Finding the Right Outsourced Sales Solutions Provider

May 27, 2023
|By Gretel Digo

If you are considering outsourcing your sales activities, finding the right outsourced sales solutions provider is one of the most critical decisions you need to make to ensure a successful campaign. Like any other  outsourcing engagement, it’s important to evaluate your sales and marketing needs, manpower, and resources. A detailed and honest analysis of your capabilities to achieve current and future goals determines which functions, if any, can be better performed by an outside expert. Asking the right questions from the start minimizes risk and increases the chances of a sales outsourcing project that delivers value over time.

Assessment of Sales Force Capabilities

Begin by assessing your internal sales processes and sales force requirements. Evaluate criteria such as cost, process efficiency, and time to determine the potential for outsourcing certain positions. For instance, if you intend to hire a telesales representative, consider the following questions:

– How many telesales representatives are currently employed?

– What are the specific roles and responsibilities of each telesales representative?

– Do the existing sales positions effectively support your current and long-term business objectives?

– Can you identify any opportunities or issues within your sales operations?

– What are the strengths and weaknesses of your sales force and overall sales strategy?

Next, shift your focus to the qualitative aspects of your sales team, including attitudes, work ethic, ability to meet performance targets, commitment to the job, and potential for advancement. Assess whether full or partial outsourcing of sales roles could prove advantageous for your business, and determine which positions can be outsourced immediately or in the future.

Assessment of Sales Methods and Channels

There are multiple avenues through which you can sell products and services to customers, including field sales (such as door-to-door or business-to-business B2B sales), inside sales (including telesales, virtual sales, and offshore sales representatives), retail sales (such as events or kiosks), reselling (such as merchandising or affiliate programs), and various other approaches. It is crucial to assess your current sales methods and channels to determine their adequacy in meeting both present and future goals.

Assessment of Sales Solutions Providers

Once you have established a compelling case for outsourcing, the next step is to identify the appropriate sales solutions provider. To facilitate your decision-making process, consider the following criteria that can help you narrow down your choices:

Recruitment Process

Inquire about the sales solutions provider’s recruitment methods for sales and telesales representatives, and assess whether their approach aligns with your sales goals. Find out if they prioritize potential or experience when hiring. Do they lean towards recent graduates or professionals with 1-5+ years of experience? Additionally, ask about their strategies for managing turnover and how they keep high-performing representatives motivated. Ideally, the provider’s turnover management strategy should include opportunities for career growth to retain talented representatives.

Infrastructure and Technology

For the companies in your shortlist, evaluate their infrastructure and technology capabilities, as these are crucial for effective sales solutions. If possible, visit their office or request a virtual tour to assess the work environment. Pay attention to the quality of high-speed internet connectivity and the availability of suitable sales tools. It can also be beneficial to listen to actual sales calls between representatives and customers. Assess the clarity of the conversation and consider factors such as call duration and quality.

Experience

Take into account the sales solutions provider’s experience, range of services offered, and success stories or case studies. Determine if the company specializes in a specific industry vertical or if they are a general solutions provider. Look for a company that tailors their solutions to each client’s unique needs and demonstrates the ability to recruit the specific talent required for your organization.

The Case for Outsourced Sales

While sales outsourcing can be a powerful tool for driving profitability and reducing costs, it may not be the right decision for every organization. Make a compelling case for outsourced sales by conducting an honest evaluation of your company’s sales strategy, sales force, and the resources dedicated to these activities. Consider the potential benefits and challenges in light of your specific circumstances.

Certain situations are better suited to sales outsourcing than others:

  1. Insufficient Resources to Support Sales Force Expansion:

In cases where current resources cannot sustain the growth of the sales force or hiring full-time sales staff, sales outsourcing becomes an attractive option. Particularly for startups and small businesses with limited resources, outsourcing provides a cost-effective alternative. The third-party provider takes care of recruitment, screening, training, and support of sales personnel, while also offering essential infrastructure and technology, such as up-to-date databases, CRM systems, and analytics tools. This flexibility allows companies with tight budgets to hire sales professionals on-demand, precisely when needed.

  1. Expertise Gaps in Specific Sales Roles:

Assess your business culture and evaluate the proficiency of your internal sales team in specific roles. If revenue growth has plateaued, customer satisfaction is declining, or your sales team is struggling to meet targets, it may indicate a need for external expertise. For instance, CEOs and business owners who lack extensive sales management experience can benefit from an experienced third party that provides management and oversight services. This allows senior executives to focus their energy and resources on core activities, such as product development or business improvement.

