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In the Transform Sales Podcast #36, Amir Reiter interviews Blake Johnston, CEO of OutBoundView, about the challenges of outsourcing sales in the B2B industry. Blake emphasizes the importance of commitment and the harsh realities of setbacks on this journey.
In case you missed it…. these are the highlights
Who are your agency’s best fit customers (as defined by Products they sell and markets they want to sell into)?
OutboundView’s best-fit customers are services companies selling into the HR industry. OutboundView’s CEO Blake Johnston started his career in sales in this field, making it a natural choice for his agency.
What sets your agency apart from other Sales Agencies when it comes to serving your ideal customer?
OutboundView provides to their HR’s customers services such as training, recruiting, performance management, assessments, etc. They have a thorough understanding of the personas in the HR industry and have developed their own proprietary database to help identify decision-makers in target organizations. As an agency that focuses on companies that sell into HR, they are well-equipped to serve this particular market
What sets your agency apart from other Sales Agencies when it comes to serving your ideal customer?
- Make a commitment to the investment when outsourcing sales. Understand that there are two options: fully outsource or build a full team, and both require a significant investment of tens of thousands of dollars at a minimum. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to find an in-between solution that won’t work. Make a clear decision and communicate it to your outsourced sales agency to increase the probability of achieving your desired result.
- If you have a long sales cycle, avoid trying an outsourced agency for a short period of time. Educate yourself upfront on what your goals are and manage your expectations accordingly.
If you are in the market validation stage, understand that meetings may not necesserily translate into deals in the first 30 or 60 days.
By being clear and realistic with your goals, you can increase the chances of success with an outsourced sales agency.
- Don’t assume that outbound sales will convert at the same level as inbound.
“…Outbound is a different process, and very few VP of sales know how to do it correctly. If you’re a founder without experience running a big team, adding aoutbound on top of that won’t work…”
Be prepared for no-shows, rescheduled meetings, and a lower conversion rate than inbound. Make sure your account executives are skilled at moving people through the sales pipeline. Remember that smaller companies typically have limited budgets, so be mindful of your investment.
