson can work according to three different professional regimes:

• He can register in the Special Register of Commercial Agents (RSAC) as a self-employed person. He will not be an employee but independent.

• On the contrary, he may not register for the RSAC. It will then be considered as salaried and will enjoy all the rights conferred by this status (social security...)

• It can also be bound by an employment contract with a company. He will then be subject to the general Social Security regime.

After more than three years of exercise, the VDI is required to register with the RSAC, if it has earned an annual gross salary in excess of 50% of the annual Social Security ceiling. In all cases, from a fiscal point of view, the activity of a VDI must be declared.

Why become VDI?

There are a number of reasons that can convince you to become a VDI. Whether for the sake of independence or conviviality, the VDI business brings together many advantages. So, by becoming a VDI, you will be the only master on board. It is your work and your motivation that will determine your salary and your evolution. The company that employs you does not strictly speaking have authority over you. La liberty that is conferred on you, allows you to manage your working time according to your needs and desires. In addition, another great advantage of the VDI profession is the absence of the obligation to graduate when recruiting. Regardless of the level of education or past experiences, Anyone can become a VDI.

The VDI also chooses the sector or the field of items it wants to sell. Also, the VDI can work in the field of his passions such as sport, new technologies or cooking. It will just have to establish partnerships with companies specialized in these sectors.

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What are the qualities of a good VDI?

How do I become a good VDI?

To be a good VDI, the Meaning of the relational And of Autonomy are essential. Good stress management is required in order to make rational decisions. Likewise, a keen analytical mind and writing skills are required in order to prepare letters or to draw up estimates and invoices.

The correct VDI should be nosy and ready to to train continuously to deal with legislative changes and the arrival of new tools. It must also be vested and adaptable. Faced with customer rejections, the VDI must not give up and must try to find solutions according to the complexity of the situations. He must demonstrateinventiveness And of thoroughness.

A big ability to listen is necessary in this business to meet consumer expectations in the best possible way. By paying attention to customer needs, the VDI can adapt its discourse in order to conclude a sales contract.

Last but not least, the VDI must show itself smiling. A warm, commercial, lively temperament will be an asset in concluding sales.

Becoming an ace in home sales

To become an ace in home sales, there is no secret, you have to get started. Most of the time, it is in the field and over time that VDI becomes more and more efficient. However, some trainings allow to support the VDI in its early stages.

To hope to make rapid progress and maximize the chances of selling, the VDI can link up with a company or sector that it is particularly fond of (fashion, cosmetics, cooking...) and that it already knows. Thus, the characteristics of the products will be better controlled and it will be easier to communicate them.

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How do I become a VDI?

The skills of an autonomous salesperson

To become an ace at home sales, certain business and relationship skills are required. Because every word counts during a negotiation, the VDI must mobilize all of its general skills, also called Soft Skills, namely:

• Creativity,
• Taking initiatives and a spirit of conquest
• Adaptability
• Determination
• Organization, time and stress management
• Sense of listening
• Commercial fiber
• Critical thinking
• Relational ease
• Ability to learn and challenge
• Demonstrate resilience

In order to optimally develop these soft-skills, acquire more ease in the VDI function and become an expert in relationships with customers, Akimbo offers training to optimize the chances of success in the VDI business. You will have the chance to choose between several training programs. The topics covered during these sessions will address prospecting methods, the management of professional appointments or even the management of customer accounts.

Degrees and training required

There is no diploma or level of education required to become a VDI. A simple contract with an interesting company is necessary to get started. However, some fundamentals such as sales methods Or negotiation techniques are essential for a good start to a career. These items can be acquired through a BTS negotiation and customer relationship, a BTS commercial technician or a BUT TC (marketing techniques). Some licenses such as the professional licenses “trade and distribution”, “marketing of products and services” or “technical sales” are also particularly useful training courses for VDIs.

Adapted conversion profiles

The reconversion profiles are multiple and far from being similar. If the majority of people in retraining have commercial experience, we can find former restaurateurs, of servicemen Or communication officers. These profiles may also come from the insurance sector, mass distribution or industry. In general, the relational jobs allow you to retrain into VDI because they require the same skills.

