An outsourced inside sales team works on behalf of your company to prospect, qualify leads, set sales meetings, and win you new business. Outsourcing inside sales takes the responsibility out of your hands, allowing your internal teams to spend more time and effort on the core competencies of your business.
But companies should be aware of the challenges they must address before choosing an outsourced firm and negotiating a partnership.
We’ve identified a few of the main concerns we see from our own clients before making the decision to outsource their inside sales. Read on to find out how you can mitigate these challenges and be prepared to choose the inside sales partner that’s best for your company.
If you outsource your inside sales, exactly how much control will you have over your outsourced sales reps? This is one of the biggest challenges companies face when they decide to outsource.
You want to be sure that your sales team is representing your brand properly, following the appropriate processes in place, and spending their time wisely pursuing leads that are a good fit for your company.
A good outsourced firm will prioritize transparency and frequently review their progress with you, so you are granted control over how their efforts should be adjusted and executed.
One important question to ask during your search for the perfect outsourced firm is, “How are your results tracked and reported?” Look for a firm that is willing to work directly out of your Salesforce instance, so you get visibility into each step of the sales process.
If you go with a firm that only reports on the outcomes of their efforts, you won’t be able to analyze their performance at every step or get insight into all of the metrics that help an inside sales team succeed.
For example, the number of deals closed may sufficiently meet your standards, but there could be a much larger number of opportunities that were generated but not nurtured properly and closed.
With a fully integrated outsourced firm and insight into the entire process, you can ensure any discrepancies between opportunities and actual revenue won are addressed. If you know which part of the process needs to be fixed, you can adjust the outreach strategy and potentially capture more opportunities with your outsourced team.
Another question companies often ask themselves when thinking about outsourcing sales is, “why should we trust our sales in the hands of another company?”
Seemingly, the outsourced firm has much less incentive than your company to succeed in sales on your behalf. After all, sales are the lifeblood of your company. Sales are more than important — they pay your rent and your payroll.
You may think that an outsourced sales company has less of a stake in your success. But keep in mind that outsourced firms are incentivized to help you succeed. Retaining your business as a client is just as important to them as winning new business is to you.
Especially for outsourced sales firms who offer month-to-month contracts, keeping clients satisfied in the long-term is the main objective. Compare these firms to ones that pay on a per lead, per sales appointment, year-long contracts, or commission basis.
Pay-per-whatever firms are more likely to prioritize sending you volume of appointments and opportunities no matter the quality. This is why we recommend a time-based outsourced firm who acts as more of a partner vs. just a vendor.
A good outsourced sales firm will act as an extension of your company, representing your brand and product as if it were their own.
Beyond finding a firm with time-based contracts, look to how they represent their own brand. Consider their performance during the sales process of pursuing you as a prospect, look at their onboarding process, and look at the overall effort they put into providing value for their leads and customers.
We say go for it. We’ve worked with thousands of clients who outsource their sales and sales development, and many of them end up seeing a 200% ROI on average.
The key is to choose the right vendor who will work with you to plan and execute a strategy tailored to your customers and solution, and more importantly, collaborate with you to continuously improve the efforts.
If you’re looking for guidance and support when it comes to inside sales for your company, don’t hesitate to contact the sales specialists at EBQ.
6800 Burleson Road
Building 310, Suite 265
Austin, TX 78744
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