How to Outsource Sales for My Company and Find the Best Partner [Complete Guide 2023]

On the hunt for better sales leads?

It’s hard to work on multiple aspects of your business and handle sales simultaneously. After all, you barely have the time to improve your products, develop new plans for growth, or serve existing customers.

Well…

We have an alternative for you: 

Outsourcing sales for your company might be the way to go if you’re struggling to fill your pipeline with qualified leads. In fact, this has become a widely popular option for many successful companies across all industries.

But what exactly is a sales outsourcing service? What makes it such a popular option for top organizations? And how to outsource sales for my company?

We’ll dive deeper into these questions in the rest of this article…

What Is Outsourcing Sales?

Sales outsourcing is the practice of hiring a third-party agency to assist with or fully manage the sales process for your company. 

Tasks an outsourced sales team performs can range from prospecting and appointment setting to customer onboarding and account management. It all depends on your company’s needs and the average experience level of the outsourced sales executives.

The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Sales Team

What is it that makes outsourced sales such a captivating option for companies? And why do the most successful organizations choose to outsource sales instead of in-house hiring? 

One of the most obvious advantages of outsourcing your sales team is time efficiency. It’s a quicker option for any business that’s looking to tap into undiscovered markets or launch new products fast.

One day your sales numbers are struggling, and you don’t have any experienced salespeople working for you. The next day your company has a team of highly-qualified SDRs filling your pipeline with fresh leads.

On top of that, there are a lot of benefits to sales outsourcing:

Focus on Core Areas of Your Business

By hiring a team of sales professionals, you can rest assured that your sales process is in good hands. A trusted sales outsourcing agency can help you improve your lead generation and close more deals quickly.  

On top of that:

You’ll have all the time to focus on essential aspects of your business and leave the sales to the pros. You’ll get to accomplish more important duties internally while new clients are rolling in.

Gain Access to a Larger Pool of Experienced Salespeople

No matter how skilled your internal sales team is, a third-party sales partner will always bring something new to the table. There is a lot of great talent and experience to take advantage of by outsourcing your sales to an agency.

An outsourced sales company employs many salespeople with different experiences, skills, and backgrounds. You can easily reinforce your team with individuals who have extensive experience developing sales plans, pricing products, and promoting similar offers in your industry. 

Better yet, these external SDRs are always ready to analyze your sales performance, provide you with feedback, and test out new strategies to boost your results.

You’ll be amazed by how effective your company will become once the outsourced team starts implementing new strategies using cutting-edge technology. 

Save More Money on Salaries and Training Costs

There’s a variety of ways you’re going to cut costs and save on your budget if you decide to outsource sales for your company. 

For starters:

Outsourced sales hires won’t require any office space or equipment to start working for you. You’ll get a team ready to accelerate your sales cycle as soon as you work out the deal with the outsourced sales agency. 

Also:

Third-party SDRs will bring their expertise and skills with them, which means no additional training costs for you. They’ll already be knowledgeable of all the sales tools you might need to generate, nurture, and convert your leads. 

Most importantly:

A cheaper, inexperienced internal team will actually cost your company more as your lead generation and conversions will both stagnate. So, you should consider the price of outsourcing sales as a cost of growing your business that will return greater results in the near future.

Generate High-Quality Leads

Generating and converting high-quality leads is the top priority for any company that’s serious about increasing sales.

So, let’s face it…

The key differentiator when it comes to in-house vs. outsourced sales is sales performance. The option that gets you the most converted leads should win, despite all the costs and the time required for implementation.

Your outsourced sales partner will guarantee that your company will reach its peak sales performance. They do that by dedicating their full time to understanding your ideal customer profile, then providing the best customer experience.

Outsourced salespeople will help you identify the right buyers based on your business objectives and position in the market. And they’ll also follow up with all prospects to ensure the highest conversions to fill your pipeline with loyal, long-lasting clients.

How to Outsource Sales for My Company to the Best Partner

As more companies are beginning to understand the power of sales outsourcing, the number of outsourced sales agencies keeps growing. You’ll probably find hundreds of outsourced sales providers no matter your location, industry, budget, or sales objectives. 

On one end, that’s a great thing! You’ll have many options to choose from, which grants you a lot of freedom in negotiating a good deal. 

But on the other end, this variety creates a problem because it makes it harder for you to choose a good outsourced sales partner. 

