A pipeline full of qualified leads and booked meetings is critical to the success of the agencies we work with at SendNow.
Nevertheless, with the growing number of companies offering outsourced sales development, businesses have to decide whether to build their own in-house team or outsource it.
Here are some factors to consider when deciding.
Sales development is typically done in response to a need for leads, and that need is present. Building an in-house facility takes time, however.
The first step is to find the right candidates, hire them, and train them before they start calling and emailing. A sales development team can take several months to get up and running, even if everything goes smoothly (and when did that ever happen?).
By outsourcing, you can save time and effort and learn how the SDR model works for your business. If you don't have that kind of time to spare, outsourcing could be an option for you.
If you need to make significant changes to your approach in the future, it's worthwhile to consider the time saved later on. In the event of a mistake or a broken strategy, additional restructuring and changes could take months. Outsourced teams, on the other hand, usually have the resources on hand to make the changes quickly and without disruption. It is still easier to change your outsourcing provider than to make all those changes yourself if they cannot.
Even though outsourcing might be quicker, it isn't an instant solution. The right SDR outsourcing company can help you with recommendations, but it still takes time to get it right. Along with finding the right SDR outsourcing company, you'll also have to discuss and agree on the strategies they'll use.
It is essential to analyze the costs of any approach you take to sales development. It can be costly to build a sales development team; the average salary for a sales development representative is currently $44,500, but hardware, software, training, and other costs quickly add up. As mentioned, it might also take time before you see any significant ROI. Outsourcing is not without its costs, but they are generally easier to measure and monitor.
In the event that you decide to outsource, costs can vary greatly between companies, ranging between $3,500/mo and $12,000/mo. Choosing the cheaper option might seem appealing, but you usually get what you pay for when it comes to outsourced sales development. Offshore teams work on multiple accounts, often without the expertise or strategy required to get the best results with cheaper solutions. This can be effective if you are selling low-priced products to the C-suite and you already have an established strategy you can share with the outsourced team, but it might backfire if you are trying to sell high-value products. You can end up spending a lot more money here if you try to save money.
You should also consider the long-term benefits. It may cost more at first to build your own team, but it will pay off in the long run. By growing your team, you can gain a better understanding of your prospects, while nurturing talent that will eventually fill other roles in your company. The difference between renting and owning property is that outsourcing fulfills a function, but an in-house team can provide long-term benefits.
Can you tell me where your sales development team will be located? As more companies consider a permanent shift to remote work as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, you may still need to work with remote teams whether you outsource sales development or not. Regardless of where your SDRs are located anymore, does it really matter?
Keeping an in-house team on-site requires assigning physical resources, all of which have costs. It makes management and communication easier. You will benefit from a wide international talent pool if you create your own remote team, ensuring the best performance from your remote sales team. However, you will need to consider how you will communicate and with them carefully.
It is even more important to establish clear procedures and policies to ensure that you are kept informed with an outsourced team. You need regular reports to compare performance with the key metrics you've agreed on. However, you'll need to go the extra mile to achieve the best results. To ensure SDRs are following the established strategy (rather than spamming your best prospects), call recordings should be available and reviewed regularly.
In the end, whether you outsource or go in-house depends on the size of your business and what your overall objectives are. Are you looking for expertise or just numbers?
It's likely you will want an in-house team if you want a team of top-performing SDRs fully invested in your success. This will allow you to control the team's performance and ensure best practices are followed.
In contrast, smaller businesses that require leads as quickly as possible can greatly benefit from outsourcing sales development. It is crucial that you both agree on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and that you understand exactly what the outsourced team will be doing if you decide to go this route.
The fact remains that larger companies may never benefit from an outsourced team. In the right circumstances, it can prove extremely beneficial. Your in-house team will be able to focus on high-value accounts and tasks if the low-touch work is transferred to an external team. You might consider hiring an outsourced SDR team if you are considering entering a new market, or if you need a temporary boost of manpower to meet a sudden surge in demand.
Businesses should consider building their own sales development team in-house or outsourcing it to an external team carefully before deciding whether to build it up internally or outsource it. In order to make an informed decision, you should consider your unique situation and goals as well as the pros and cons of both options.
Making the right decision for your business will require considering the time and costs involved, how you will communicate with the team, and your overall sales development goals.
