How to Build a Rockstar Outsourced Sales Team

The sales process in any business has a lot of moving parts. While the uninitiated might think it is just placing cold calls until someone says yes, you know how far from the truth is. For many businesses, some or all of the sales process becomes unmanageable, especially as the business grows. When this happens, an outsourced sales team may be a viable solution.

Outsourcing sales offers some incredible benefits, including cost savings, scaling flexibility, and sales expertise.

If you have wondered if outsourcing is an option for you, we will explain some of the key steps in building an outstanding outsourced sales team.

Key Takeaways

• An outsourced sales team is a group of people from a third-party company who work closely with you to handle some parts of your sales process.
• Outsourcing sales can help decrease costs, improve team flexibility, and give you access to better sales resources.
• To find a good, outsourced sales team, you must focus on qualifications and capabilities instead of cost.
• Continual communication between you and your outsourced team is crucial for success.

What Is an Outsourced Sales Team?

An outsourced sales team is a group of people who handle some or all your sales processes and work for an agency outside of your business. Outsourcing can give your internal team more flexibility and allows them to focus on their strengths.

Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly popular solution for businesses across many industries. According to Grandview Research, the outsourcing industry was valued at $245.9 billion in 2021. This number is expected to grow by 9.1% each year through 2030.

Reasons to Outsource Your Sales

While letting another business handle your sales may seem counterintuitive, there are many valid reasons for choosing to outsource your sales:

• Cost savings: Many sales team struggle with retention. This issue leads to high recruitment, hiring, and training costs. If you have a history of high turnover rates, outsourcing your sales can solve that issue. You will pay a set amount for your outsourced services and won’t have to worry about employee training or turnover.
• Sales needs continually change: If you have the good problem of being unable to keep up with your business growth, outsourcing may be the solution. Whether you have seasonal needs or the size of your business keeps changing, it is much easier to scale an outsourced sales team than an internal one. 
• Lack of experience: For some businesses, they realize they do not have the expertise they need to expertly handle their sales processes. An outsourced sales team will be ready to fulfill your business’s needs with little downtime.

A recent survey showed that the top benefit of outsourcing was increased flexibility, followed closely by increased efficiency and access to more resources.

How to Build a Successful Outsourced Sales Team

After deciding that an outsourced sales team is the right solution for you, it is time to start building your team. Follow these steps to get started.

1. Define the Scope of Your Outsourcing 

Outsourcing sales firms can handle your entire sales process or just a portion of it. You need to decide how much you will keep in-house and how much you will outsource.

Consider the needs and expertise of your teams. Perhaps you only need support with demand generation, or maybe you’ve decided to completely outsource your sales efforts.

2. Focus on Capabilities Instead of Cost 

A valid reason for shifting to an outsourced sales team is to cut costs. However, you should avoid going with the cheapest possible option. While a low price may be appealing, that company may not offer the quality of services your business needs.

Instead, focus more on the capabilities of the outsourced team and if they are qualified for the job.

When evaluating an outsourced team, consider the following:

• Can the agency quickly scale up if your needs grow?
• How will the outsourced team contribute if you want to expand into a new market?
• What are the agency’s areas of expertise?
• Do they have experience with other businesses in your industry?
• What software and other resources do they use to accelerate sales?
• What kind of return can you expect from your investment?

3. Form an Active Partnership

While partnering with an outsourced sales team will give your in-house team more flexibility and freedom, you still need to be an active partner in the sales process. You need continual communication to ensure you and your partners are on the same page.

To do this:

• Stay connected with your outsourced sales team with regular meetings to discuss performance and other key metrics.
• Set clear goals and expectations for your outsourced sales team.
• Invite outsourced sales team leaders to internal meetings to quickly adapt to any changes in strategy.

4. Align Sales and Marketing 

Sales and marketing are two departments that need to work closely together. With an outsourced sales team, this may present some challenges. However, if these teams are not aligned, it can make meeting sales goals more difficult.

To keep these teams aligned:

• Create buyer personas for each team to stay focused on your target customer base.
• Have your marketing team regularly meet with the outsourced sales team. Each team should share valuable insights from their work to help improve the lead generation and qualification process.

5. Look for More Than a Basic Call Center

Some outsourcing agencies are strictly call centers. These businesses may offer customer support but don’t help drive revenue.

You need an outsourced sales team that is capable of:

• Achieving a sales quota
• Improving your sales process
• Expanding your business to new geographic areas
• Delivering predictable results

6. Be Patient

Just as you would give a new internal hire time to get acquainted with your sales processes, you need to give your new outsourced sales team time to learn your business strategy and procedures. While the team may have more direct experience than a new hire, it will still take some time before they are fully on board.

To make the process as quick and seamless as possible:

• Offer any internal training materials to your new outsourcing partners. They may use these to familiarize their agents with your company.
• Create a direct communication channel for your outsourced team so they can contact you whenever they have questions.

This video explores why you should outsource at least some of your sales processes and why it would be beneficial to your in-house sales team.

Televerde Can Be Your Outsourced Sales Partner

When choosing your outsourced sales team, you want a business you can rely on. At Televerde, we value our reputation as a trusted B2B outsourced partner. We offer solutions for every customer journey stage, including lead development and win/loss management.

Ready to learn more about how we can help you achieve your sales goals? Call us today to get started.