How do you conduct a cost-benefit analysis before hiring an outsourced SDR team? Which questions should ask them during the interview? And more importantly, how do you know if the sales team you’re hiring is a good fit?

Here are three tips to help make an educated decision on how to outsource sales for my company:

Identify Your Needs to Set Clear Expectations

The first thing to consider before hiring an outsourced sales team is your goals and needs. Being on the same page with your sales partner from the start is key to setting a successful sales strategy and tracking performance effectively. 

Having clear expectations by knowing what you want is essential for finding and hiring the right sales partner. You can learn a lot about an outsourced sales team by checking out their achievements and sales history.

On top of that:

You want to make sure that you’re working with a sales outsourcing agency specializing in your field. SDRs with core strengths that align with your sales objectives will always be your best bet to speed up the sales cycle.

Check Out Case Studies And Online Reviews

After the first step, you may end up with dozens of promising sales outsourcing agencies that you can work with. They’re all from different locations and have different sales profiles, so that makes it hard for you to choose a few finalists.

What should you do at this point?

First:

Check out their client list to get a better picture of what to expect. You can easily find that listed on popular business directories or on their website. A reputable outsourced sales agency should have a strong client portfolio with dozens of industry-leading companies.

Next:

Go through the case studies on their site to see if they’ve succeeded with big clients in your industry. If they did, look for the solutions they provided and the results they were able to achieve. Did they use the tools and strategies you need to grow your business?

More importantly:

Take your time to read any online reviews you can find on third-party sites and social media. This is one of the best ways to know whether the agency you wish to work with is credible and trustworthy.

Interview Potential Partners and Ask Questions

Now that you’ve narrowed your list down to a few final options, it’s time to contact each sales partner and ask them for an interview before you close the deal. 

Here’s what you must understand:

At this point, competence is no longer an issue because you’ve already chosen the best sales outsourcing agency based on accomplishments. So the question you’re trying to answer now is more about the level of engagement, the quality of communication, and their work ethic. 

Some of the questions you should ask during the interview are:

• What are their goals for your business? And how do they intend to achieve them?
• Do they offer any relevant services that you should know of?
• How often are they available to meet with you and discuss sales progress?
• How should you measure the success of your sales strategy?
• Do they have the tools and resources necessary to implement your sales process? 
• How will their sales team handle reporting?

Another important thing:

If a low-budget solution is a top priority for you, now would be a good time to compare pricing and see if you can afford the solutions they’re providing. This is key to ensuring that you’re not wasting any time focusing on a sales agency that’s out of your budget.

Negotiate a Contract That Meets Both Your Needs and Theirs

Based on the services your outsourced sales partner can provide, you should negotiate an agreement that works for both of you.

The contract must include a detailed description of the offered services as well as their duration. Make sure to agree on payments from the start and also discuss any additional fees that may come up later down the line. 

Be transparent about your growth plans and how you wish to proceed in the future. Explain how you want to scale your company and what you’re expecting in terms of ROI. This will help your sales outsourcing agency to provide you with the best possible solutions.

How to Measure Success After Outsourcing Sales Functions

The most important thing once you work out a deal with your outsourcing sales partner is knowing whether things are going according to plan. It’s crucial to understand your performance so you can make quick adjustments without wasting your time and money.

The truth is:

You must go beyond basic metrics in analyzing your sales progress if you want to be successful. While an increase in sales may be a positive metric, it’s not always the right measure to look for — especially when trying out new creative solutions.

So that makes you wonder:

How should I measure my sales outsourcing partner’s success?

Define What Success Means to Your Company

Part of understanding your business needs is being able to set clear metrics to track once the work begins. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should align with the business goals you set earlier based on the challenges you’re facing. 

Some of the most important numbers to track are:

• Total revenue
• Length of the sales cycle
• Qualified appointments/closed deals ratio
• Total qualified appointments
• Sales expense ratio

Also, be sure to discuss and agree on these metrics with your outsourced sales agency from the start to keep them on track.

Develop a Process for Tracking and Analyzing KPIs

You’ve made a list of the most vital metrics to help you evaluate your sales performance. That will allow you to make data-driven decisions and avoid becoming a bystander in your own sales process. But without solid tracking and reporting systems in place, the numbers will never make sense to you.

By now, you must know the tools and technology your sales partner uses to run the sales cycle. And you’ve already discussed how reporting should be done between the two of you.

So it’s just a matter of keeping a close eye on each metric and voicing out your opinions when necessary.

