I guess the answer to your question...
How do I find a sales person?
There are a number of routes to find talent,identifying someone who has personality, drive , hunger to succeed and willing to develop and learn, are what some class as core competencies, though in your mind you know what person you want for your business and as a result will enable your findings to drive your product forward ad build you company and product..
If they can believe in your product and understand your clients needs you are halfway there.
Say I wanted to find a sales person in my area.. where would I look?
firstly where are you based? you will need someone who is within a 10mile radius to ensure they don't have to travel too far to work, visiting clients and companies is a different subject. Is your business based at your own Office, rented offices ,home office?
Would a salesperson want to work on straight commission to start?
That would depend on what skills and relationship they have as with experience in order to get deals in quickly,Many sales people have order books or contacts in their markets where by they can close business very quickly and stream line the sales cycle, many work commission only or a fixed fee for a project, with the rewards being greater than a basic annual salary with bonuses.offer a contract to perm offer could be a good option and give the sales person the feeling of ownership and self worth, instead of interim contract that will allow the sales person to move after the time developing relationships and understand the strengths and weakness of your brand and product.
maybe some kind of trial basis?
1 month to 3 month trail is best, I would suggest that they present a business plan ,, 30/60/90 day plan on how they are to build and develop business, this will give you the confidence that they are able to focus , manage their time effectively and be on track to sell and be profitable allowing you to expand the business and grow.
How do you structure a commission arrangement for this sort of business?
You will need to devise and structure of some sort of commission plan, this can be discussed with the sales person regarding targets , mile stones , the cost of the product and what the client is paying, as a business you need to ensure your bottom line is covered as with your operating costs and though you will also need to ensure that all the products and services that have been sold are invoiced and paid within the terms agreed with sales person and client, resulting cash in the bank before the payment is given to the sale person.
If you struggle to find or need support, Google me "Steve Headhunter Turner" i can hopefully point Talent in your direction for a fixed or small introduction fee.
Good luck and all the best, kind regards
ST