The most common decision we’ve seen clients struggle with when considering deployment of an inside sales organization is “Do we let the inside sales teams close deals on their own, or do we have them engage a field sales rep to close the deal?” We have a simple and straightforward view on the topic.
If you are deploying an inside sales organization to attack a segment of the market that you can’t afford to have an outside sales person cover, then you are accomplishing little if you bring the outside sales person in to close the deal. In this situation, you have to provide your new inside sales team with the training, tools, and authority to close deals on their own. Sure, if they run across a whale of an account, they can ask for help, but as a default, they need to be able to run on their own. The person you hire for this type of inside sales position is a professional sales person that just happens to sell over the phone and web.
If you are deploying an inside sales team primarily for lead generation to the outside sales rep, you won’t be hiring a professional sales person but rather a customer service person. You’ll have no choice but to involve the outside sales person. The answer to the question above has significant implications on the type of people that are hired into an inside sales organization; how they are recruited, trained, and managed; and the type of ROI you’ll need to justify the business case for inside sales.
We’ve authored a White Paper for companies considering deployment of an inside sales organization that can help address the question mentioned above as well as other things to consider before making a decision. Access the White Paper here.