1. INSIDE
OUTSIDE
vs
Sales teams are seeing a growing distinction between inside and outside sales.
these two sales roles and environments. Let’s explore common guidelines that
$36,000-65,000
$31,000-50,000
Inside sales is growing
FIFTEEN
times faster
than outside sales.
That’s 7.5% vs. .5% annually. In other words,
From this, we know outside sales reps
make, on average, 12-18 percent more
annually.
800,000
new jobs in three years (2010-2013).
inside and outside sales?
TRAVEL
TRAVEL
Limited. They typically
work from an office
for a certain number
of hours a day.
Often. Their sales focus
on meeting face to
face. Customer visits
are frequent.
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULES
Inside sales reps
typically have
structured that
don’t change
much day to day.
Outside sales reps
tend to have flexible
schedules focused on
meeting with clients
on their terms.
SALES CYCLE
SALES CYCLE
Normally focused
on large sales, the
cycles tend to be
longer and more
complicated.
Since face to face
interaction is rare,
the sales are often
smaller, with shorter
cycles.
TIME
TIME
Time is spent on
the run. Making
mobile calls and
emails in route to meet
a client is common.
Most time is
spent reaching
out to prospects
through phone and
emails to get a demo.
Outside sales works predominately through face to face meetings, including travel. This
makes their schedules more unpredictable, with a focus on larger sales with longer cycles.
BOTH
What’s equally important to both inside and outside sales reps?
KNOW YOUR PRODUCT. Always try to improve your calls, emails and demos.
LEARN FROM PEERS. Be competitive. Regardless of your industry try to learn the
best practices of your peers. If someone is great at cold
calls, sit with them and learn what makes them great.
HONE YOUR LISTENING In sales, listening is often overlooked. Don’t forget to
pause during conversations and let your prospect
SKILLS.
speak to you. Keep every conversation interactive.
PROMOTE CUSTOMER Work to make your customers feel like their important
to you. Because they should be. They’re what ultimately
LOYALTY.
will make or break you, so be genuine and give back.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So we know what’s similar and different, as well as what skills are resounding for either role.
So now the big question- what can you expect if you’re interested in getting a job in sales?
75%
of buyers would prefer
not to spend time meeting
face to face.
For every
ONE
outside sales rep
being hired, there are
Technology is a big player in this change.
With new ways to communicate, face to
face interaction is often unnecessarily
time consuming.
TEN
inside sales reps
being brought on.
This shows inside sales is rapidly growing. Inside sales reps not only save businesses money
(important for start-ups), but better cater to today’s customers that don’t need face-to-face
interacting and prefer initiating the buying process remotely.