by Chris Waszczak | Feb 19, 2019 | B2B Sales, B2B Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Outsourced Sales, Telemarketing Services
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!
No matter how much content you may be generating to promote your business, you also have to think about the bottom line. Is your content driving a sufficient level of conversions? Here are some tips on creating content, which will be powerful in achieving this crucial aim!
- Focus on one thing. Content usually is more effective if it is emphasizing a single call to action, rather than multiple goals. You will increase the probability of conversions if you guide the readers along a journey towards taking just one critical step. Don’t distract them in a way that dissipates their energy in multiple directions.
- Practice balanced link building. This point of keeping a proper focus with your content is prominently displayed when it comes to the important topic of link building. While it is recognized that lots of links can often be a factor in building a strong SEO rating for your website, don’t overdo it! When link building gets out of balance, conversions rates tend to go way down. Readers have too high of a chance of being taken away from your site before they even reach your primary call to action!
- Tap the power of association. In some cases your readers may be further convinced of your legitimacy and take your call to action if they see you associating with someone they already recognize. If is often valuable for a growing business to try to work with name brands while their own brand is not yet well known. Equally effective can be personal communications, such as interviews with prominent people within an industry. Although they are not always so easy to obtain, these types of relationships can be effective at increasing brand awareness and a higher conversion ratio. If you are fortunate enough to have some of these valuable connections, keep an appropriate amount of energy focused on maintaining them.
- Speak to needs. You website calls to action will be more effective when readers feel that you deeply understand their needs and wants. The public tends to more strongly trust people who are genuinely empathetic with their day-to-day problems. So establish a genuine rapport! What issues might they be struggling with, and have you had any similar challenges? If so, how did you more successfully navigate the hazardous terrain? It might even be possible for you to describe how one of the products or services that your company currently offers helped you with your own tricky situation! This could be a great opportunity to engage in some compelling story telling based on real life. A story which closes with a convincing call to action in a timely manner!
Call SalesFish today and our high-touch, dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals, and the marketing and sales tactics best suited to your specific needs. And, yes, we will also advise you on the best A.I. tools that actually work and complement the real people in your business!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by Chris Waszczak | Jan 15, 2019 | B2B Sales, B2B Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Outsourced Sales, Telemarketing Services
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!
Getting on page #1 of Google or having 20,000 Likes on a given social media platform won’t get you anywhere. Email newsletters are destined for the trash, and all your efforts will be in vain—all of this will be true IF your content is stiff, boring, stale, lifeless. Without great, living content, even the most well-funded marketing efforts will fall flat.
You’ve probably heard it before: Content is king. ANY marketing medium is only as good as its content, including the way you use the written word, images, audio, and video to tell a story.
Ever hear someone say something like, “He was good looking, but boring as a cardboard waffle,” or “I thought she was cute till she started talking”? It’s easy to focus your marketing on being seen, but form without substance won’t get results. WHAT you say is even more important than where you say it. HOW you say it is paramount.
According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI):
“Content marketing is a…technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience—with the objective of driving profitable customer action. Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty…Consumers have simply shut off the traditional world of marketing. They own a DVR to skip television advertising, often ignore magazine advertising, and now have become so adept at online ‘surfing’ that they can take in online information without a care for banners or buttons (making them irrelevant). Smart marketers understand that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective by the minute, and that there has to be a better way. Thought leaders and marketing experts from around the world…have concluded that content marketing isn’t just the future, it’s the present.” (What is Content Marketing? If You’re Not Content Marketing, You’re Not Marketing)
If you’re constantly pitching your products and services without offering something of value or interest to your audience, you are going to turn people away. However, if you’re educating, entertaining and engaging people with great content, you will see returns. Here are a few stepwise tips, based on the “AIDA” model to help you understand how content marketing leads to a sale, without giving the appearance of selling:
A: Get Attention—right away!
You will either catch or lose your audience within a few seconds. Don’t start your website, advertising, posts or updates touting your features or explaining who YOU are. Start with a gripping headline and an introductory paragraph that answers the question, “Why should I care?” Why are people searching for your services or products anyway, and what is their emotional state? Meet them at that place. Someone searching for “specialty coffee shop” is going to be in a very different state of mind than someone searching for “off-road vehicle repair.”
I: Draw the reader in and generate Interest.
