As the amount spent on outsourcing worldwide is getting closer and closer to the $731 billion figure, it’s clear that there are no signs of this business trend stopping. On the other hand, while outsourcing database marketing is highly recommendable, the situation is a bit different.
Therefore, let’s look at the pros and cons of outsourcing your sales team so that you can make an informed decision.
5 Pros of Outsourcing Sales
Here are a couple of arguments for why outsourcing has become a popular business solution.
High efficiency
Even though the term “outsourcing” used to be associated with spending a little extra to get the job done, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Depending on the type and state of your business, outsourcing sales can help you save a great deal of both your time and finances.
For instance, if you’re one of over 70,000 US startups, it might be challenging to employ the right sales professionals long-term since it would use up too much of your limited or unstable funds.
Instead, you could hire an expert for a short-term project. It will in turn will give you quick revenue without the need to keep the employee after the project’s completion.
Faster results
Hiring a full-time sales professional can be a lengthy process, starting with your HR department analyzing potential candidates and you preparing for the interviews.
On the other hand, outsourcing sales can help you connect with the right people faster and, consequently, achieve quicker turnover. This is especially important if you are in a rush to establish your sales team due to the market’s sudden positive changes.
To sum up, the sales team you successfully outsource should bring you positive results in much shorter time than usual.
Bigger talent pool
Typically, when a company is hiring, they look for professionals within their state or country. This is primarily due to laws and regulations concerning the full-time position. However, outsourcing part-time opens so many doors worldwide.
You’ll have the chance to connect with sales experts from different backgrounds than those you have worked with. Therefore, they may be more prone to thinking outside the box, or they might suggest fruitful actions you haven’t encountered before.
Some of the best countries for outsourcing are developing countries such as Poland or Brazil.
New markets
An outsourced sales team has one great advantage — they can open doors for you that you didn’t even know existed.
In other words, an outsourced sales team could already be used to working with markets you haven’t thought of or couldn’t conquer. When you work with an outsourced sales team, you get access to their clients, tools, and connections.
Better sales tools
Just as you can get in touch with a sales specialist with plenty of experience in the field via outsourcing, you’d probably be pleasantly surprised with their sales tools. This is particularly important as it gives you hands-on insight and a chance to test the tools yourself, i.e., you are going to see during the process if the used tools were worth it or not.
4 Cons of Outsourcing Sales
So far, you have probably started thinking about how to completely outsource your sales team in the shortest period possible. Still, make sure you read the following disadvantages of outsourcing that might change your mind.
Unexpected costs
Let’s say that you have agreed on everything with your outsourced sales team, and you are satisfied with their work. However, in the middle of your cooperation, new opportunities or challenges arise, forcing you to ask for changes in the sales team’s performance.
If you were working on this with your in-house team, such a change would cause a disruption, but you wouldn’t have to pay your employees extra for the new assignments. With the outsourced team, however, you would have no choice but to do just that if you were to continue working with them.
Security and privacy issues
When outsourcing any part of your business, you have to get to terms with being obliged to provide strangers with valuable information. You can minimize the risk of unintentional data leaks if you remain in control of the process as much as possible and opt for reputable outsourcing companies to provide you with the services.
On the other hand, there is also the risk of intentional data leaks. In both cases, the main issue could be that you find out about them too late to repair the damage. That’s why it’s so important to find a trusted and well-known vendor to outsource your sales. Otherwise, you’ll be exposing yourself to potential breaches and data loss.
Low team morale
Just how important is outsourcing your sales team to you? What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Is your in-house sales team easily replaceable, and soon to become non-existant?
These are just some of the questions you can expect from your teammates. They may or may not express their concerns openly, but it’s your duty as a manager to explain the details to them and clear any doubts by clearly defining your outsourcing goals.
Otherwise, your in-house team could start slacking as the team spirit gets dangerously low due to the fear of getting fired.
Poor and delayed communication
This is one of the biggest challenges for any type of outsourcing. Sometimes not even Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams can help you communicate your ideas clearly.
While the in-house team is familiar with your delivery manner and can find the best ways to manifest your goals, the outsourced sales team may need a lot more explaining regarding an action you used to take for granted.
A beneficial practice
Overall, outsourcing your sales team is a great idea with plenty of benefits. What’s best about it is that sales outsourcing is a practice which can help you at any stage. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a startup just starting to grow or an established corporation that needs to meet a new sales quota — sales outsourcing can significantly help you.
Of course, there are risks that come with it. Choosing a poor or unreliable outsourcing partner can wreak havoc on your business. That’s why you should analyze your situation carefully before contacting a reputable outsourcing company. Researching and learning about sales outsourcing can really help you here. Hopefully, this article will put you on the right path and aid you in moving forward.
