Proliferating digital comms platforms have made ‘inside sales,’ or remote sales, the prime mover in B2B and tech sales. Whatever your company’s sector, it’s expected to eclipse traditional sales by 2020.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The advent of the internet has offered advantages few could have dreamed of a few years ago. While outside sales (or just plain, traditional sales) has long been considered the poster child of growth in companies, inside sales is now gaining more attention thanks to its promise of great results at a much reduced cost.
The trend itself wasn’t hard to predict. As internet communications have become more commonplace, many companies (especially smaller startups) stand to benefit greatly if they shift to an “inside sales” model wherein reps reach out to prospects thru digital means rather than personally meeting them.
Why inside sales matters.
Inside sales, also called “remote sales,” refers to reaching out to prospects over the phone or via internet services such as email or VOIP, rather than personally. The idea itself is not a new one. Telemarketers have been reaching out to prospects via telephones as far back as the 1950s. But that was never really a better alternative to a good ol’ personal meetup. Truth be told, nothing can replace actually meeting someone and having a talk with them. But as the means of communication have increased, so have the ways to put your ideas across.
Today, inside sales has become the dominant method of selling for a number of big ticket B2B items such as SaaS and PaaS. Sales rep need not reach out to prospects directly as whatever they needed to be there for can now be done remotely thanks to proliferating internet communication services, increasing bandwidths, and growing consumer comfort with buying online.
Companies can save a lot more by having their sales rep meet their prospects virtually rather than arranging meetings and paying for their travels. In fact, inside sales is expected to replace traditional sales by 2020, as the advantages it offers are far too numerous for companies big and small to ignore.
How account-based marketing can help inside sales reps.
While inside sales is proving its value time and time again, it has limitations. Typically, sales reps identify one decision maker to reach out to and focus all their efforts on. Such an approach can yield poor results as oftentimes organizations (especially large ones) have multiple stakeholders who decide on the best course of action based on company policies. This is especially the case when sales worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are being made. Companies are more likely to buy from vendors that help generate…
