How can you determine if outside sales or inside sales is the right fit?

1 What is outside sales?

Outside sales refers to selling products or services to customers face-to-face, usually at their location or in a neutral setting. Outside sales reps often travel frequently, have more autonomy, and deal with larger or more complex deals. They also need to be good at building rapport, handling objections, and negotiating with multiple decision-makers. Outside sales can be rewarding, but also challenging, as it involves more competition, rejection, and uncertainty.

3 How to compare outside sales and inside sales?

When comparing outside sales and inside sales, it’s important to consider your personality, skills, and goals. Are you more extroverted or introverted? Do you have more experience in consultative or transactional selling? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Are you looking to earn more commission or salary? Do you want to advance your career or maintain your lifestyle? These are all important questions to ask yourself when deciding which type of sales is right for you.

4 How to evaluate outside sales and inside sales opportunities?

In order to evaluate outside sales and inside sales opportunities, it is important to research the company, industry, and role. Questions to ask include what the company's culture, vision, and values are and how they support their sales team. Additionally, you should research the industry's growth, trends, and challenges to understand how they affect the sales cycle and customer behavior. Lastly, you must consider the role's expectations, responsibilities, and compensation, as well as how they align with your skills, personality, and goals.

5 How to prepare for outside sales and inside sales interviews?

When preparing for outside and inside sales interviews, it is essential to showcase your fit, value, and motivation. For outside sales, focus on your communication, negotiation, and presentation skills. Demonstrate how you can build trust, overcome objections, and close deals with different types of customers. For inside sales, emphasize your technical, analytical, and organizational skills. Showcase how you can generate, qualify, and convert leads using various tools, platforms, and metrics. Additionally, highlight your achievements, results, and feedback to demonstrate how you can contribute to the company's goals, culture, and values.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?