6 Sales Outsourcing Dos and Don’ts You Should Know
Outsourcing sometimes seems like a dirty word. However, when done right, sales outsourcing can help your business grow. Recent data shows that more and more businesses have realized the cost-effective benefits of hiring outsourced experts. Trends in 2020 and 2021 showed that nearly 25% of large and small businesses rely on some form of outsourcing.
Keep reading to learn more about the growth potential of sales outsourcing and some of the dos and don’ts that go along with it.
Key Takeaways
- Sales outsourcing provides sales expertise for smaller businesses.
- If you want to expand to new geographic areas, sales outsourcing can help you get there.
- For the best sales success, be an active partner with your outsourced sales team.
What Is Sales Outsourcing?
Sales outsourcing is when a business hires a third party to perform some or all its sales processes.
Many outsourced sales strategies include lead generation, handling inbound calls, making outbound calls, and market research.
Why You Should Consider Sales Outsourcing
Sales outsourcing will not work for every business. Here are some of the most popular reasons businesses choose to outsource sales:
- Budget constraints: The cost of paying third-party experts is typically less than the cost of hiring an internal employee and all the extra costs that come with that (healthcare, office space, technology, etc.).
- Smaller team: Perhaps your sales team continually has more sales leads than they can handle. Using sales outsourcing can prevent those leads from going to waste.
- Company growth: As your business grows, you may want to expand into new markets, perhaps even internationally. Sometimes new markets come with unique challenges that your internal sales team is not equipped to handle. An outsourced sales expert in that area may be better suited to earning those customers.
- Menial tasks: Some businesses use outside sales agencies to handle more menial, administrative tasks. This frees up your internal sales team so they can better focus on customers.
- Lack of expertise: There are times when sales strategies will be beyond the skills and training of your current sales team. An experienced, outsourced sales agency can fill in that knowledge gap.
6 Sales Outsourcing Dos and Don’ts
Outsourcing can have some great benefits for your business. However, you need to do it right. Pay attention to these six dos and don’ts so you can get the success your business needs.
1. Form an Active Partnership with Your Outsourcing Agencies
Choosing the right sales outsourcing partner is just the first step. Do not assume that once you choose an agency, new sales will come flooding in. You need to be an active partner to get the results you want.
Treat this new partnership as you would a new employee. This will help build a successful business relationship. Follow these tips to maximize your sales outcomes:
- Give your new sales partners as much training as you can. They need to understand your goals, sales processes, and KPIs.
- Get a thorough understanding of their sales process.
- Meet regularly with the outsourced sales team to give them updated goals. Weekly meetings are ideal.
- Expect your outsourced team to meet the goals you set for them. Work with them to set realistic goals and define your expectations.
- Include the outsourced sales staff in any relevant internal meetings, such as marketing goals, business strategies, and forecasting.
2. Have Patience with Your Results
While you should expect the outsourced sales team you choose to be experts in their field, you need to have patience with the results they offer. In general, it may take your new partners about 90 days to learn your sales strategies and solidify their sales sequences.
To help the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible, do the following:
- Have an open communication channel where the sales team can reach out to you whenever they need.
- Provide ample training and other materials on your products and services.
- Consider offering sales bonuses to encourage and reward early success.
3. Align Your Sales and Marketing Strategies
With an outsourced sales team, it is easy for sales to become disconnected from your marketing strategy. These two teams must work together to align their goals and strategies.
To do this, try the following:
- Have your outsourced sales reps share data with the marketing team. This could be information on buyer personas or what makes a better lead.
- Create routine meetings where marketing can talk to leading sales staff.
4. Don’t Choose the Cheapest Option
Many businesses choose to outsource to save money. This can cause many to choose the cheapest option they can find. The 2020 Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey shows cost is still the primary outsourcing objective.
When you focus on costs more than capabilities, your results suffer. When choosing your new sales partner, clearly define your expectations and ask them how they can deliver. You should treat the selection process like you would an employee interview.
5. Don’t Get Bogged Down with Choosing an Agency
Of course, you want to choose the right outsourced sales partner. However, if you drag out the process, you are wasting time and money that could be used to generate revenue instead.
Consider these questions during the selection process:
- Does this agency specialize in my area and understand my needs?
- Do we have similar KPIs?
- Are they just saying what they need to get my business or are they offering innovative solutions?
- What is the ratio of sales representatives to managers?
This video highlights some more dos and don’ts, especially for new business owners.
6. Don’t Choose a Basic Call Center
There is a difference between a call center and an outsourced sales team. Call centers typically focus on customer service and support, while a sales team drives revenue.
Here are some of the expectations you should have for your outsourced sales:
- Cover more geographic areas than you focused on before.
- Enhance your current sales process.
- Offer analysis of KPIs to improve future sales.
- Use advanced technology, such as RPA and artificial intelligence.
Let Televerde Help You with Sales Outsourcing
Choosing the right third-party partners is crucial to your sales success. Here at Televerde, we offer expert sales solutions including lead generation, sales qualification and management, and win/loss management. If your business could benefit from any of these services, we would love to work with you.
Ready to learn more? Check out our Guide to help determine which approach is best for your business. You can also contact us today and experience our customer lifecycle solutions.
