Outbound sales go far beyond standardized procedures. While goals and tools remain consistent, approaches vary widely from one company to another. In this article, we explore different methods and the overarching framework essential for success in outbound sales.
Before diving into outbound sales for your business, it’s crucial to assess your customer’s lifetime value (LCV). If the LCV is too low, it may not justify hiring salespeople for cold calling. The goal is to ensure that the value of your customers outweighs the investment, especially in subscription-based business models.
Outbound sales can be implemented in various ways, and the key is finding the optimal setup that fits your company. Whether you choose external appointment setters, internal lead generation, or external lead generation, aligning the setup with the unique strengths of your team is essential.
Explore the different approaches to determine what best matches your company’s needs and resources. Understand how each approach impacts costs, efficiency, and the ability to build long-term relationships with customers.
Different Approaches to Outbound Sales
Below, we explore several approaches to outbound sales that are suited to different company sizes and organizational structures:
- Internal Appointment Setter:
An internal division where one salesperson books the meeting and another conducts it.
This setup can enhance efficiency and delegate responsibilities for improved customer interaction. - External Appointment Setter:
Utilizing an external agency to book meetings for internal sales representatives.
Outsourcing appointment setting can free up internal resources and increase focus on closing sales. - No Appointment Setter:
A salesperson handles the entire sales process, from booking to closing.
This requires a versatile salesperson who can independently manage the entire process. - Internal Lead Generation:
Employees identify potential customers based on sales likelihood and high lifetime value.
Working with internal resources provides direct control over lead quality and strategic focus. - External Lead Generation:
An external partner agency supplies leads based on a specific brief and data from CRM systems.
Outsourcing lead generation can streamline the process and offer opportunities for rapid scaling. - No Lead Generation:
The salesperson handles the entire process without external support.
Suitable for companies with fewer but larger clients requiring a more personal approach.
Challenging Your Structure: A Continuous Process
Finally, it’s essential to continuously challenge your outbound sales structure. Consider alternative approaches, like initiating with online meetings or testing external lead generation. By challenging and adjusting your approach annually, you can optimize efficiency and unlock potential gains for your sales team, which can lead to significant improvements in profitability or cost savings.
The Value of Choosing an External Appointment Setting Agency for Sales Optimization
When selecting an external appointment setting agency, it’s critical to find one with values aligned with your own. Differences in core values can lead to varying results. Ideally, an agency should pursue a data-driven and personalized approach to sales. This not only facilitates the creation of new and improved sales channels but also ensures targeted attraction of the right customers. Such an approach provides insight into areas for improvement, strengthening your competitive edge in sales.
