1.  Return calls and emails promptly. Nowadays there is no excuse to not call a prospect back or return an email within 24 hours at the very LATEST (90 minutes is ideal).  Voicemail and email make this so easy.  Do not procrastinate getting back to people – I assure you, you’re competitors won’t.  Reply or call back as soon as humanly possible.

2.  If you’re late, call.  Life happens, meetings run overtime and children get sick – sometimes you might be late for a meeting or a call, people, in general, are understanding of this…IF you call.  Everyone has a cell phone these days, use it and be very apologetic.  It wouldn’t hurt to send a follow-up apology after the meeting as well (which leads us to #4…).

3.  Post meeting or call follow-up email.  Directly following a call and/or meeting I get right on drafting a brief email re-capping what was discussed and answering any questions or issues that might have been raised during the meeting.  This should be sent anywhere between 1-24 hours after a meeting has taken place.

4.  Set a time for another call, and show up.  If there is one thing we’ve learned in our tenure as an outsourced sales company, it is that you cannot count on business coming to you.  Same goes for meetings.  It is not up to your prospect to set up a follow-up call, it is up to you.  Once you have made your pitch, give them some time to consider your offer and set up a day and time when you will call to follow up.  And make sure you show!

5.  Send reminders for appointments/meetings.  These are as important for you as well as the clients.  Remember, you selling them your service isn’t as important to them as it is to you, and it might not be there priority.  Set meeting reminders or send a reminder 24 hours prior to make sure you don’t catch them by surprise.  This will also show them how organized and professional you are, remember – you’re always selling yourself.

6.  Say “thank you”.  In our experience conducting professional outsourced sales, we have learned that there is some serious power in proper etiquette, and a little “thank you” goes a long way.  It need no be sent by snail mail (the business world often moves too fast for that anyway) – but a well-crafted “thank you” email might just put you ahead of your competition.

Whether you are in outsourced sales or building your own sales force, remember these golden rules of follow up and make sure you don’t get caught twiddling your thumbs when you should be dialing the phone!

Happy Selling!

1)  Wear a headset.  Wireless is best. Having your hands free to take notes, look up information on your computer or simply gesticulate can be incredibly helpful in allowing you to express yourself.

2)  Sit up straight – or better yet, stand.  Is it a coincidence that our best inside sales reps are the ones standing up and sometimes, even walking around the office?  Nope.  Standing and movie will keep your energy up, keep you fresh and keep you going when the going gets tough!

3)  Don’t put the phone down between calls.  Putting the phone down between calls can slow you down and impede your motivation. Keep the energy going by keeping the phone in your hand once you start your cold calling sessions.

4)  Slow down.  One of the marked mistakes of a newbie is fast-talking.  Trust us, after years of training outsourced sales representatives we have learned that nerves and lack of confidence tend to make a first time caller a motor mouth.  It’s okay, just be cognizant of this and make a conscious effort to speak slowly and clearly.

5)  Learn from your mistakes. Even the most experienced cold callers have a bad call from time to time.  Don’t sweat it!  Here at Acquirent we record calls so our sales representatives can listen back on a bad call with their sales manager to learn where they went wrong and how to improve.  Remember, there’s always another call – don’t laugh it off and move on.

6)  Be prepared! Whether it be a script, talking points or a flow-chart, make sure you know what you are going to say.  In the sales outsourcing business we have learned that the more prepared our reps are, the better the call goes.  This includes being prepared for potential objections and having your rebuttals locked and loaded.

7)  Stay positive.  Smile and dial!  You can hear a person smiling on the phone.  If you sound positive and happy, your prospect will pick up on that.  Furthermore, it is very important to keep a positive mental attitude when cold calling.  It’s hard work, but remember- it’s a numbers game and you’ll lose more than you win!  It’s all part of the game!

8)  Listen.  As a professional outsourced sales company we have learned that more products are sold by our sales representatives actively listening than pitching.  How will you know what you prospect wants if you don’t listen to them?  Sure – you have to pitch your product or service, but don’t forget to let your client talk as well.

9)  Remember you can’t win them all.  In the outsourced sales world we know all too well that sales is a numbers game.  When you are cold calling, it is very important to stay mindful of this fact and not let yourself get discouraged after a bad streak.  Every “no” gets you one step closer to that “yes” – and don’t forget it!

Cold calling is not easy, we’ll be the first to tell you that.  Having run successful cold call campaigns for many of our outsourced sales clients, we know this.  But if you follow these nine steps you can be sure you’ll be putting your best foot forward and getting the most out of your cold calls!

Happy selling!

Here are the ways in which b2b outsourced sales forces can actually help you grow a better, stronger sales team:

1)  Recruiting expertise:  B2B outsourced sales companies often have a very efficient and very thorough recruiting process.  They are experts at finding inside sales representatives (no easy feat!) and oftentimes have a pipeline full of expert candidates – leveraging this skill will definitely help start your sales team off on the right foot – and fast! Because we have been in the business of hiring successful inside sales people since our inception, you will benefit from less turnover surprises and a faster ramp-up time.

