Optimise your inside sales team structure for success with strategic roles, continuous learning, and tech integration. Crafting the optimal structure for an inside sales team!
"Empower your inside sales team with the right structure – where roles align, skills flourish, and technology fuels success. Revolutionize your revenue journey."
Over the past few years, the landscape has undergone a significant transformation, reshaping the way we perceive the world, connect, and conduct business. These shifts were no different for us at LeadSquared.
Before the global upheaval, we had initiated the development of our inside sales team. Despite the challenges encountered during the pandemic, we persevered, learning and adapting along the way. Today, we proudly stand as a thriving inside sales-driven organization, boasting a team of hundreds spread across the globe.
Our journey was far from seamless – we faced setbacks, learned valuable lessons, and continually refined our approach. Now, I invite you to delve into the intricacies of the inside sales process. Join me in exploring the essentials of team building, strategies for keeping your representatives motivated, and the tools that empower our teams to excel. Let’s embark on this insightful journey together.
In the realm of sales, inside sales traditionally operated within office confines, leveraging methods such as phone calls, emails, text messages, video calls (Zoom or Google Meet), and LinkedIn for prospecting and closing deals. Yet, the distinctions between inside and outside sales have become less defined, particularly accelerated by the pandemic's impact, pushing sales activities predominantly online. This shift gained momentum due to its low investment requirements and scalability.
Gone are the misconceptions that confined inside sales to small-ticket deals. The belief that face-to-face meetings were indispensable for building buyer trust has been shattered. Even in the B2B and high-ticket, high-sales-velocity B2C domains, customers have embraced online purchasing. Notably, sales representatives are achieving success by sealing million-dollar deals through virtual platforms like Zoom, as highlighted in LinkedIn's State of Sales 2021. 37% of surveyed respondents on LinkedIn reported closing deals of $500,000 or more without ever meeting the buyer in person. The evolution of sales dynamics is evident, with a significant impact on buyer behaviour and deal closures.
In the realm of sales, inside sales traditionally operated within office confines, leveraging methods such as phone calls, emails, text messages, video calls (Zoom or Google Meet), and LinkedIn for prospecting and closing deals. Yet, the distinctions between inside and outside sales have become less defined, particularly accelerated by the pandemic's impact, pushing sales activities predominantly online. This shift gained momentum due to its low investment requirements and scalability.
Gone are the misconceptions that confined inside sales to small-ticket deals. The belief that face-to-face meetings were indispensable for building buyer trust has been shattered. Even in the B2B and high-ticket, high-sales-velocity B2C domains, customers have embraced online purchasing. Notably, sales representatives are achieving success by sealing million-dollar deals through virtual platforms like Zoom, as highlighted in LinkedIn's State of Sales 2021. 37% of surveyed respondents on LinkedIn reported closing deals of $500,000 or more without ever meeting the buyer in person. The evolution of sales dynamics is evident, with a significant impact on buyer behaviour and deal closures.
I'm drawn to inside sales for its remarkable scalability, not just in revenue but also in team growth. The beauty lies in its cost-effectiveness. Let's delve into the advantages of the inside sales model.
Inside sales is a game of precision. The ability to measure every aspect allows for constant refinement and improvement in the process. This nuanced understanding makes inside sales a strategic powerhouse.
Note: Crafting an effective inside sales team structure is pivotal for success. Align roles, leverage skills, and embrace technology for optimal results.
Did you catch wind of the fact that companies boasting inside sales-heavy teams outshine those relying on outside sales reps by a whopping 9.8% in quota attainment? It's a nugget from the HubSpot Sales Enablement Survey 2021. In the whirlwind of remote work sales last year, 64% of sales leaders not only adapted but soared past their sales goals.
Here's a curveball from McKinsey: pre-pandemic, 52% of B2B decision-makers leaned towards traditional sales interactions. Fast forward to today, and a whopping 66% favor virtual sales engagements. Now, why should you leap into the inside sales arena? These stats tell a compelling story. But, and it's a big but, having an inside sales team sans a streamlined process is like navigating a sales pitch blindly in the field.
So, let's unravel the mystery. I'll guide you through the intricacies of setting up and navigating the various stages within the inside sales process. Buckle up for a journey that transforms stats into actionable insights.
To ensure a seamless inside sales process, you need the right ingredients, much like a well-crafted recipe. Here's your shopping list:
Now, let's cook up success!
Identify your target audience and lead sources. Leverage your CRM tool to capture and organize leads, making it a breeze to identify your most valuable sources.
Avoid the chaos of all leads in a shared sheet. Opt for an automated system that distributes leads uniformly based on preset criteria, ensuring fairness and transparency.
Equip your team with tools to qualify and prioritize leads efficiently. Assign scores based on activities, requirements, or demographics to focus on the most promising prospects.
Your tele-calling tool comes into play here. Ensure seamless calls to assigned leads, tracked meticulously in your CRM tool. Track efficiency and even consider call recording for refining pitches.
Persistence pays off. Implement strategic follow-ups using automated reminders in your CRM tool. Whether through calls or emails, consistent follow-up is key—50% of sales happen after the 5th follow-up.
The pinnacle of success. Closing deals is the ultimate goal. Your inside salesperson hands it over to the customer success team after sealing the deal.
Remember, your inside sales process aligns with your organization, goals, and team structure. Familiarize yourself with terms like SDR (Sales Development Representative), BDR (Business Development Representative), and AE (Account Executive) to understand their roles in the inside sales journey.
SDRs focus on outreach, prospecting, and qualifying leads, handing them over to AEs. BDRs generate prospects using various methods, and AEs take charge of meetings, pipeline nurturing, deal closure, and customer interactions. It's a coordinated dance for inside sales success.
Alert: Regularly assess and adapt your team structure to evolving market dynamics and customer needs. Flexibility is key to sustained success.
Within B2B setups, you typically find a Sales VP at the helm, followed by an Inside Sales Team Lead, and a cadre of SDRs and sales representatives. Contrastingly, in the realm of B2C sales, the hierarchy encompasses a Director, Senior Manager, Team Lead, and a complement of sales representatives or individual contributors. It's crucial to acknowledge that organizational structures may exhibit nuances contingent upon the specific operational model and objectives in play.
Supervisors and Team Leaders keep a vigilant eye on their team's activities, ensuring alignment with revenue targets while crafting processes to empower reps for optimal outcomes based on prior experiences. The training aspect is pivotal—managers invest time in coaching new members on effective communication, follow-up strategies, and the art of influencing potential customers. Additionally, they provide guidance on utilizing technological tools like CRM.
In the realm of targets, both individual and team objectives are set by Team Leads and managers. However, in B2C scenarios, the focus often leans more towards collective team targets for managers.
Efficient reporting is facilitated through tools like CRM, generating automated reports that encompass various metrics:
Harnessing technology for enhanced productivity is a key theme. Now, let's delve into the elements that underpin a successful inside sales strategy.
Also Read: Sales Intelligence Platform
Crafting the right structure for your inside sales team is paramount for unlocking unparalleled success in the dynamic landscape of sales. By strategically aligning roles, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, your team can navigate the intricacies of the sales process with finesse. This holistic approach, coupled with vigilant leadership, empowers your team to not only meet but exceed revenue targets, creating a robust foundation for sustainable growth in the ever-evolving world of inside sales.
