Sales outsourcing takes place when a business assigns parts of the sales process to external agencies. There are many different reasons for this. These include the lack of time, resources, or expertise of the internal team.
By outsourcing, you’re able to give your team more flexibility. Furthermore, they can allocate their time and effort to more urgent sales tasks than lead tracking and lead collection.
Outsourcing may require some investment, but it doesn’t mean that it’s exclusively for big companies. They have services and simple CRM software for small businesses too. Outsourced sales teams also don’t need to go through the same rigorous onboarding and training process as an in-house sales team.
Now, this begs the question:
How Do You Select Your Outsourced Sales Team?
- Invest in Capability Instead of Cost
As previously said, outsourcing sales teams can be expensive. But rather than focusing on the price, you can look at it as an investment. You are paying for the skills and expertise of the team. As such, the results of their efforts must be worthwhile.
They shouldn’t just be capable, but more specifically, they should have experience in your industry. Experience is needed to grow and become an expert in any given field. Having a veteran team will know exactly what needs to be done according to your demands.
This is where strategy comes in. Even if the team is well-versed in utilizing different programs, their capabilities need to go beyond that.
If machines are enough to run a business, then outsourcing wouldn’t even be necessary. Instead, the team’s past experience should be key to devising strategies for sales strategies. For example, things like outsourced sales support, sales pitch, and customer assessment. This will be a huge help in refining your current system structure.
Another point is that a capable outsourced sales team should have an impressive track record. What do previous clients have to say about them? If you’ve seen any of their previous work, do you think it will be beneficial to your company? Is their track record sufficient evidence that they’ll be exceptional business partners?
An outsourced sales team’s ability to scale is also worth noting. Part of what makes them cost-effective is that the months it takes to train in-house employees are scaled down to a few weeks. This is due to their specialization and previous experience in the field.
During the training period, observe how well the team does. They’re your business partners, so observe the efficiency and effectiveness of their training.
After the time spent on the outsourced team, it’s time to see how well they’ve adapted to the company and your tasks. Adaptability is also a part of one’s capability. The faster they’re able to adjust to your protocols and demands, the better. This isn’t just cost-effective but efficient as well.
Because sales outsourcing is an investment, it’s only natural that you should see it paying off: Return on Investment (ROI). Make sure to state and discuss your expectations with the team. What are your objectives? What are your goals?
A clear line of communication is expected between the employer and the employees to deliver high-quality results. Once you agree on the terms and metrics of your partnership, the risks of this investment may be minimal.
- Align Your Sales and Marketing Teams
It is recommended that your outsourced sales team is informed of the company’s marketing strategy. Just because they’re outsourced doesn’t mean that they should be detached from your company’s marketing process.
Without a solid marketing model, it will be easy for your team to be confused about how they’ll accommodate your expectations. Being integrated into the company’s culture will establish good relations between the marketing and sales teams.
If they are curious and ask questions, instances of miscommunication can be avoided. They’ll be able to deliver and promote your message to your prospective clients.
Sales and marketing come hand-in-hand. They must be working towards the same objective to be truly effective. That way, they can also continue to grow as a team and as individual employees.
- Look for a Real Sales Firm
Call centers are a dime a dozen and they offer a variety of services. However, if we’re talking about return on investment, basic call centers won’t cut it. High-quality services come from a certain degree of specialization.
Let’s differentiate the two. A call center usually focuses on general customer care or tech support, but a sales firm specializes in driving revenue.
A real sales firm, even those who offer outsourced sales teams, should be able to scale or augment your internal sales teams’ current state. Because they’re outsourced, they should be able to expand the geographies and time zones that you previously weren’t able to operate in.
You’ll know whether they’re a true sales firm if they have solid sales methodologies that can simplify the complicated sales motions. Naturally, they ought to have the skills to forecast and analyze sales trends to be able to give insight and strategies.
- The Checklist is not the Limit
Checklists are standards and guides, not rules. We’re not telling you to throw everything we said out of the window, but we didn’t list these down to be stifling either. There are more factors in sales than just what we mentioned.
For example, instead of focusing on your present sales status, try to plan ahead. Envision if the outsourced sales team will be a perfect fit for your future sales endeavors. While they may be a spectacular match now, will they be a good investment for future projects as well?
You also need to think about your customers. Will they be able to provide excellent customer service? Will they be open to collaborating with you and your marketing team?
Most of all, will the team not just be a worthwhile investment, but a long-time business partner?
Conclusion
The world of marketing and sales is evolving at a quick pace. Entrepreneurs can easily expand their businesses internationally thanks to technology.
We have discussed numerous factors that can guide your selection of an outsourced sales team. From their capabilities, alignment with your goals, and specialization, your team needs to look for a partner. A short-sighted decision on what kind of team you’ll hire can be more detrimental than beneficial to your company.
For example, even if a team doesn’t need as much training as an in-house team, the lack of continuity will only damage your resources. Re-training a new team will eat more than they can earn for you.
Outsourcing sales teams have become a common practice and will most likely be that way in the future. The competition is tight, so it’s even more important to find a team that will complement and work well with your company!