Outsourced sales are defined as "the practice of contracting with a third party to sell or distribute a product or service for one's own business rather than doing so in-house". This means that you hire another company, usually a call centre or a broker, to do the work of selling your products for you.
Outsourced sales can be beneficial in a lot of ways, including having many benefits for start-ups. Let's take a look at some specific industries and how they benefit from this practice:
Manufacturing
A manufacturer considering hiring an outside source to handle their sales must consider what types of service their company offers.
If the company sells a variety of different products, it would be more cost effective to hire an outside service because the company is then able to concentrate on creating new product lines instead of hiring and training new employees for each one.
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Digital Marketing
In the digital marketing industry, outsourced sales teams are incredibly popular.
The reason they are popular is because the sales team they hire, usually called a "page builder," will be able to create and manage landing pages and advertisements for their clients in a way that optimizes conversions.
It's important that this is done correctly to ensure that the company does not end up spending more money on the sales team than they are receiving in revenue.
Real Estate
Outsourced real estate teams are commonly used by small businesses or people who work from home. This is because they give the person a virtual assistant to handle all their phone calls, emails and other business communications.
Many realtors today have switched from in-house to outsourced sales staff because they allow them to concentrate on areas of their business that are more profitable.
The Service Industry
The service industry would not be able to run without outsourced sales. Some companies even specialize in this type of customer relations management (CRM).
Outsourcing also reduces the workload during busy seasons, since staff can be hired for a specific amount of time instead of having them around all year long.
Law Firms
In the legal profession, many firms are switching to outsourced sales teams because they are able to handle all of the incoming phone calls, emails and other requests for information without distracting their staff.
This frees up lawyers to spend more time with existing clients instead of having to answer dozens of phone calls every day.
Outsourced Sales Disadvantages
Despite these benefits, there are some disadvantages that come with using an outsourced sales team.
The biggest issue with outsourced sales teams is that they cost more.
Although they can handle a lot of the workload for you, it does come at a price. You will have to pay them for their service which means you may end up spending more money than you would if you had hired in-house staff.
Another downside is that it can be difficult to assess and manage their performance and communication skills. This is because you will most likely have communication issues since time zones and language barriers can make communication more difficult than if they were located locally.
So, before you decide whether you should hire an outsourced sales team or not, you need to carefully consider your options and the costs of both before making a decision.
If you do decide that hiring an outsourced sales team is right for you, make sure to follow these tips:
1. Have Clear Goals In Mind- Your company should have specific goals in mind before hiring an outside source.
These goals should include how much revenue the outsourced sales team is expected to bring in and at what cost. This will help determine if it's a good use of your money or not.
2. Communicate Effectively- You can't expect a high level of communication from someone you rarely talk to.
It's important to make sure you have a good telephone connection and that both of you speak the same language before signing a contract with an outsourced sales team member.
3. Stay In Contact- It may be necessary for your company to contact your sales manager on a daily or weekly basis depending on their performance and roll.
This is to make sure they are meeting your company's goals and being productive in their position.
4. Follow Up- Since communication may be an issue, it's important that you have a mutual understanding of what outsourced sales is all about before signing a contract with anyone.
Make sure you tell them about the duties and responsibilities required of their job position. This will help avoid confusion later on if either party has any questions about what they are supposed to be doing.
5. Have An Exit Strategy- There are many factors that can cause the relationship between your company and outsourced sales team to not work out as expected. So, it's critical for both parties to have an exit strategy in the event something goes wrong.
This will help protect both companies from any misunderstandings that may occur later on.
6. Keep Records- For tax purposes, it's a good idea to keep records of all revenue your outsourced sales team generates for your company. This will make filing your taxes much easier.
Hiring an outsourced sales team is beneficial for companies who need a little help staying productive and reducing their expenses. However, before signing a contract with a new member, make sure you have a clear understanding of what they are going to do and how much they will cost your company. This way, you can avoid any conflicts or misunderstandings further down the road.