Today, more and more sales organizations are revisiting their inside sales strategies. This is to ensure they are accessing the full potential of their teams. Get more information about a training program designed to build the skills inside sales professionals need to succeed. Learn the differences between inside and outside sales—and the responsibilities, skill sets, and tools for each—so you can adopt the right sales model for your business. There really is no manual when it comes to inside and outside sales.

Inside vs. Outside Sales Models

This approach not only streamlined their operations but also contributed to a 50% boost in conversion rates. OTE should indicate expected earnings, so inside sales positions earn relatively close to the same revenue amount as outside sales. The higher expenses explain why outside sales are typically only used to target clients who have larger budgets and can make larger purchases. The primary difference between inside and outside sales is the location of the sale.

Success with inside sales is hiring the right talent, as they are the most important factor in the success of a program. Inside sales reps of all roles need to think on their feet, be persistent, and keep up to date on the what is inside sales latest technology, tools, and advancements to enhance efficiency. Greater engagement With various digital tools, such as LinkedIn InMail, SMS, phone calls, and email, inside sales can achieve higher engagement with prospects compared to outside sales. While outside sales benefits from face-to-face contact, inside sales tools allow reps to have more frequent touchpoints with prospects. It also simplifies involving multiple stakeholders involved in the sale.

Customer Support

They no longer “demand” easier buying processes, they expect them – and sellers that can’t sell in the way buyers want to buy can only expect to miss opportunities, lose business and reduce revenue. This is usually part of a wider strategy known as a Compensation (Comp) Plan, a structured program that determines how much a sales rep should earn, based on their performance. Time management is vital for those looking to become top performers. It’s easy to get distracted by daily admin tasks, but time spent not physically selling is time wasted. Usually, sales leaders will keep a close eye on the activity of their reps — the number of touches they make on an average day.

Instead, they may use various tools like email, phone, and video conferencing for a more streamlined sales approach. Inside sales is popular for many industries that sell high-ticket items, especially those in the B2B and tech spaces. Inside sales is a potent sales model for driving revenue, especially when done in conjunction with synergistic efforts like inbound marketing and outside sales. By investing in the right people, processes, technology, training, and measurement, sales leaders can establish a successful inside sales team that promotes revenue growth and customer satisfaction. Outside sales refers to the sales done in person by sales representatives who travel to meet potential customers on the field. Their sales will largely depend on how well they can connect with their leads in person, and they spend a lot of time maintaining and developing professional relationships.

Ready, Set, Sell: A Mindtickle Podcast

Inside sales uses technology to establish and strengthen relationships with prospects, leads, and customers. While selling has changed a lot with the introduction of new sales technology, the core principles are still the same. While this might sound surprisingly similar to telemarketing, anyone looking to succeed in inside sales must first understand the difference between the two. Inside sales involves multiple high touch transactions via phone and email, and this means that there is no reliance on sales scripts like there is in telemarketing.

1. These efficiencies offer more cost-effective ways for business development reps to increase leads generated with audio and video.
2. At the end of this training, the candidates come out 100% operational by having acquired all skills and knowledge necessary for the exercise of these jobs.
3. Greater engagement With various digital tools, such as LinkedIn InMail, SMS, phone calls, and email, inside sales can achieve higher engagement with prospects compared to outside sales.
4. They meet with customers to discuss solutions to the customer’s pain points, demo products or services, and form stronger relationships to build customer loyalty.
5. Marketing campaigns are aimed at a targeted audience that corresponds as much as possible to the buyer personas identified in advance.
6. Or maybe you’re here considering a career in inside sales—either way, I’ve got you covered.

Inside sales offers a range of additional benefits that have revolutionized the way businesses approach revenue generation. On the surface, there’s the obvious cost savings of moving a sales team indoors, lessening the need for extensive travel or physical office spaces. But, the advantages stem far beyond just routine reductions in spend.

Companies Hiring Inside Sales Representatives

The most attractive benefits include scalability, flexibility and extended reach. They are most often used for SaaS, B2B, technology, and other similar types of sales. Inside sales reps typically find and nurture leads together as a team, leading them down the pipeline to conversion without working with the client face to face. These are warm leads from prospects who have taken action to indicate their interest. Some such actions include downloading a report, requesting a live demo, interacting via live chat on the company website, or registering for and attending a webinar. An SDR will make initial contact with these leads and then pass along the qualified ones to an account executive (AE) on the team.

This growing demand for more virtual contact has transformed the responsibilities of the traditional Sales Development Rep (SDR) role entirely. Make sure your salespeople have all the information relating to the products your marketing team will be promoting to ensure that they are very knowledgeable about them. If they’re selling via online chat sessions, they need to be fast typists and know how to convey the right emotions in their conversations. If they’re selling over the phone, they must focus on voice inflection, ensuring they sound engaged and excited. Since they need to visit their leads in person, outside salespeople will favor leads that are geographically closer to them. Although they can also sell around the world, their already-reduced reach is drastically diminished since they will be required to spend even more time traveling.

Inside Sales Representative Career Path

1. Inbound reps focus on qualifying and engaging with inbound leads from the marketing team while outbound reps proactively reach out to leads in their target customer profile.
2. All of which may prove useful when contact is finally established, offering insight into passions and habits which might be best catered to.
3. They need to tailor their pitch perfectly to each lead because the lead they’re targeting will typically need to spend a substantial amount of money.
4. These make the customer feel like they are on the receiving end of a cold call.
5. Cold calling is the outbound task reps will perform most regularly, but it is just one of the ways to reach out to prospects.

Sales performance metrics help you understand the effectiveness of your sales strategy, the performance of your sales reps, and the progress of your sales goals. Track them regularly for insights on how to make improvements, adjustments, and better business decisions. Here are a few of the top tools to help you reach your sales goals. I don‘t believe there’s a specific vertical, industry, or product where a field sales model is indispensable.