When I tell people I work with Inside Sales teams, the first thing they usually say is "Oh, you mean cold calling or lead gen" No, I mean Inside Sales. I believe Inside Sales is a critical piece between Marketing and Sales. They execute on Marketing’s messages to customers, and take customers requirements to the Sales team. They ultimately shorten sales cycles and positively impact revenue. Here are a few key ingredients to run an exceptional team that produces results.
Make Inside Sales an integrated part of your Sales teamWhen Inside Sales feels like they’re a part of the Sales team they become focused on a common goal: Deals. It’s no longer about how many appointments they set up or how many calls they make. If they are tied to their reps overall number, they are going to make sure that rep has a consistent flow of quality opportunities to work with. I’ve seen the most successful teams work their territories like a mini company, working side by side to get the deal done.Hire people who have phone and direct selling experienceI have interviewed and hired many Inside Sales reps; the one thing I always look for is selling experience. An Inside rep that knows how to sell understands the importance of generating quality opportunities. They also have a better understanding of how customers buy and why. It's one thing to have experience calling on a C-level executive, but another thing to have experience closing one. These reps are also better at listening to customer needs and ask questions that matter.Plan, educate and follow-throughIf you get your Inside reps to understand who they are targeting, who their existing customers are and come up with their own targeted plan it changes the game from being reactive to proactive. Having your Inside reps involved with Marketing and Outside reps in this process is important. At that point they are all on the same page on how to approach their territory. The most important part of this is follow-through. These plans need to be re-visited constantly and adjusted accordingly to be affective.
Listen, share and learnOn my weekly team meetings everyone talks about what is working and what is not. There are always reps that are stronger than others, or working different campaign ideas. Sharing that knowledge creates a trusted community. Open communication is crucial, especially in running remote teams. IM or social networks allows us to reach out with a question, advise, or just a “hey your never gonna believe the call I just had!” This support structure allows reps to play to their individual strengths and get advise when needed.Stay focused on customers needs, not latest and greatest featuresIt’s easy to drink the Product Marketing kool-aid and sell the latest and greatest feature. But when you shift the focus from features to customer solutions you begin to think about how you can help your customers. This helps an Inside rep to become a trusted advisor to the client vs. pushy Sales guy. When you listen to customers and understand how to solve business issues, you separate your company from the competition before the first meeting takes place. With that, Outside reps get a head start and can focus on closing.Be their biggest championHaving an Inside team who feels like they are appreciated and an important part of the sales cycle directly affects productivity. Making sure they have what they need from managers, Marketing and Sales is so important. Public recognition on team calls, at sales meetings and of course at the big company meetings gives your Inside reps a sense of pride that shows in their work. They deserve it.Let’s face it, in any Sales organization the bottom line is revenue. When you have a well-oiled machine connecting Marketing and Sales you have a consistent flow of leads, opportunities, and Sales in your pipeline. So yes, I admit it: I love Inside Sales.
