There are times in every sales professional’s life when the going gets tough. Leads seem to be thin on the ground. The team has lost its mojo. Target

There’s probably a feeling that you need some fresh leads to go after and a bit of support in hitting your targets. Someone suggests engaging a telemarketing agency to put some wellie behind your efforts. And yes, it’s always a good idea to identify the barriers to success, and if necessary, to bring in some outside expertise to help overcome them. But maybe there’s a better option to telesales? Maybe what you need instead is some support with business development.

You might be asking whether there’s a difference between the two disciplines? There certainly is, and to understand what sets business development apart, take a look at our blog here.

So why would we recommend business development to give your sales function a boost?

It’s a strategic rather than ad hoc relationship

When you work with a business development agency, they will partner with you to align goals across a longer-term. Their objective will be to deliver very high levels of qualification and put a huge amount of focus on quality rather than quantity. A good partner will research thoroughly and identify the decision-maker or decision-making unit, and provide a full brief on the prospect. A telemarketing agency is more likely to be working on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis and so their focus is on churning through as many calls as possible to deliver leads – which may not be well qualified or of a high quality.

It’s cost-effective

If you’ve never outsourced your business development before, you may be thinking that it’s an expensive option that’s beyond your budget. In reality, it is quite the opposite. Adding internal capacity is a long-term commitment. When hiring, you have all the costs associated with employment, the allocation of management time and resources during the recruitment process, not to mention that new hires average ￡30,000 in fees alone. Then there are things such as training costs and software licences to factor in. You’re easily looking at a six-figure sum. With outsourcing, you can get additional focus up and running very quickly, exactly when you need it. If the time comes when you no longer need it, you can switch if off. And whilst a business development agency may cost more than a telemarketing one in terms of fees, when you look at the return on investment, we guarantee it will be higher, thanks to the higher calibre of leads and an increased conversion rate.

It’s a way to access expertise

Even if your sales efforts are riding high, your company could still benefit from outsourcing business development if you’re trying something new. For example, if market diversification is part of your strategy, but you don’t have the in-house capacity or expertise. Different markets demand different tactics, the approach to a large enterprise will need to be structured differently to contact with retailers. When you work with business development experts rather than just appointment makers, you’ll also find that they will identify natural opportunities to diversify and grow your business.

Do you have experience of working with outsourced business development professionals or telemarketing agencies? What were the benefits of each? We’d love the hear your views in the comments below.