When Run DMC said, “it’s tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time,” he forgot to mention that B2B sales outsourcing can also be that. Tricky. But that’s why we’re here to tackle that topic.
What are the main issues that make this business practice problematic? Why won’t you always get positive results? There are several reasons, and we, as experts (very humble) in outsourcing inbound sales and customer support are here to explain. Let’s dive in and find out.
How Does B2B Sales Outsourcing Work
Let’s start with the basics and understand how B2B sales outsourcing works. For example, if one company has underperforming sales reps that make a lot of consecutive sales mistakes, the business owner must think through this problem. The solution can come from two sides – outsourcing vs. hiring new employees. If they opt for the first, they will look for a partner to delegate the responsibilities of this department. An outsourcing company will provide a team of specialists that will allow their partner to breathe easier. This would be the basic answer to the question: What is meant by outsourcing sales.
Why Do Companies Outsource Sales?
- The reason behind the question of why do companies outsource sales can be one of several:
The current team isn’t performing well; they have an issue with learning how to handle customer complaints, or they have a not-so-good interaction with customers overall. - The team isn’t good at attracting returning customers and keeping the reputation of the company.
- Sales agents are overworked and can hardly cope with the scope of work.
- A business owner can’t afford to expand the team or hire professionals.
Business owners usually have a dilemma between the two solutions – in-house vs. outsourcing their workforce, but once they face problems that they don’t have time to work on, the decision becomes clear.
Why Is Sales Outsourcing Important?
As we mentioned, the reason for outsourcing can be any kind of struggle that a company might encounter that needs an immediate solution. Businesses that have a hard time with one of the problems above don’t have time for new training, recruitment, HR meetings, and alike. They want to make one step that will take all their worries away. We know that New Year was recently, but Santa doesn’t do that kind of work. That is why outsourcing is important – it’s a prompt and efficient solution. This option is the only way to find competent agents to take care of the whole department of your company.
Santa, unfortunately, won’t take your business problems away
How Is B2B Sales Outsourcing Beneficial for Companies
When it comes to sales, the situation isn’t any different. Sales agent is one of the best roles for outsourcing since you can find and hire motivated people that already know your niche. They will know how to handle customer complaints, regardless of what types of customers we’re talking about. It’s a perfect way to prevent burnout and increase your conversion rate. Benefits are numerous, but we started this story because B2B sales outsourcing can be difficult. Now that we have gone through the fundamentals, we can start with the main topic.
What Are the Difficulties With B2B Sales Outsourcing, and What Are the Solutions?
With all the positive sides listed, you might wonder why is outsourcing difficult. Well, there are several reasons. We’ll cover the main ones.
1. There Are So Many Chances of Making a Mistake
When wondering what challenges are faced in outsourcing, you should first know that it all begins with the fact that there are many steps, and if you make a mistake, you’re doomed. That’s where all outsourcing risks and challenges are born. If you’re not familiar enough with the process of outsourcing, your chances of making a bad move increase dramatically, and your way to success becomes very slippery.
SOLUTION
The only thing that can save you from slipping along the way is being thorough with your research. Be sure that it’s the right time to outsource, and try to be as familiar as possible with the whole process. Learn all probable scenarios and be ready for them in case they happen.
2. It Can Be Very Hard to Pick the Right Partner
Outsourcing companies are plentiful, and they usually specialize in a certain field of work. However, some offer several different services and represent themselves as experts in each one. That fact can make your choice of picking the right partner even more troublesome. Multiple failed attempts may even lead you to give up on outsourcing sales and make you believe that it simply isn’t for you. The truth is that probably, you just haven’t found a company that speaks the same language as you.
SOLUTION
Yes, it’s a wide and deep pool of possible candidates for your business outsourcing partner, but that’s also a pro. With that many options, you can be sure that some of them are perfect for you. This problem, as the one above, is also solvable by researching the market and finding the one that has a great team culture and effective strategy. Also, be sure that the team that will take over your sales operations is knowledgeable of your niche and industry.
3. Data Protection Is Always a Hot Topic With B2B Sales Outsourcing
How can you know that the company you choose to outsource your sales department to is someone you can trust and lean on? You can’t simply rely on your intuition, this isn’t something that we can approximate. Cybercrimes can cost you a lot of money, and hacks and data breaches are serious problems. Any kind of data leak can irreparably damage your business. If you’re afraid of this issue when outsourcing, you very much should be.