In addition, some people work in this profession in addition to income and activities.

What career developments are there for this position?

As freelancers, the field of possibilities opens up to VDIs. He can be hired as Traveller Representative and Placier (VRP) by the company he hired her for. He can also evolve into a position of field sales representative, or product ambassador.

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What is the salary of a VDI?

How is a VDI paid?

The VDI salary are unstable and depend on the number of sales he makes. Generally, he gets commissions on the number of items sold. So he didn't no fixed income. The terms of the salary are specified by the agent company. His remuneration depends on his performance with buyers. The median wage for VDI jobs in France is nearly €25K per year.

VDI Junior

A junior VDI will be paid less than that of a senior. Businesses will entrust him with smaller and easier to sell product lines in order to optimize sales. A junior VDI wins between 18 K€ and 22 K€ per year depending on the sector in which he operates and the number of sales he has made.

VDI Senior

A senior VDI will have a higher salary that can reach more than €40K per year.

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Jobs close to VDIs

The titles to know (result to be developed)

The profession ofcommercial agent is particularly broad and encompasses many aspects. However, certain specificities need to be added. Some job titles take up the basic functions of a VDI but are applied in specific areas. Thus, some titles deserve to be known in order to fully prepare for the profession of commercial agent. For example, we can highlight the job of a sales representative, a sales ambassador or a sales technician.

What is a VRP?

A Representative Traveller or Placier (VRP) is a field salesperson who meets customers in order to sell the products or services of the company he represents. He can have appointments with business managers, of department managers or even professional buyers. In the past, the sales agent also spent time with individuals but telemarketing, and the poor reception of door-to-door salespeople, have drastically reduced this part of the activity.

What is a sales ambassador?

The job of sales ambassador consists of organize and supervise the sale of a brand or product. It contributes to the development of the brand it is a partner of by promoting products and services to an audience. Particularly sociable, the ambassador must also have a certain business sense and have obvious negotiation skills. It is a commercial profession where relationships play a major role. While selling is the primary goal, the ambassador also optimizes the brand's image through his work.

What is a Sales Technician?

The technical sales person sells technical products to the customers of his business. He knows all the characteristics of the products or services he is looking to sell. With this knowledge, he is able to build a sales pitch that will reach a large number of prospects. Depending on his field of activity, he manages BtoB and BtoC relationships. The majority of his time is devoted to customer meetings.

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Finding the right job offers in VDI

The offers to become a VDI are numerous. To be selected in the company you want, write your resume based on the characteristics of the target product and the company. Highlight your later experiences in the commercial field and more particularly in sales. Experience in connection with the services and products offered in the company where you are applying will be an asset. VDIs are sought in various structures. Apply in fields that you know well or that you want to know.

How do I recruit the right VDI?

You are a company that is looking for VDIs and you have many candidates. Here is a method for identifying interesting profiles:

To recruit a good VDI, you must ensure that he has the skills that are useful for the job. A key person in the commercial process, negotiations and contract conclusions will be carried out by him.

- Autonomy and organization.

He must be able to work independently with great rigor. Indeed, it will be the intermediary between customers and the product to be sold. He will have to ensure the smooth running of the commercial process and ensure that the negotiations go well.

- Relational sense

As the first speaker of customers, the VDI must therefore have a very good relationship. Communication should not be a barrier for the candidate. You have to make sure that he knows how to communicate both in writing and orally and that the social aspect of the job does not frighten him.

- Mobility

To conclude contracts and prospect, the VDI will have to spend a large part of its time traveling. A good candidate must have the means to get around (B license, vehicle...) and we must ensure that this does not interfere with him in any way.

Also, make sure you're asking the right questions. The answers you receive should help you better identify who is the best fit for your business. In addition to the introductory questions, incorporate more in-depth questions like:

- How would you present our products?

- How would you communicate with your customers?

- How do you explain what our company does to someone who doesn't know it?

Likewise, a quick look at candidate references can guide you on the reasons for its presence and its motivation. That way, you'll have more information about their profile and know more about what to expect.

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