Tips for Maintain a Successful Relationship With Your Outsourced Sales Team

Building a strong relationship with your outsourced sales team is key to accelerating your sales funnel and ensuring greater long-term results.

Here are a few ways to better manage your relationship with outsourced salespeople:

1. Establish Clear Communication Channels

Flawless communication is critical for the success of any business operation. 

Salespeople from the same company sometimes find it hard to communicate effectively with each other, let alone if they’re working with an external partner. And let’s not forget the challenges that arise when there is a large physical distance and a timezone difference.

Therefore:

Knowing where and when to reach out to your sales outsourcing provider will save you a lot of time and misunderstanding in the long run. It’s a priority to discuss the communication channels you’ll use and agree on a schedule for meetings from the start.

2. Provide Your Outsourced SDRs With Constant Feedback

No matter how experienced the outsourced sales team you hire, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll get everything right from the get-go. There will be improvements to make, things to learn, and many gaps to fill before reaching maximum efficiency.

The good news is:

Outsources SDRs are always ready to make changes to help you reach your goals faster. They’re willing to learn more about your products and services to revamp their pitch and represent your brand in the best possible way. 

Therefore…

It’s only a matter of clear communication and regular updates before they start implementing your feedback. Provide continuous feedback to your outsourced sales partner and explain to them how they can improve.

3. Stay Open to Creative Suggestions

While your existing sales strategy might be driving good results, there are always ways to improve your performance and close more deals. One way you can do that is by listening to your outsourced sales team because they live and breathe sales.

Your outsourced SDRs have helped dozens of similar clients before working with you, which allowed them to master a wide set of sales skills and techniques. They can offer you a lot of valuable insights and help you uncover untapped opportunities to boost sales.

As long as you’re receptive to new ideas, your outsourced salespeople will be happy to provide you with unique perspectives that can help your business.

4. Maintain a Positive Relationship With Your Outsourcing Partner

Outsourcing sales is the way to go if you want to close more deals, test new products, and expand into new markets. But the only way it can work is by maintaining a positive relationship with your outsourced SDRs.

It’s important that you establish a strong connection with the sales outsourcing provider throughout the whole operation. That starts by first choosing a reputable agency that fits your business needs.  

Also:

You must be transparent with each other and have clear expectations from the start. Discuss all the important details in the process to make sure that you both share the same vision. 

Aside from that:

Be sure to provide positive feedback when possible and be neutral when giving negative feedback. Be flexible in your demands, and always leave the door open for communication to allow the outsourced sales provider to explain themselves.

What are the most common reasons that sales outsourcing fails?

“The top three reasons sales outsourcing fails are unclear objectives, constant strategy changes, and poor communication. 

It’s always painful when an outsourced project doesn’t go as planned. You may feel like you’ll never be able to trust an external team again. However, by avoiding these common pitfalls upfront, you can develop a prosperous long-term relationship with your future sales partner.“

Vito Vishnepolsky, Founder and Director

Customers Also Ask

1. Can we outsource sales?
   Absolutely! Trusting your revenue growth to a sales outsourcing agency is unknown territory for many business leaders, but the numerous benefits have made it a popular alternative to hiring additional SDRs in-house. In fact, sales outsourcing is expected to have a compounded annual growth rate of 8.88% till 2027. 
2. Why do companies outsource sales?
   Cost savings and process efficiency are the primary reasons companies outsource sales. SDRs from top sales outsourcing firms have years of experience prospecting and setting appointments which can help you streamline lead generation and obtain more sales-ready leads in a shorter period of time.
3. What are the three forms of outsourcing?
   The three forms of outsourcing are local, nearshore, and offshore. The proximity of your business to your outsourced partner determines the type of outsourcing you engage in. Local outsourcing means you and the outsourced team operate in the same country. Nearshoring involves hiring a company in a neighboring country, and offshoring refers to overseas partnerships.
   When outsourcing sales, it’s more important to hire a team located in the same country as your target market as opposed to your business.

Resources You’ll Love

• How Lead Generation Companies Bring in Qualified B2B Leads
• B2B Appointment Setting: Scale Your Company with Done-for-You Lead Gen Services
• Comparison Guide of the Top B2B Lead Generation Companies
• Interactive Calculator: Estimate the ROI of Sales Outsourcing for Your Company
• Onboarding Timeline: How We Get Your Campaigns Ready to Launch in Two Weeks