2)  Sales Management:  When utilizing b2b telesales services, you are getting a turn key operation. We have expert inside sales managers on staff who know how to motivate, inspire and track an inside sales team.  By having an efficient management team in place – your sales representatives will be more successful and growth will be imminent.

3)  Promoting from within:  We are firm believers that promoting from within not only gives sales representatives motivation to succeed, but yields the best results from new sales representatives down the line.  We have had client accounts grow from 2 to 10 people and we have found that by promoting existing inside sales representatives from representative, to senior representative, to team lead and, eventually, to sales manager – we get better staying power, less turnover, and a sales team that has worked from the bottom up and know your product and service like the back of their hand.

4)  Growth:  When the time comes to grow your account, we have the know how, tools and resources to do it swiftly.  Successful B2B telesales companies work like well-oiled machines and if and when your account is ready to grow, we will help you do that.  Do you need more reps to set appointments for senior reps?  Do you need more dials?  Do you need an outside contingent?  We will work with you to develop the best and most efficient way to grow and make it happen!

5)  Lifelong relationships:  As a very successful outsourced sales company we have said it once and we will say it again, we are not merely a service provider – we are a partner and the representatives feel the same.  Our sales representatives will identify with your brand, your culture and your company – oftentimes saying they work for you!  It is not unusual for our most senior representatives to eventually move on to long, lucrative careers with our client companies.  While we do charge a fair recruiting fee, you are getting a successful, professional, and – most importantly – vetted sales representative to continue your growth from within!

There are many, many ways in which an outsourced sales company can help you – be sure to make and appointment to meet with us and see our inside sales team – they could, one day, be working for you!

Happy selling!

Happy Selling!!!

There are many merits of outsourcing telesales.  Because we focus almost exclusively on inside sales, you will enjoy a wider distribution coverage and relatively speedy profits.  We as an outsourced sales firm are up and running and ready to go – we have the lead generation tools, we have the lists, the resources, the people, and the sales expertise to get up to speed quickly.  This is invaluable when sales outsourcing for a small business or a start-up.

While it may not seem like it – sales outsourcing can also save you money.  While we are by no means a “low cost” solution, often times in the long run we will save you money.  Recruiting alone is an incredibly laborious, costly and, if you are not good at it, fruitless labor – which we as outsourced sales specialists will take care of for you.  In addition, training in-house can also be cost prohibitive – and this is another area in which a sales outsourcing firm excels.  In addition to these costs, infrastructure, computers, software, phones…etc. all add significant cost – whereas with an outsourced sales firm, you get all of this for one monthly rate.

One aspect that makes us different from other sales outsourcing companies is the fact that we do pay our salespeople base salaries.  We firmly believe that when it comes to sales you “get what you pay for” and we have taken over for many of our clients who had previously attempted and failed at the 100% commission sales models. Our salaries, however, are not high – and our inside sales teams are commission driven and therefore motivated to sell.

When hiring an outsourced sales company you must be incredibly prudent – as many have sprung up in recent years that do not have the qualifications, skill or merit to be successful outsourced sales solutions.  Look for an outsourced sales company that has been in business for 5 years, and has worked with many different products and companies with good results.

The salespeople at the outsourced sales company should also resemble people you would hire yourself.  We would strongly encourage anyone looking to outsource their sales force to visit the outsourced sales company and spend a day or two learning about the business, their people, their clients and their culture.  These are all elements that are crucial to your sales campaign.  We are proud to say our deals are closed the minute prospects come to our office and meet our inside sales team.

Much thought must go into hiring a successful outsourced sales company, but with a little work and effort, you will find the right partner for you – and sales success will quickly follow!

Happy Selling!

Outsourced sales and marketing has its place in companies both large and small.  The reasons to outsource for companies on either end of this spectrum, of course, are different.  For a small startup looking to increase sales – we usually act as the entire sales force.  We will build a complete B2B sales process; whether that is sales appointment setting or taking a sale from cold call to close.  For those clients we often provide sales mentoring, where we will, in turn, teach the client how to effectively build and execute a successful inside sales team.  Many small companies have no idea how to recruit stellar sales people or how to effectively execute b2b sales.  We will remove the risk from these companies completely and build an outsourced sales force that will act as an extension of them – all the while being managed by our expert sales management team to increase sales.

Sales outsourcing – as I mentioned earlier – also has its place amongst the “big dogs” of business.  Many large companies are not sales machines – they are experts at marketing their products and getting their brands recognized.  However, some of our very large clients discover (as they research outsourced sales companies) that they really have not been effective at forging and outbound sales campaign.  Some of our larger clients focus primarily on selling b2c – but are trying to break into the b2b market and simply do not know how.  They need sales help.  That is where we are a tremendous asset to increasing sales.  We understand how to build a sales process that can break into new markets and territories.  We have relationships and experience in selling into a plethora of industries and verticals.  Large companies find our “market research” invaluable to getting the ball rolling for them.

