Everyone is aware how difficult the market is these days whilst the economy bumps along. Many sales people are now asking themselves if they are taking the necessary steps to keep their sales on course. Below are strategies for improving your inside sales program.

Maximize Sales Growth

To achieve effective inside sales, the telephone sales function must be run with great discipline. How much time does a telephone sales person spend on each prospect? Does an individual sales person make a hundred sales calls a day? This is an accepted industry standard for achieving a line of effective leads to follow up.

An inside sales strategy must focus on the quality and volume of results. The sole responsibly for inside sales staff is provide top quality actionable leads for the outside sales people to follow up. Inside sales strategy must include training and performance monitoring.

Evaluate Investments

Inside sales strategy should include sufficient investment in financial and human capital to build up and maintain a highly trained inside sales team. There is a need for skilled managers to be devoted to inside sales only. Adequate investment will help to assure success, providing it is supplemented with an ongoing budget to maintain a high level of results.

Optimize Results

Impose conditions on your inside sales team that match an outsourcer. Most outsourcers have a six months probationary period to produce results. It is important to maintain the same discipline with your inside sales team. An inside sales strategy would include regular inspections of the in house lead generation process to assess its results.

ROI

Establish your Return on Investment Requirements: If your outside sales team are spending too much of their time on the phone generating leads, this may have a crucial impact on your sales.

An inside sales strategy might involve building an inside sales force if you have not got one. Way up your options, are you spending too much on your inside sales team, outsourcing might be a cheaper option so it is important to examine all your options.

Improve Internal Accountability

Inside sales management should not be held down by other duties that might impede their lead generation. It is difficult to hold a long standing employee accountable as one might with an outsourcer. An outsourcer is far more accountable than an employee and they are use to metrics as a way of life. If you cannot outsource, then you’ll need to develop the mentality of an outsourcer and put the sufficient metrics in place to enhance your chances of improvement.

Hone your Marketing Message

Examine every area of your target market and marketing message. Plan a marketing message review. With your marketing team, product management and customer support staff. A new set of eyes and fresh look at your message and prospect profiles will be a boost to your sales leads.

Conclusion

Whether you outsource or not a good inside sales strategy will strengthen your lead generation processes. In order to maintain a steady flow of god actionable leads that meets or exceeds your forecast, you must establish hard and fast accountabilities to your inside sales team or outsourcers.