Sales Outsourcing – What are the benefits and risks?

Outsourcing a sales engine, totally or partially is an established yet fast growing strategy employed by an every increasing number of businesses. Contrary to what might be perceived, the vast majority are the most compelling, exciting and healthy companies in their market space.

Why does it exist?

There are a number of compelling reasons. Companies looking to drive market share and revenue streams into new territories, geographies and trading markets. Organisations looking to supplement an existing team by bolstering the resource pool and supporting activities. Sales teams looking to drive immediate returns by hitting the market with a highly focused campaign. Let's elaborate on those.

Success In A New Territory

Innovation is global, sales execution is local. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is bluffing. Obtaining and retaining credibility with the key relationships required in a territory is essential to success. What works in Germany or Israel is unlikely to succeed in the UK.

Just as critically, the cost in time and money in establishing a legal trading entity in a new market will cost an astronomical amount. Both in its creation and ongoing management, the cost and risk has killed many valid propositions succeeding in a new market.

Utilising a local sales team to fully represent your business, drive your brand and generate your sales pipeline is potentially a master-stroke. There are a number of serious factors to consider however before making such a decision, after all your reputation and results are at stake.

Enhancing Your Sales Team

Everyone wants growth, and everyone wants coverage. How do you achieve those aims? Increasing your headcount or going down the partner / VAR route are the usual approaches. However, one will significantly decrease your bank balance, the other will significantly decrease your market awareness and control.

If time, cost and pain were not so crippling then almost all businesses plump for the former. Why? Because unless you relentlessly generate market awareness, brand ethos and a solid reputation your strategic goals can never be achieved. Getting on to a catalogue for a reseller is tactical at best, and completely without control.

QIUK adopt the correct approach to outsourced sales by becoming part of the team. We are you, we adhere to your methodologies and we drive the very behaviours you demand of your team.  Therefore we can expand your reach, increase your strike rate and ensure your prospect base get the very best understanding of why they should become your customers.

Maximum Return Campaign Engagements

Every business has landmark timelines where they need all hands to the prospecting pump. These are often product launches, promoting analyst approvals, attacking a vulnerable market rival or simply pumping some urgent energy into the pipeline to give the business that vital shot it needs to make the coming sales period a success.

Businesses perceive their team will be up for it, will hit the phones and drive activity. Our significant experience tells us otherwise unfortunately. Many sales team collude to the failure of such vital pipeline drives, they feel uncomfortable and embarrassed by the thought of it. Moreover, they are terrible at it! The skill and ability to successfully execute a defined campaign of pipeline generation is far more skilled than sales leadership accept. Beware however, as many outsourced “lead generation”  can become the destroyers of your reputation in one foul, poorly trained campain. This is the easiest innovation to get wrong, you have been warned..