Similarly – every industry has “run off”.  The accounts that go dead are too small for the big sales people to focus on, or have just been forgotten about or neglected.  For some of our largest companies – our outsourced sales team will sweep up what they have let fall through the grates.  The increase in sales that we have provided for our clients focusing on this type of sale is significant.  It is the same type of theory behind the bird that raises the water level by dropping hundreds of tiny pebbles into the jar.  The pebbles themselves are not large, but all together – they have a huge impact.  This is yet another way outsourcing sales can help your business.

Outsourcing sales can be applied to any business – large or small.  We can build a sales team – act as an arm of an existing sales team – or focus on a particular product or geographic area.  Whether you are a tiny startup or a fortune 500 company, outsourced sales might just have a place in your business.

So when business owners think of the topic, many misconceptions come to mind.  Some outsourced sales misconceptions include:

1. Lose of Control
2. Hiring the “Wrong” Person or Team
3. Improper Brand Representation
4. Having a Vague and Unclear Sales Pipeline or Funnel
5. Lack of Sales Results

By properly researching and partnering with the right outsourced sales company these misconceptions should be completely erased.  The right outsourced sales partner will act and feel like your own sales force (or at least an extension of your current force).

To eliminate the feeling of lose of control, the right sales partner will work with it’s client to identify your ideal client profile and will collectively build and execute on a sales game plan to effectively acquire those ideal clients.

The right outsourced sales company will hire specifically for each new client engagement, as opposed to shifting a bench of utility sales representatives from account to account.  In addition, most firms will prefer that you are involved in the final candidate interviews which further reduces the chance of hiring the wrong person.

Professional outsourced sales firms will take on the persona of its client (with client specific business cards, email addresses, auto signatures, marketing material, etc.).  In addition, its clients are heavily involved in the training (company, industry and product specific) for the outsourced sales partner and sales professional(s).

Lack of clarity regarding one’s own sales pipeline can often frighten a potential outsourced sales client.  With the right CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool in place and proper utilization of the tool by the outsourced sales professionals a potential you will know exactly what stage each opportunity is in at all times.  Also the use of weekly sales meetings between all parties prohibits the chance of an opportunity “falling though the cracks”.

Finally a lack of sales results may be the #1 reason for a company to second guess outsourcing their sales.  This fear can occur no matter if an organization uses an outsourced sales partner or if they build their own sales team internally.  The benefit of sales outsourcing is that it takes very little upfront capital and your organization has turn key access to a proven best practice sales system and processes and an experienced sales recruiting and management team, at a fraction of the cost of building your own.  This winning combination greatly enhances your organizations chances and speed to seeing fantastic sales results!

I don’t want to say that keeping everything on multiple accounts together is easy or to over simplify the situation and say I look at only one factor when making decisions, but it can be a powerful tool.  A good sales pipeline should have deals in all stages of completion, no matter how long the cycle.  After ramping up, a good team is generating, maturing and closing deals each day and week.  When there are holes in one of those activities, a red flag shoots up and makes you re-evaluate how your bandwidth is deployed.  It can also indicate where there are personnel issues, when someone is dissatisfied and not focused or disenfranchised with the opportunity presented to them.  When you find the hole, make sure that the sales person has the right tools, training and guidance to get the sale and then work with them to plug the hole and move on to the next team.  Using this method, you can efficiently and effectively keep track of accounts no matter their size, product position or price or sales cycle.  Schedule weekly meetings with your teams to do pipeline review and defense sessions and see where you stand.  It is important in this process that you challenge your sales people and make them defend why someone is at a 50% chance to close or why they are not projected until Q3 of 2010.  As you refine and improve their ability to forecast the status of their deals, the more accurate your pipeline tool becomes in managing and monitoring their path towards success.  After awhile and building a level of trust, this snapshot can become your daily touch on each account and open your schedule to work with the less experienced and developed sales people and help them more in their careers.

As a business owner, you are faced with important decisions every day. You can not afford to make too many errors; otherwise your business may suffer. If your sales team is not performing as well as you’d like for them to be, or if you are simply looking for ways to cut back on costs and free up some resources, then you must consider taking advantage of outsourced inside sales. By letting an outsourcing company take the reigns in orchestrating all of your sales needs you will not have to worry about providing a sales team with office space, resources, and vacation time. You won’t have to worry about overseeing their every move and constantly monitoring their progress.

An outsourced inside sales team will be lead and managed by a sales professional with years of experience. Your new sales staff will have been selected because of their sales credentials and proven track record of success. Imagine never having to interview and hire another sales person in your life. Once you hand over all of your sales needs to the outsourcing company they will take care of all the details for you. Their trained staff will become experts in selling your products or services and they will be lead under the guidance of a sales manager that will constantly be seeking out new markets and trying to attract new clients to your business.

If your sales team has been providing you with lackluster results, then it is time for you to consider outsourced inside sales as a solution. Not only will you be impressed by the increased sales that they will provide you, but you will also be able to find another use for the valuable office resources that your sales staff was taking up. You will have more time to focus on developing your core business opposed to monitoring your sales staff and holding endless meetings concerning their progress, or lack of progress.