In recent years, the increasing value and expanding role of inside sales has been widely acknowledged. As companies seek to improve efficiencies and lower costs, more emphasis is being placed on the inside sales function. Unfortunately, the added responsibility has not been matched with added development and support.
In 2011 the Aberdeen Group placed the spotlight on inside sales with research and input from over 300 companies. Their report, Streamlining the Top of the Funnel: How Inside Sales Teams Source, Qualify, and Close Business, defines and compares Best in Class, Industry Average and Laggards relative to their expectations of and approach toward the inside sales function. The results were fascinating, if not surprising:
- Financial impact: Inside sales initiates or touches an average of 39% of all revenue. An average of 27% of total business is closed by inside sales.
- Purpose: Best-in-Class companies are using their inside sales team for sales funnel management – ensuring quantity and quality of leads and allowing field sales to focus their field sales on closing, not prospecting.
- Skill Development is Key: Formal sales training for inside reps is deployed by Best-in-Class 30% more frequently than Industry Average and 71% more than Laggards. The report states, “With skill development representing the most widely cited Best-in-Class strategic action in the context of inside sales enablement, it is clearly a hallmark of top performing sales teams that they emphasize training”
This Aberdeen Report is filled with compelling data and analysis to drive home this key point: An effective inside sales team benefits the entire organization on a significant scale. Whether facilitating greater opportunity and efficiency for field sales, cultivating future field sales talent, or driving their own sales, the inside sales team deserves our respect, appreciation and support.
As part of our ongoing commitment to professional development, Carew International publishes a regular blog to provide timely advice for optimal sales performance. To learn more about Carew’s incomparable sales training programs, sales leadership training and customer service training, visit our website at www.carew.com.
Need Training for Your Inside Sales Team? Carew International’s Excellence in Inside Sales (EIS) addresses the challenges unique to inside sales and provides strategies to increase closing rates, grow margins and build strong customer relationships. EIS is built upon the skill-based tools found in Carew’s popular Dimensions of Professional Selling (DPS) sales training program, uniquely tailored to the world of inside selling.
