You need to be really careful.
Are you completely ready to outsource your B2B sales right now?
My guess is probably not… Unless you’ve thought through a few of the “checkpoints” that we will outline below.
Because, at Salesbread, we have been in business for 10 years now and we have done b2b sales outsourcing for 500 + b2b companies; Depending on the stage where you’re at, you might not be in the place YET, to sign up for a done-for-you lead generation service. (Even if they are offering guarantees.)
Take a step back and slow down.
Even if you’re thinking that “guaranteed qualified leads” are a slam dunk, you need to realize that you have a finite market that you can go after.
And you really, REALLY, don’t want burns from your list; With the wrong messaging, or worse yet, test out a sales agency, see it fail and just completely right off the channel; hoping that SEO or paid ads get the job done.
So being ready to hire an outsourced sales team is a process.
This applies to solo bootstrap founders all the way to companies that already have a proper sales team.
But there’s kind of a graduation process that you need to get to before you’re ready to outsource sales; if you want to be as savvy about this as possible; if you want to remove as much risk as possible.
This is something that we encourage our consulting clients to consider.
I think it’s easy to get burned when outsourcing anything.
There are a few steps that you can take to seriously head your bets to almost guarantee the results you’re after, which we will outline below.
(If you’re interested in learning more about our service, or if outsourcing sales would be a good option for your company, hop on a free 15-minute consultation call below. Be sure to check out some of our case studies too.)
Step 1: Validate your market
What to do if you don’t have paying customers just yet
This is Entrepreneurship 101.
Quick story – We had a client who was a startup and they hadn’t been making any sales. They were brand, brand new.
They hired us to essentially take a bet, and test their guesses.
And I told the founder: “Knowing that you don’t have a single customer, tells us that we are taking a significant risk here. What gives you the confidence that this is going to work?”
The point of this story is to make sure that you already have paying customers before you even approach sales outsourcing companies.
You have to make sure that you have paying customers from at least 1 defined segment.
Why?
Because this tells you that the chances of success will be greater, meaning you won’t be wasting money on hiring an agency that might never be able to find you qualified leads.
If you do not have paying customers in at least 1 defined segment, it is your job as the founder/sales executive to make this a top priority.
The best thing to do if you don’t have a defined market is to:
- Tackle your existing network
- Ask for referrals
- Go after low-hanging fruit
This will allow you to book meetings with potential customers.
We suggest listening to our podcast below. It shares how the founder of Quickmail.io started his business and found his first 1000 customers.
But in a nutshell, it shows how Jeremy initially didn’t know who to target. He had an idea that he wanted to go after financial planning companies (because he had a background in finance.)
He then continues to share how he built a list of financial planners and reached out to them through Linkedin, and his account got blocked.
He then decided to try cold email outreach.
It’s worth a listen if you’re still trying to find your feet as a start-up.
What to do if you do have paying customers
Let’s now assume that you have paying customers… This SHOULDN’T look like a scatter of buyers from all different industries, and that they have purchased all different types of facets of your products.
YOU WANT A PATTERN.
You should be saying: “Oh, okay… Great. It looks like marketing directors like to buy this service of ours.”
This gives you confidence to know WHO to go after, and what your offer should start to look like.
Get cold outreach working at least once – Do this YOURSELF
This “do it yourself” option sounds like a lot of work, and it is… BUT bear in mind that you’re only trying to get 1 win.
Can you sell your product/service through cold outreach? That’s all you’re trying to figure out.
If you can’t do this…
If you can’t build an ideal list of your target market and prioritize them by hand picked accounts that you think will definitely need your service, or write personalized outreach messages; how can you expect, a B2B lead generation agency, that isn’t as intimate with your market to do it instead?
Skip this step at your own risk…
Because here’s the reality…
If you can make this sales process work just once; if you can sit down and put cold outreach as an action item on your weekly or daily “to-do’s”, and it’s pretty realistic to see, that if you spend 10 hours doing this, and you get a paying customer, or a few sales qualified leads, this process is worth it; and probably worth outsourcing.
If you can do this, you now have the luxury of knowing that as long as you find a partner that can replicate this process, you are likely going to get results.
This is a huge milestone for any company.
It means that the risk of doing outbound prospecting has come down almost to zero.
Bring in a consultant first
If you want to be as safe as possible, we suggest hiring a sales consultant first. They will be able to audit and improve your sales efforts.
You should review the following with the outbound lead generation consultant:
- Scripts for cold calling, or copywriting for email and LinkedIn outreach
- Your prospecting lists. This is incredibly important.
- Outreach channels (Whether its Linkedin, Twitter, cold email, or SMS)
What you’re hoping to find is what you used to get the initial traction, is actually quite bad when compared to best practice.
About half of the consults that we do at Salesbread is just reviewing current efforts and proving a “B-version” that will be a lot stronger. It will leverage insights on what’s working with outreach today.
