Introduction Are you considering working with a sales outsourcing company to attain your company’s goals and grow your business? Well, you are not alone. Many B2B companies consider sales outsourcing at some point. However, some hesitate due to sales outsourcing myths they have heard or read. Despite this, business entities that have decided to try it can attest to the advantages B2B companies of any size can get if they outsource sales. The confusion of some business owners may come from the lack of understanding of the concept itself. Generally, sales outsourcing refers to hiring external personnel or teams to handle the company’s sales function. There are various reasons why a company may decide to outsource. It may be due to lack of expertise or experience in handling certain sales functions, issues in terms of scalability, and the cost-efficiency of outsourcing versus maintaining an internal sales team.’ Define Your Objectives B2B businesses will benefit from sales outsourcing. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for B2B sales. Depending on your company’s needs, you can outsource the whole sales process or partner with an external team to handle only certain phases. You should first define your company’s objectives to ensure you get suitable services. You should determine the expectations that you have. Which areas can the internal staff not accomplish? What responsibilities require expertise? Do you need an external team to handle the sales execution? Do you want to gauge the reaction or feedback of your clients and prospects to figure out whether a new product or service is ready for rollout? Are you planning on expanding to new locations? Are there language or cultural barriers you wish to overcome? Do you want to generate more leads or increase your revenue? What is your timeframe for the goals you want to accomplish? These are only some questions that may help determine which areas of the sales process your company should outsource. You can also discuss the lead and conversion goals of the company with a reliable sales agency. Doing this will help qualify your capabilities and skills and ensure you will get services suitable to your needs. Common Myths About Outsourcing When making business decisions, it is necessary to have enough information to help weigh your options well. It is also essential for one to ensure that the choices that one makes are based on facts. With the number of information that one can access nowadays, it is possible to stumble upon some myths and misconceptions. The same is true for B2B sales outsourcing. As stated earlier, many B2B business owners think twice about outsourcing due to what they may have heard or read. The first step to making well-informed decisions is not to believe everything you hear. Here are some of the most common outsourcing myths you need to be wary of: Myth 1: B2B companies must give up too much control when outsourcing sales. Contrary to what many believe, outsourcing does not necessarily mean giving up all control. You can find a suitable service provider willing and able to adapt to how you do business. They can create processes and systems based on your company’s needs and requirements. In B2B sales, you can opt only to outsource certain sales process phases. Determine the weak points of your internal team and let the outsourced sales team handle those areas. Then, keep internal staff to take care of the other aspects. Myth 2: The work of outsourced teams is of poor quality. This is far from the truth. An outsourced sales team aims to help your company reach its goals. Outsourced teams are made up of experts in the field. They are knowledgeable about the best practices and the latest tools. They have experience in handling sales requirements and goals. Besides, your company can also ensure the quality of work by discussing your expectations with the service provider. An outsourced sales team can provide regular updates, sales forecasts, and data analytics. This way, you can figure out if there is anything you need to improve. Myth 3: You have to sacrifice your company’s security and privacy. While sales outsourcing gives an external team access to company data, that does not mean you have to give up on security. You can include provisions in the outsourcing contract to prevent possible disastrous situations like data leaks and security breaches. You can also restrict user access to specific data needed to complete the given tasks. It will also help to only work with trusted and proven service providers. Myth 4: It is not suitable for smaller or technical companies. Outsourcing is not just for big enterprises. Your B2B company, regardless of size or industry, will benefit from it. It can be advantageous even if the company only has a few employees. Outsourcing the company’s sales function means your internal staff can focus more on other aspects of the business. Additionally, professional outsourcing providers can create a program that will fit the company’s size, needs, and goals it wants to attain. Myth 5: It helps cut costs but only short-term. One benefit of outsourcing is the opportunity to reduce company expenses. But, it is not just a quick fix. It allows companies to save money in the long term. At the same time, it helps in generating more leads and increasing conversion rates. Thus, the return on investment (ROI) for the company is great. Building an internal sales team is not as cost-effective and efficient. Ensuring employees have the right skills and team maintenance can increase expenses. Here are some of the things you need to consider when creating an in-house sales team: Employees – You must look for, hire, and train employees to handle your company’s sales function and build good relationships with prospects and clients. You also need to ensure they have the right skills, knowledge, and expertise in various sales-related areas. That means you have to spend some time training them. Overhead – Aside from the hiring process and training period, you must also retain competent employees. You need to think about employee benefits and consider sick days as well. Tools and Equipment – You must purchase tools and equipment to keep your sales team running. For instance, you may have to purchase CRM software and automation tools. You will also have to have enough telephones, monitors, and computers. Myth 6: It is unnecessary if you already have an in-house sales team. As stated earlier, sales outsourcing does not only apply to companies that need an external team to handle the whole sales process. The B2B sales cycle can be challenging. So, even if you already have an internal team, you can still benefit from outsourcing certain parts of the process. This way, your staff can focus more on specific aspects. For example, you can outsource only lead generation or sales execution. Conclusion B2B companies that outsource sales enjoy a lot of benefits and opportunities. However, many business owners think they do not need outsourcing because of the sales outsourcing myths they have heard. Do not let these hold your company back. Rely on facts and see how outsourcing can be advantageous for your business.