SOLUTION
You must ensure that your partner is trustworthy and that no data leak is a threat. How to do that? You can keep your outsourced data safe by doing the following:
- Create an NDA or confidentiality with your future partner, so you’re legally protected,
- Make sure your communication with your partner is transparent and that expectations are clear,
- Be familiar with SOC II certification requirements and achieve compliance with your partner,
- Review your security logs and have an in-house security team.
4. There Are Reputation Risks
Bad customer experience can and will happen if the sales team you gave the power to take your business isn’t doing the job right. And we all know how hard it is to regain a reputation once it’s shattered by some bad reviews. The sales team that has the responsibility to represent your business most positively mustn’t fail. Leaving the reputation of your company in someone else’s hands is a big deal, and unwary outsourcing makes it risky.
SOLUTION
If you don’t want to deal with fixing a mess that someone else created and ruined your reputation, you should find someone who also has an impeccable reputation with their clients. Once you find your potential third-party vendor, check their history with previous clients and their testimonials.
We can help you hold your reputation
5. The Outsourcing Team’s Location Can Be an Issue
If the team you’re hiring isn’t in the same city/country or even time zone as you, this can become an issue depending on your needs. If you require a sales agent that can cover night shifts, you might look for an outsourcing partner that lives abroad. However, if you must have in-person business meetings in order for your business to thrive, then having a team in another location isn’t a good idea.
SOLUTION
Knowing what your future team can and cannot do is a starting point. You must check their working hours and the coverage that they provide. Also, if you require in-person meetings, you must be clear about that before signing any paperwork.
6. Current Customers Might Dislike Working With New Sales
Established relationships between your loyal customers and sales representatives are sacred. If you bring a whole bunch of new people to your business, you might receive negative feedback. Your existing customers could feel like the bond they created with your team is now jeopardized and that they can’t work with you anymore.
SOLUTION
Unfortunately, there isn’t a possibility of cloning the people from your team. Yet. Until that happens, the only thing you can do is hire someone similar to your existing sales reps. Try to hire a team that has an amazing company culture that will be similar to yours so that your old customers can easily build a firm relationship with the outsourcing company.
7. The Existing Sales Team Can Become Demoralized
You might have read something about how outsourcing influences the employee churn rate. Existing employees might feel unnerved by the fact that they’re being replaced or that someone unknown is coming to take their jobs. Once this happens, massive layoffs can occur, and managers can have a big problem.
SOLUTION
This is all on the management and the whole leadership team now – an outsourcing team that’s about to start working with your existing team shouldn’t be looked at like it’s a threat. On the contrary. Sales agents that are coming to take a part of (or whole) workload are there to help reduce stress and prevent burnout. Not to intrude where they’re not wanted. Meetings with the old sales team are mandatory so that they can become familiar with what’s happening, meet new colleagues, and start building trusting relationships.
8. Loss of Control Isn’t Impossible
Managers might lose control over the sales strategy they’re implementing once the new team arrives. Outsourcing sales means introducing your strategy to someone who’s a stranger to your company and doesn’t know what the usual practice is.
Also, managing someone new to the team is difficult, let alone more than one person. Especially if they’re abroad, at a different timezone. Leadership can go astray with the business process and strategy that they have created.
SOLUTION
It’s easy to say find the right outsourcing company, and everything will be fine. Even with a perfect match, you still might have problems if the leadership isn’t ready for the changes you’re planning. Talking to your management and educating them about what’s next would be the perfect solution. That way, they’ll know what to do, how to prepare the strategy and keep holding all the strings in their hands.
Who Should You Contact as a Reliable B2B Sales Outsourcing Company?
Easy – contact us. Jokes aside, if you need someone that has an impeccable reputation, proven results, and a motivated team that can help you grow and prosper, Morph is the right address. We implemented all the tips to boost teamwork, and we know how to infiltrate the existing system without disrupting anyone or anything. Not only that – if you decide to outsource your sales department with us, but we also take care of management and recruitment of new employees. Which leaves you with so much less stress and work. Funk around and find out.