Book a free 15-minute outbound sales strategy with the founder of SalesBread
After this, you have two options…
Option 1: Bring the process inhouse for your internal sales team to replicate
You can either go ahead and test this process with your in-house sales team; check stats and make sure that this sales process does move the needle in a big way.
If you choose this route, you only need to test the sales strategy for about 2 weeks. Then when it does perform better, you have reached another milestone.
Now your strategy is really effective.
You have the luxury of saying: “Alright, maybe it’s just a matter of bringing a consultant on to do this when needed.
Maybe using a sales outsourcing service is not required because you have reached this stage on your own without spending a ton of cash.
Many companies get to this stage by spending less than $1000 on consulting services.
If you have a decent campaign as a starting point, you could literally stop here and hand off the insights, new scripts, and your lists to a junior sales rep or even a freelancer.
Option 2: Hire a B2B sales agency
Why?
Because you have already tested your sales strategy and it works.
You don’t have to wonder if it’s going to work, you have already proved to yourself that it does.
The agency is just going to help you find the talent to execute this process.
And if you find the right partner they are just going to continue to optimize your business growth as you go.
The final step:
Once you have outsourced sales, and the agency that you’re working with continues to double or even quadruple your results (this will take about 6 months to a year), we recommend thinking very seriously about bringing in an in-house team that will replicate what the agency has been doing.
When you do this, it’s not going to be as scary to invest in several full-time salaries because the model has been proven.
With all of this being said… Here are some different outsourcing options…
- Cold calling
- Linkedin outreach
- Cold email outreach
You could even combine all of the above.
Helpful resources to consider reading:
Some of the best B2B lead generation agencies:
The Top 10 Business Lead Generation Companies in 2024
Some of the top sales consultants to reach out to:
The Top 20 B2B Sales Consultants to Reach Out to in 2023
How to build an in-house sales team
How to Build a Remote Sales Team in 3 Easy Steps
Should you outsource lead generation?
10 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Lead Generation
Questions to ask when considering hiring an agency
10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Cold Email Agency
Frequently asked questions on sales outsourcing
1. What is outsourcing sales, and how can it benefit my business?
Outsourcing sales involves hiring external professionals or agencies to handle various aspects of your sales process. It can benefit your business by bringing in expertise, accelerating sales cycles, and allowing your team to focus on core competencies.
2. How can outsourcing help in closing deals?
Outsourcing sales professionals are often skilled in the art of closing deals. They follow proven methodologies, leverage market research, and utilize effective CRM systems to enhance your closing rates.
3. What role does appointment setting play in sales outsourcing?
Appointment setting is a crucial part of the sales development process. Outsourced teams specialize in setting quality appointments, ensuring your sales representatives engage with potential clients at the right time.
4. How does outsourcing contribute to new market expansion?
Outsourcing sales to experts with experience in different markets can help your business tap into new territories, expanding your reach and customer base.
5. How can outsourced sales support business development?
Outsourced sales partners align with your business goals, providing expertise in business development strategies, and allowing you to focus on growth.
6. What is the significance of a sales funnel in outsourcing sales?
A sales funnel is a visual representation of the buyer’s journey. Outsourcing involves managing this process efficiently, guiding prospects from awareness to conversion.
7. How do outsourced sales teams contribute to revenue growth ?
Outsourced teams focus on generating quality leads, improving conversion rates, and optimizing sales operations, ultimately contributing to significant revenue growth.
8. Can outsourcing help in achieving specific sales goals?
Absolutely. Outsourced sales experts work collaboratively with your business to define and achieve specific sales goals, ensuring measurable success.
9. How can outsourcing improve the sales cycle?
Outsourcing streamlines the sales cycle by leveraging years of experience, best sales practices, and efficient methodologies to expedite the process.
10. What role does technology play in outsourced sales, especially for tech companies?
Technology is integral. Outsourced sales teams often utilize advanced CRM systems, social media, and SaaS tools to enhance sales activities, ensuring tech companies stay ahead in the market.
11. How is market research utilized in outsourced sales?
Market research guides outsourced sales teams in understanding customer personas, aligning marketing strategies, and optimizing sales approaches for maximum effectiveness.
12. Can outsourced sales teams help in improving conversion rates?
Yes, outsourced teams focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) and constantly refine their strategies to improve conversion rates and overall sales performance.
13: How do outsourced sales partners handle onboarding for seamless integration?
They should hop on a consultation call and find out about your product/service as much as they can. This process should be as indepth as possible.
14. What track record should I look for in an outsourced sales partner?
Look for a partner with a proven track record of success, a history of achieving sales goals, and positive testimonials from clients. Ask to review case studies too.
In conclusion
Before you decide to outsource a sales agency, try the tips above. If you stick to this process you stand the chance of lead generation success, without burning through your budget.
If you’re interested in hopping on a free 15-minute consultation call with the founder of Salesbread, hit the button below.