Capitalize on the attention you’ve gained with interesting, compelling, and educational content. “According to the Roper Public Affairs, 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. 70% say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while 60% say that company content helps them make better product decisions. Think of this—what if your customer looked forward to receiving your marketing? What if when they received it, via print, email, website, they spent 15, 30, 45 minutes with it?” (CMI)
D: Compel the reader to make a Decision.
Your content should be so compelling and informative that the reader will decide that they simply must know more, that your company has what it takes to meet their needs. They may not yet be ready to buy—they may not even act for months—but if you can get them to decide that you are worth further consideration, then your content is working. You will have Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA), and they will act when they eventually need what you offer.
A: Lead the reader to take Action.
Provide your reader/visitor with a simple, non-threatening way to get more information, or gain access to an exclusive benefit. Make it easy and obvious, but don’t always go straight for the “Buy Now” button. Offer white papers, free consultations, free samples and other resources, along with the option to buy. Some people act in small steps, nibbling before they bite, so don’t try to set the hook too early.
Content marketing is a specialized skill; you may hire someone who knows how to build a gorgeous website or who knows Facebook inside and out, but if they are not a great content writer, then your marketing will fall short. Make sure that your sales and marketing team includes a Content Marketing specialist!
Call SalesFish today and our high-touch, dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals, and the marketing and sales tactics best suited to your specific needs. And, yes, we will also advise you on the best A.I. tools that actually work and complement the real people in your business!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by Chris Waszczak | Jan 2, 2019 | B2B Sales, B2B Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Outsourced Sales, Telemarketing Services
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!
There is one small word in the English lexicon that will kill a sale faster than any other. That word is “I.” Its close cousins me, we, us and our can also derail a deal faster than anything else. These short, but powerful, words will bounce visitors right off your website, hasten your mailer’s journey to file 13, compel viewers and listeners to change the station. No bueno.
It’s understandable that most businesses want to share THEIR stories, put themselves in front of the camera, hear their own voices online. But is talking about yourself any way to start a relationship? Dale Carnegie didn’t think so. In his classic guide, How to Win Friends and Influence People, first published in 1936, he outlined “Six ways to make people like you”:
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
- Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.
Technology has changed our communications media, but it hasn’t changed our basic psychology. If anything, digital media have made your prospects more self-focused since with social media, “all the world’s a stage.” Your audience wants to be heard, known and understood—they want to have their stories told and to have others say, “You’re interesting.” Put them into the spotlight first, and they’ll be more likely to stick around to find out about you and your business.
Since you generally have just a few seconds to grab someone’s attention before they divert it elsewhere, it’s essential that you immediately establish: “I get you. I understand what you want and need.” Before you start giving solutions, demonstrate that you can relate to how they are feeling in that moment. Once you make that connection and your prospects feel understood, you can start to show how your products or services are relevant to their lives.
Here are a few simple things you can do to put the spotlight where it belongs:
- Whether you’re writing website content, an ad or a video script, start with the word “you.” It’s a good way to start a draft with the right focus.
- Next time you go onto your social media pages, remember this mantra: “Like, comment, share.” Visit other people’s sites, “Like” their pages and leave them with a friendly comment. Share their content on your page. Social media may be 21st Century, but the principles behind it are timeless—it’s still all about how to win friends and influence people.
- Become a student of marketing, a critic of ads. Evaluate all the marketing communications you run across today in the light of their focus: are they establishing rapport with their audiences, or talking all about themselves? You’ll soon find yourself paying attention to ads, rather than trying to tune them out. You’ll look at websites with a critical eye. It’s actually pretty fun to study other companies’ marketing and it will help you make yours better.
The truth is that it’s not about you. It’s about the customers you’re trying to win and the public you want to influence. Good salespeople know that every marketing communication—from print ads to website home page copy—needs to begin with telling their story, not yours. Put the customer in the spotlight and they will want to know more about you. The best way to get attention is to first give attention.
Call SalesFish today and our high-touch, dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals, and the marketing and sales tactics best suited to your specific needs. And, yes, we will also advise you on the best A.I. tools that actually work and complement the real people in your business!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by Chris Waszczak | Nov 27, 2018 | B2B Sales, B2B Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Outsourced Sales, Telemarketing Services
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!
The great ex-president, a self-made bull moose of a man lay against a fallen log, his face gaunt and pale. “Leave me and save yourselves!”