  1. Expansion into Unfamiliar or Challenging Markets:

When expanding into a new vertical or market that poses difficulties, sales outsourcing can mitigate risks and accelerate growth. For instance, if a company has dominated one market but is venturing into an unfamiliar industry, there is a risk of competitors gaining market share during the learning curve. Engaging a sales solutions provider specializing in the target market can significantly reduce this risk. For example, if a software manufacturer is entering the healthcare insurance sector for the first time, the provider can leverage their expertise to build a high-quality leads database and devise a market entry strategy, resulting in rapid revenue growth.

By considering these scenarios, businesses can identify when sales outsourcing is a strategic fit and leverage external expertise to achieve their sales objectives effectively.

Other Factors Influencing the Decision to Outsource Telesales and Sales:

In addition to situational drivers, various aspects of a company’s sales strategy, business model, talent availability, sales expertise, and sales process can guide CEOs and business leaders in determining when to outsource.

Sales Strategy

A well-defined sales strategy encompasses plans for selling products or services and maximizing profits. It addresses critical questions such as what, to whom, where, at what price, and how to sell. If your sales strategy fails to deliver value to customers, the company, and your sales team—as evidenced by low-quality leads, stagnant or declining revenues, and suboptimal customer satisfaction—it may be an opportune time to consider outsourcing your sales strategy to a third-party specialist.

Sales Outsourcing Business Model

Sales outsourcing can be tailored to various business models, including project-based engagements, specific sales tasks, full outsourcing, or integrated outsourcing models. While many companies opt to outsource certain sales activities rather than the entire process, end-to-end sales process outsourcing is gaining traction among larger enterprises. Depending on your current sales model, engaging an external specialist may be necessary. For instance, if you’re struggling to sell a product through an unfamiliar sales channel, such as affiliate selling, but are hesitant to commit to a full sales outsourcing agreement, collaborating with a service provider specializing in affiliate sales on a project or short-term basis can be a viable solution.

Availability of Talent

The decision to outsource depends on your ability to attract, hire, and support the required sales talent internally. For many companies, this process is often expensive and time-consuming. In urban areas with higher salary expectations, locating top-notch sales staff can be particularly challenging. If you have encountered difficulties matching talent to the required roles and need to quickly fill positions, sales outsourcing presents an ideal solution. Local and offshore service providers possess extensive networks and industry partnerships that enable them to significantly reduce time-to-fill and expedite your sales initiatives. Instead of waiting several months, an outsourcing vendor can help you fill a sales manager or telesales representative position within a week.

Required Sales Expertise

Highly skilled sales representatives consistently outperform their average counterparts not only in generating high-quality leads and driving revenues but also in other crucial areas. They view sales as more than just a means to an end and demonstrate a genuine passion for their work. If your existing sales and telesales representatives consistently underperform or exhibit low commitment levels, outsourcing your sales operations to a firm with a proven track record can be the right choice. Seek a service provider with extensive experience selling similar products and a demonstrated sales success rate. To maintain quality, request detailed sales projections from the outsourcing firm and utilize them as benchmarks. Additionally, ensure that the chosen sales firm does not represent companies that directly compete with your products.

By considering these factors, businesses can make informed decisions regarding the outsourcing of telesales and sales functions to enhance their overall sales performance.

To learn more about outsourcing, you can read our Top 8 Qualities of an Outsourcing Company in the Philippines article. We invite you to follow us on social media and to visit our website to learn more about our services.

About Us: Sourcefit is a widely recognized US-managed business process outsourcing company based in Manila, Philippines. We proudly serve over 100 clients with a workforce of more than 1,300 employees. Our global centers can serve multiple markets, and our staff is highly proficient in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Whether you need a few or many employees, we can help you achieve your business goals and build high-quality offshore teams.

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Sourcefit’s commitment to excellence has been recognized through numerous industry awards and certifications.

We recently received the Fortress Cyber Security Award from the Business Intelligence Group. Sourcefit was also honored with the prestigious recognition of Best Outsourcing Solutions Provider in the Philippines during the 2023 Business Excellence Awards.

Other awards include: FT ranking of 500 high-growth Asia-Pacific, The Marketing Excellence Awards, Inquirer Growth Champion,  HR Asia Awards, among others.

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