Are you looking to scale your business, reach new markets or increase the efficiency in the way you do business? Outsourcing sales creates just this opportunity for your business to grow and expand!
Outsourcing is commonly associated with customer service, IT, marketing and advertising, but not often sales. However, it has been proven through Deloitte’s Global Outsourcing survey in 2018 that outsourcing can actually help a company become more efficient while incorporating new technologies to drive innovation and change.
Thus, in this article, we will be introducing the idea of outsourcing your sales division, weighing some of the pros and cons of outsourcing sales, as well as how you can properly manage and adopt an offshore sales team.
How to effectively manage outsourced sales personnel
There are many ways to effectively manage a remote sales team although there is no face-to-face interaction with them. However, here’s 3 of the main points that we have gathered from our market research and experience
Setting common goals to be accomplished with deadlines
Help the other party understand your company’s goals, vision and mission to work towards a better partnership. This can include virtual onboarding sessions, short training programs, regular video chats, etc. The more you share about your business, the better your partner can sync with your business goals and create value.
Thereafter, once they have a grasp of your business, spend some time crafting goals to be achieved with specific deadlines. This can be in the form of sales targets/figures such as number of clients or amount of revenue that your business aims to hit in the coming year with this project. This helps the outsourced personnel feel more acquainted with your business.
Perform routine checks and ensure timely communication
Do not micromanage! Building a healthy relationship with the other party is especially important. This can come in the form of giving them space and flexibility in the way they work, respecting the time zone and possible work culture differences, etc. This goes a long way in ensuring a smooth partnership.
Communication is key as it keeps everyone well informed. Feedback and rewarding the other party’s achievements is also something to take note of. This will further incentivize them to work harder and stay motivated.
Ensure that everyone is working off the same files and project management software.
It is optimal to give these outsourced personnel access to your intranet, or relevant files and project management software that they need to keep you and your team updated. It is more convenient if everyone has access to the same collaborative software or files that are used and updated on a daily basis. With immediate access to project data, this prevents any lag in the information transfer that might be needed or shared among staff, boosting work productivity and efficiency.
Pros of outsourcing sales
1) Entry into new markets and support new campaigns.
Rather than splitting and assigning employees within your sales team to specific regions or territories, outsourcing allows you to leverage on the knowledge and expertise of locals. This prevents your sales team from being stretched thin to cover as many geographical regions or industries as possible.
An outsourced sales team can focus on development in specific markets. These outsourced sales teams can also be used to test new approaches in sales, product positioning, campaigns and promotions.
They are also able to provide feedback and analysis as a result of the trial while assessing how a product is being perceived in the market. This in return helps your company determine effective price points and what the sales cycle will look like for the products.
2) Lower cost of sales and access to a greater talent pool.
You are not restricted to your local talent pool but instead, the net can be cast globally. Outsourcing allows you to leverage on the expertise of various sales personnel located all over the world. It could also be a good opportunity for your in-house sales staff to pick up certain skills that others may possess.
If your company needs specialized help, it is more viable to expand your search to sales outsourcing boutiques globally where you can draw on their best practices and vast experience with clients too. This is also extremely useful in picking up ideas for sales techniques or for sales leaders to grow.
3) Improves customer engagement in the sales process.
Tapping into the expertise of sales representatives with proven performances in digital channels will help to strengthen your business’ omnichannel results. Companies can observe drastic results such as improvements in unit volumes and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) by connecting more with customers who prefer to use chat and social media.
With the increased accessibility of information online, buyers are increasingly playing active roles in product reviews. Social networks are key areas where buyers look for more information through reviews, collecting information, comparing brands, etc. These buyers may be more difficult to convert as they make their way through your sales funnel. Hence, outsourcing a strong social sales network is beneficial for your business in staying present and engaged with buyers as this interaction facilitates your buyer’s research in the products they are looking for.
4) Promotion of greater performance.
Outsourcing your sales promotes for greater accountability and performance management. This is due to the fact that outsourced sales personnel are usually paid on a success/commission fee basis. Payment conditions usually include successfully closed deals with new clients, which incentivizes these sales personnel to work harder to bring in sales.
On a side note, outsourced sales teams can encourage internal teams to strengthen their operations. An outsourced partner could serve as a benchmark and raise the overall performance level in the organization while bringing in new perspectives, best practices and fresh ideas.
5) Leverage data insights and overcome technological constraints.
Keeping up to date with the latest technology and knowing how to implement them into your business model is key in lead generation. This includes data analytics related software and programs that are involved in attaining, converting and keeping your customers.
Outsourcing allows your company to save time while still achieving these benefits. You are able to tap onto your partner’s analytics tools and provide your sales team with insights on how best to help a particular customer or extend customized offers to suit each individual buyer’s needs.
Furthermore, with the growth of artificial intelligence in today’s society, AI combined with analytics can help your company analyze larger volumes of data points and provide a deeper analysis and understanding of your target consumers prospective needs.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the decision to outsource sales needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the size of your company, or the industry that you are in, outsourcing may be a solution to some of your problems.
Before making the final decision to outsource, it is essential to weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing and ensuring that thorough research has been done on the partner you have shortlisted before finalizing any collaborations.
If you are considering the option of outsourcing your sales team or want to find out more with regards to how outsourcing sales may be beneficial to your company, you can always contact us here!
We are glad to help and will schedule a Free consultation with you to find out how best we can help.