In 1914, Teddy Roosevelt and his son, Kermit, were nearing the end of an epic trip to explore the most mysterious and daunting tributary of the majestic Amazon River. Originally named Rio da Dúvida (River of Doubt in Portuguese) before being re-christened the Rio Roosevelt, the river’s winding waters snaked through nearly impassable jungle, with imposing rapids and waterfalls.
The expedition was lost and running out of supplies; the situation was dire. Just days ago, Roosevelt had slipped on the riverbank and sustained a gash on his leg, which was now infected. He was weakened to the point of being unable to go on. But his son Kermit was forged of similar steel as his father and refused to let him perish in the “Heart of Darkness.” With Kermit half carrying his father, the intrepid pair limped their way back to an inhabited area, where Teddy was able to receive care for his wound.
There’s a good lesson in this fascinating story for your business: When you’re ready to give up…don’t. There’s always a solution to virtually any problem, even the solution involves reaching out for help. For example, you may have lofty goals but a humble marketing budget. Reaching those goals may seem out of reach, but what if you could find another business to go in on some advertising with you? Perhaps a print ad is too expensive for your business, for example, but could afford to split the cost on a co-branded ad campaign? Working together, companies can achieve more than they can alone!
After Teddy and his son returned to the U.S., some were skeptical about the River of Doubt account they shared. Teddy took on his critics in a presentation sponsored by the National Geographic Society and proved their doubts misguided. In 1927 American explorer George Miller Dyott led a second trip down the river, independently confirming Roosevelt’s discoveries.
Make your marketing an adventure and don’t be afraid to explore options that can take you further than you could imagine! Be resourceful, don’t give up and seek ways to collaborate with others, and you’ll navigate your way through the jungle of business success.
To read the full story of this adventure, you can read T.R.s account of the expedition, Through the Brazilian Wilderness or the excellent River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Miller.
Call SalesFish today and our high-touch, dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals, and the marketing and sales tactics best suited to your specific needs. And, yes, we will also advise you on the best A.I. tools that actually work and complement the real people in your business!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by Darren Dunner | Nov 9, 2018 | B2B Outsourced Sales, Outsourced Inside Sales, Outsourced Sales
Businesses around the world continually look to streamline their operations, with the ultimate goal of saving money on overhead costs. Cost-effective strategies can improve profitability, and nowhere is this more important than in sales. Outsourced sales operations are being adopted by companies of every size and type, allowing them to reach new audiences, reduce risk, and generate leads.
With this cost-saving opportunity, an outsourced sales team can transform sales operations, leading to improved revenue streams and new customers by leveraging the power of a dedicated, full-time staff.
In this guide, we’ll explore the concept of sales outsourcing, including outsourced telemarketing services, Then, and how a sales outsourcing company can save money, improve efficiency, and stimulate business growth.
How Outsourced Sales Companies Help
In simple terms, sales outsourcing or “outsourced sales” is turning over the sales process operations (or a part of them) to an outside agency or individual. There are many outsourcing service providers, each with their own unique way of conducting these operations. Such providers have extensive training and protocols, and many employ advanced technologies to track customer engagements, providing detailed data to the clients they are working for.
Scenarios That Can Benefit from Sales Outsourcing
Sales outsourcing can be a major step for smaller businesses. It can be hard to determine if — and when — a company can gain the benefits associated with outsourced sales. To better understand how third-party sales professionals may benefit your organization, consider the following scenarios:
- Smaller internal sales teams that simply cannot handle the volume needed to generate sales efficiency and revenue growth.
- Expansion into a new market where the internal team does not have the necessary experience to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
- Lack of experiential resources to leverage sales functions for closing deals.
- Internal budget limitations that do not allow your company to hire a sales leader or other top talent.
- Sales reps overwhelmed by administrative obligations, limiting the time needed to conduct sales intelligence, adopt proven sales strategies, or generate quality leads.
Internal teams must be able to move quickly to exploit emerging sales opportunities. If the team is too small, too inexperienced in a new market, or too overwhelmed by maximizing the sales funnel, sales outsourcing companies make economic sense.
Can Third-Party Resources Really Improve Sales Processes?
When one thinks of using a third-party sales team to improve the operation, many companies tend to misunderstand the value inherent in this type of arrangement. Trying to revamp the sales process without farming out to a third party can often lead to trouble. Examples of potential pitfalls companies may experience when trying to save money on costs include:
-
- Utilizing indirect providers and services, such as product/service resellers or so-called “solution partners”.
