Few Tips To Build Effective Inside Sales Team...

After working with various SMBs and growing companies I am going to reveal some proven steps for building the right kind of inside sales team to take your business to the next level.

Inside-sales is growing fast. In fact, according to InsideSales.com, inside sales programs are growing 300% faster than outside sales programs, which might be why many believe inside sales reps are “the future of sales programs.” 

You should start building your inside sales team by mapping out your grand vision first. Then, start hiring on a small scale and approach growth in manageable chunks in order to provide a sustainable framework to achieve the grand vision of the sales organization.

Inside sales are also one of the toughest jobs out there. Expectations are high for shorter onboarding and ramp times while overly aggressive sales goals and shifting priorities can prevent reps from crushing their numbers. On the flip side, for managers, it can be even more challenging to turn an often junior-level team into a group of efficient, effective sales pros who are responsible for delivering a magical mix of quality leads at scale.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or reimaging your strategy, it’s not impossible to build a winning inside sales team. Here are the following things managers can do today to ensure their inside sales program succeeds.

Proper Alignment of Marketing and Sales

Marketing and sales should have shared goals and aligned compensation.

For example, both teams may have a goal of increasing conversions by improving their sales funnel. A marketing team could help sales by creating better landing pages with more targeted content.

Identify Key Metrics and Set the Right Goals

The most important sales activity metrics should include: The call connects, Phone time, Leads generated, Opportunities logged

The most important pipeline metrics should include: The number of open opportunities, lead to opportunity conversion rate, Average deal size, Total pipeline, The quarterly/annual pipeline vs. Gap

And lastly, the revenue metrics can include things like YTD revenue vs. Goal, Win rate, The quarterly/annual forecast to goal

A Good Sales Qualified Lead

Sales and marketing should work together to define what a sales qualified lead means to them. The first step is to brainstorm your ideal customer profile – their background, industry size, etc. Once this is done, you will be able to better capitalize on your buyer’s pain points and solutions that you are going to offer.

If you opt for the BANT (Budget, Authority, Needs & Timeline) system, to identify how you can qualify leads.

How many Leads/Opportunities Per Account Executive

You can calculate how many calls your team makes per week, the average conversion rate for calls to meetings, and extrapolate from there to set activity goals.

The following formula is a good way to figure out the number of SDRs you must hire.

Total SQLs Needed ÷ Individual SDR Quota = Number of SDRs Required. 

SQL- Sales Qualified Lead, SDR - Sales Development Representative

Improve Your Hiring Process & Establish a Good Onboarding and Training Plan

You need to identify salespeople who have the ideal skills and experience for your company. David Mattson, a keynote speaker, and sales leader recommend the SEARCH method for evaluating candidates. SEARCH stands for:

• Skills that a candidate needs
• Experiences from their past roles
• Attitude towards work
• Results they have achieved so far in their career
• Cognitive skills in everyday situations
• Habits they need to have in order to excel at the position

Questions are another important aspect of the hiring process.

If you want your business to grow, you need adequate sales training for new hires, but also the more experienced members who can expand on their current skills.

Create the Right Culture

Your company culture is a reflection of your organization’s mission and what it stands for. If you can provide a pleasant work environment that your salespeople enjoy spending time in, it can help improve their sales performance. 

Use Proper Selling Tools

Inside sales representatives need tools in order to be successful at their jobs. To help you choose the best one, we have compiled this list of essential tools -

CRM Software – Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, etc.

Sales Engagement Tools – Outreach.io, Reply, etc.

Lead Generation Software – LeadFeeder etc.

Productivity Apps – Dropbox, Slack, Asana, etc.

Develop Effective Phone Scripts & Record Calls of Your Inside SDRs

For an Inside SDR, the first call is always the most challenging one. That is why having an effective inside sales call script can be a great first step in converting your conversations into revenue. A good script should have three important elements:

• Introduction
• Connection
• Positioning Statement

Recording your sales calls can instill the skill of active listening among your team members. Managers should review calls one-on-one with their reps and help them identify key opportunities to improve their conversation skills. This will lead to better performances by your Inside SDRs.

Inside sales teams are on the front lines of delivering against customer expectations, so ensuring the team is set up for success from day one is critical in developing customer relationships and driving long-term value.

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Source - Salesforce - Quotable, Sales Hacker & Market Republic