If you are part of a B2B company with changing and growing needs, you’re probably already looking for sustainable growth partners. You may even have already read this article that defines what sales outsourcing is or seen these five reasons to outsource wholly or partly your sales (if not, we recommend you read them first). So now, what is your next step?
Although the onboarding process is a crucial part of a project to ensure its efficiency, there is no perfect one-size-fits-all model. A lot of it depends on your business, its current situation, and its goals. It would be best if you started by sitting down with your sales outsourcing partner to evaluate your current processes and identify gaps. You will need to be clear on what you are delegating and what you are keeping, and you must define your goals clearly.
The Extent of the Project
To start, it’s important to think carefully about the tasks you want to outsource. Maybe you need a hand finding prospects that fit your buyer personas, or maybe you are struggling to organize effective email campaigns. Cold calling is also a facet of sales that many B2B companies need help with.
Solid lead qualification doesn’t come easily, and discovery calls may be one of your weaknesses. Or actually, it might be the entire sales process you need help with, and a sales outsourcing firm can adapt to every one of your needs.
You will want to take the time to analyze your company’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the gaps you need to fill. Depending on your current resources, an outside firm will help you fill the gaps and complete the chain. And if you need help from A to Z, no problem! Be clear about your needs from the beginning of the process , and you’ll get the results you need.
Aiming at the Right Targets
Start by trying to understand what you want from this collaboration. What are your short and long-term goals, and what do you hope to gain from outsourcing your sales. Perhaps you are looking to identify your buyer personas better and increase the number of leads you attract. Maybe you want to launch a new product or service and promote it specifically, or possibly conquer new territories.
Whatever the case, a professional sales outsourcing firm will define these goals with you from the start. Once you’ve established clear goals, your sales partner will be able to align their actions with the right path and employ the best methods to achieve the results you expect. And, of course, a good sales outsourcing strategy will include periodic evaluations of results. Based on these, you will optimize your course of action as you go to increase those wins.
Snapshot of Now
To set ambitious but achievable goals, you need to start with a clear picture of your current situation. You need to get a detailed overview of your current reach to your buyer personas and a good idea of the key indicators you need to keep an eye on to measure your progress.
For this, you need the right tools to establish your starting point and goals. Your sales outsourcing partner should get a clear view of the traffic you generate and your overall reach.
The Onboarding Process
At the very beginning of your sales outsourcing process, be prepared to give it to you all. The more time and effort you put into this crucial step, the more peace of mind you’ll have later on when things take care of themselves. It’s all about building a strong relationship with your sales partner so that your project starts on the right track, with the right targets in sight.
It will be good to establish a solid foundation of current sales processes, analytics and goals. You are the orchestra’s conductor, and it is critical to take the time to guide the pace so that everything goes as planned. This investment will be worth it because a professional sales outsourcing firm will then be able to take the reins and take care of the rest without you having to be solicited in every step of the process.
Conclusion
If you are in a situation where outsourcing your sales is a good idea, you probably don’t have a lot of time to devote to training, and preparing an external team may seem like an unnecessarily restrictive task for you. However, it is essential so that you can then focus on the operations you are best at.
You will be able to determine which tasks you want to outsource, and you will be able to set clear goals with your sales outsourcing partner. You’ll also be able to do a good analysis of your current position so you can measure the progress you’re making with your new partner.