-
- Handing over sales to employees not qualified or experienced enough to handle the unique tasks. Imagine what would happen if your product engineers also handled sales functions , including reaching out to potential customers – doing so could be a recipe for disaster.
-
- Trying to create new opportunities by adding commission-only professionals or agents to the mix. In a loose sense, the above examples are forms of outsourced sales, but the reality is that these three examples are situations a smart company will avoid whenever possible. Effective providers have the experience, the tools, and the tactics needed to handle the most critical aspects of operating a business: Engaging with potential customers.
Challenges in Sales
Many small business operations struggle with the challenges of reaching new customers. The process of sales – attracting new customers and converting contacts into transactions – is already challenging enough. Small companies can face significant hurdles in this department. These hurdles may stem from a lack of experience on the sales team, especially in lead generation and marketing techniques, or may require expenditures a company and its staff are unprepared for.
Advancing Technologies and Sales Verticals
Advances and shifts in technology can also create complications in the sales and marketing arena. New technologies and ever-changing sales activities become available on a constant basis, and these new features may force a company to adapt its selling approaches quickly. For example, changes in communications tools or evolution of customer preferences may necessitate a revised sales practice to leverage successfully, and many companies do not have the flexibility or experience needed to do so.
Social media marketing is an illustration of shifting consumer preferences; using social media channels effectively has been difficult for many business operations unfamiliar with the tools and techniques needed to succeed in this arena. A professional sales outsourcing organization, by contrast, often has the experience in social marketing and promotion, giving you competitive advantages.
The sales approach for engaging with new clients is far different than the techniques needed for existing customers. Existing clients have specific needs, and account executives on your own team may not always be able to shift seamlessly between these pools of customers new and old.
In-House Sales Team Costs
Costs represent significant challenges companies face in selling. Overhead costs are always a concern, regardless of the size of the business in question. Having a rep or two in the office is not cheap. Account executives are even more expensive. Doing more with less has become the mantra in the modern business world, and this has dramatically altered the sales process.
Unfortunately, without careful evaluation and overview of practices, costs can run out of control. The direct costs associated with in-house sales efforts, particularly the cost per lead generated, can harm a company’s profitability, especially as these costs increase over time through inefficiency. Cold leads can be an economic drain; it requires advanced sales techniques to get the most out of this potential pool of clients and to understand their purchase intent. It is clear that a solution is needed to rein in costs and to improve efficiency.
That solution is the outsourcing of inside sales. Sales outsourcing companies are instrumental in accelerating growth, improving sales channels, and streamlining marketing efforts in B2B sales. In simple terms, the value proposition of working with an outsourcing partner for the full sales cycle can have dramatic effects on revenue generation and business growth.
Which Companies Can Benefit from Sales Outsourcing?
It can be argued that any business can benefit from sales outsourcing. This system tends to help improve efficiency, reduce costs, and leverages sales expertise and sales development. Still, there are certain business categories that receive greater value from the outsourced model than others. These include:
- Emerging growth and start-up companies
- Technology firms
- Medical device
- B2B business ventures
- Financial Services etc.
Each of these business types do not typically have a focus on sales. For smaller ventures, a lack of experienced sales staff or staff focused on daily operations can sometimes get in the way of business growth. Taking on sales initiatives can prove overwhelming. For these companies, outsource sales makes a lot of sense and can help produce the desired results at a fraction of the costs of an in-house sales team.
Lead Generation: The Key to Success in Outsourced Sales
The generation of leads is a critical component and end-goal of any sales team. Locating and targeting potential new customers is always the goal for businesses that wish to enjoy continued growth. The process of lead generation, unfortunately, can be expensive in terms of funding as well as in time, and that is where outsourced sales partners can provide distinct benefits.
3 ways outsourced sales initiatives can help lead generation
According to HubSpot, 85% of top B2B marketers say that lead generation is the most important goal. Over 60% of all business owners indicate that generating traffic and leads is the biggest challenge that sales teams face in their work operations. How can sales outsourcing produce the leads needed for companies to thrive in competitive marketplaces? There are three outsourcing sales factors that influence lead generation:
- Outsourced sales teams are adept at cold-calling and appointment booking initiatives. These sales and marketing teams have the skill needed to provide a great return on investment.
- Sales providers typically have proven strategies for producing leads, and these strategies have been honed to produce the best possible results time and again. The best service providers and sales partner will share their results and histories with potential clients.
- Many companies simply do not have the resources to establish an in-house team. Outsourced sales agents take the headaches out of the equation, providing the expertise needed to identify and reach new customer bases in the most efficient manner possible.
Benefits of Outsourcing Sales & Marketing
Sales and marketing outsourcing can improve both lead generation and execution for businesses. Highly-trained outsourced sales team professionals use the latest tools and technologies to improve efficiency. An outsourced sales team is just that: a team of people working for a company that manages these practices all day, every day. With that kind of focus and that blend of training, tools, and results-driven performance, handing over sales to a third-party provider begins to make a lot of sense and can make a significant improvement in achieving your sales and marketing goals.
Convert Sooner
The first cost-saving advantage lies in this capability; while sales and marketing teams in a given business may need to experiment with techniques or strategies as a marketing campaign begins and before the desired goals are achieved, an outsourced sales provider is ready to produce results right away. This slashes overhead costs, particularly when ramping up a new initiative for a company.
Tracking & Tools
Leading service providers also use rigorous tracking and reporting tools as a means of providing detailed information to their clients. This is a tremendous advantage in terms of direct costs such as cost per lead. In-house teams sometimes suffer from an inability to pinpoint leaks in the sales funnel, or may not be able to understand why certain leads are lost at different points of the campaign.
The outsourced team, such as an outbound telemarketing team, collects and analyzes data in the sales funnel to improve customer touches and generate leads efficiently. A related advantage is the safety net of responsibility: in order to succeed, an outsourced sales partner must produce results, and that means bringing in new customers and closing deals. To achieve these results, your sales partner takes on a significant portion of the heavy lifting in outsourcing sales and marketing and is thus responsible for delivering results.
Other Advantages of Third-Party Sales
There are many more advantages companies can enjoy when choosing to farm out sales to a third-party partner . Outsourcing sales development offers significant benefits. To summarize the many advantages of outsourced marketing and sales practices, the benefits include:
- Time and Cost Savings – outsourcing teams are equipped with the tools and knowledge to get campaigns up and running quickly, ultimately saving money over in-house operations.
- Reduced Risk – by outsourcing some or all of its sales, it is also outsourcing some of the responsibility to a third-party sales partner. This can be an effective risk management strategy, especially for smaller businesses in competitive market sectors.
- Improved Performance – outsourced telemarketing professionals and teams have the experience, the focus, and the training to deliver results. A dedicated sales team and its sales team members know what it takes to generate qualified leads.
- Market Expertise – there are many third-party partners that have unique insights into specific markets, giving them an advantage for specialty sales. These insights can spur new ideas and new ways of connecting with customers in a given market niche.
- Safe Business Growth – many smaller firms do not have the budget or the resources for a dedicated in-house sales and marketing team. By engaging with an outside provider, they can gain the advantages of a dedicated team without the overhead and training costs associated with creating their own department. These sales partnerships provide tremendous value for the investment. This can help the business grow safely, without unnecessary risks or expenses.
Should I Outsource Sales or Not? Potential Drawbacks
In any sales venture, there are advantages and drawbacks to be aware of. The same applies to the concept of outsourced sales and marketing. It is important to note that the advantages of outsourcing greatly outweigh the potential drawbacks, but business owners need to understand that certain pitfalls may negatively impact business prospects.
An outsourced sales team (can be) not a full-time resource
The first drawback is that most outsourced sales resources are not dedicated. Larger, more established businesses typically have their own sales departments, sales force, and processes that have been refined over time. It may not make sense for these companies to use sales outsourcing models but still may provide benefits. Smaller companies, particularly startups, do not have this drawback and are not typically equipped with experienced sales professionals.
Sales process
Sales outsourcing service providers, then, provide great value for these ventures and can help advance their marketing effort. Another drawback lies in the methodologies used. In-house sales teams may have developed marketing tactics and strategies over time, and these strategies produce the desired results. An outsourced sales team may apply different tactics, and sometimes these do not mesh well with the methodologies the company already has in place. To help overcome this potential drawback, it can be beneficial for the two entities to meet and to learn each other’s sales and marketing methods to ensure continuity.
SalesFish is 100% dedicated to our client engagements and our tenured Inside Sales Executives are only devoted to one client at a time. Learn more.
Choosing the Right Outsourced Sales Services
Now that we understand sales outsourcing and have explored a few of the many advantages of adopting this model, the question becomes: How does one choose a provider?
Different companies have different needs and varying goals. Some companies may find a benefit from outbound telemarketing options, while others need a full suite of inside sales services. Many companies can benefit from a dedicated customer service department tied to the sales operation, such as a call center.
Sales outsourcing pros, particularly in B2B sales, tend to outperform an internal sales team. The outsourced sales partner handles all of the sales functions in a cost-effective and efficient manner, contributing sales intelligence to generate revenue growth in existing markets as well as new markets. Sales outsourcing companies typically use higher level tactical tasks that keep prospects engaged while building brand awareness.
Identifying Sales & Marketing Needs
The first step in evaluating a sales partner is to take a close look at the specific services the outsourced sales companies offer to their clients. Some may offer customized sales solutions, while others may incorporate a range of services into one package including email marketing strategies. Make sure that whichever partner you choose for your company’s growth has the services you need to make the sales development as efficient and as effective as possible.
Specialty Sales Teams
Some sales outsourcing companies specialize in specific fields, such as healthcare, technology, agriculture, or defense contracting. These providers can be invaluable in taking sales to an entirely new level and have industry knowledge that is critical in connecting with customers. If your company occupies a unique niche in your market, it is a good idea to seek out specialty providers to help do the work for you, if available.
Capabilities
Capabilities are the most important consideration, yet too many companies focus solely on the costs associated with outsourcing sales work. While settling on the lowest-cost sales outsourcing services sounds like it makes sense, the reality is that budget-oriented service providers rarely have the technology, the experience, or the mastery to achieve the desired results. Remember: it is more important to partner with the sales outsourcing companies that can deliver the work product.
Create A Partnership
Finally, understand that in order to achieve the results you want from your sales services partner, it is important that the provider is able to create an active partnership built for the long-term. Demand interaction from your partner, especially in terms of regular data collection and reporting practices. The stronger the business relationship, the more capable and successful the partnership between both businesses will be. Many will ensure customer success if the agreement is done properly.
Contact SalesFish today to speak to a sales executive expert.
by Chris Waszczak | Oct 16, 2018 | B2B Sales, Lead Generation, Outsourced Inside Sales, Outsourced Sales, Telemarketing Services
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!
Is your marketing still in the Dark Ages?
In the last decade or so, the world of marketing and media has undergone absolutely seismic shifts. TV’s share of total media-watching time shrunk by 10.75 percent over a five-year period, and it continues to fall. More and more viewers are watching streaming TV, which does not even have ads. Digital devices take up more than half of all media viewing time. The future of advertising has been here for a while now, but many companies are struggling to adapt to the pace of rapid evolution—and that even goes for marketing agencies!
The rules of advertising have forever changed because of digital media. Ads that interrupt the viewing experience—so called “push” ads—often get tuned out or turned off. The public now has so many choices and vast control over which media they patronize on a regular basis. In such an environment, advertising must present content that naturally attracts the audience and holds their attention for a sufficient length of time. This includes gripping stories that engage and hold attention. “Storyselling” creates genuine value for a brand audience. If the value is not there, viewers will soon move on to more interesting narratives.
Audiences also are now viewing media according to their own schedules, rather than waiting for pre-scheduled programming. That means brand stories must be transmitted 24/7, and across a wide variety of media to be effective. A major key now is to have brand stories that are so compelling that they are eagerly shared across the various social media channels, maybe even gaining viral movement. Since there is so much content on the Web, it is critical that a brand effectively differentiates itself as unique and outstanding from the many competing voices—and that starts with a fresh and compelling message.
Marketing agencies need the vision and breadth of skills required to innovate advertising content and will produce returns for their clients. What is necessary is an integrated agency that fully understands brand management across a wide variety of media. Strategy and storytelling must integrate media efforts into a seamless whole, always keeping the audience’s needs and interests at the forefront of attention. This seamless integration of storytelling is what ultimately leads to content being shared on various social media platforms, moving a brand forward.
Advertising, Web design, and content marketing over the various platforms are challenging. Not only do they require great storytelling, they must be based on solid market research data. Technology has to measure itself and adjust to realistic feedback. The audience must be targeted with great accuracy, the message adapted to their behavior. In your efforts to grow, SalesFish is here to help you as a full-service agency—one that is always working hard to help you stay ahead of the crowd!
Call SalesFish today and our high-touch, dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals, and the marketing and sales tactics best suited to your specific needs. And, yes, we will also advise you on the best A.I. tools that actually work and complement the real people in your business!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
