Inside Sales Best Practices: Tips for Success

The importance of inside sales has skyrocketed in the last few years, driven by a variety of factors. For one, the availability of sales automation software has made inside sales possible, and resulting in lower customer acquisition costs. It’s also a reflection of customer preference. Forrester research has shown that inside sales roles are growing 15 times faster than outside sales because 75% of buyers would rather not meet face-to-face with a salesperson. So, the message is clear. If you are not thinking about how to level up your inside sales strategy, you are leaving revenue dollars on the table and hindering your company's profitability.

What is inside sales?

Forbes offers a simple definition: inside sales is remote sales. Inside sales are activities that happen over the internet, via phone, and email. In other words, inside sales are any sales not done face-to-face or in person. 

Inside sales depends on technology to connect with prospective clients, nurture sales relationships, and close deals. Inside sales reps are often the prospect’s first point of contact. They are your brand ambassadors. The function can involve multiple calls or interactions, all leading up to a final sale.

 What is outside sales vs. inside sales?

While inside sales activities occur via a digital communication channel, outside sales activities occur when a sales representative meets with clients and prospects in person. Outside sales reps travel to connect with potential customers and to nurture those relationships until a sale is made. They will meet with leads in their office or over a meal. They often attend industry events and conferences. Everything is done face-to-face. 

What’s the difference between inside sales and cold calling?

Cold calling is when sales reps try to connect with potential customers who have yet to interact with the company. The customer information is gathered from purchased consumer lists, company or trade association directories, social media research, trade shows and events, or referral programs. The success of cold calling depends on the quality of the leads, as well as the skills of the salesperson. 

While cold calling can be an aspect of inside sales, it is not the primary focus. Inside sales reps also respond to leads who contact the company for more information and use electronic communication channels to build relationships with prospects. While cold calling is about finding a new lead, inside sales is a more long-term approach to sales.

What are the cornerstones of a successful inside sales strategy?

To be effective, your inside sales team needs a comprehensive strategic plan to back them up. Your strategy will depend on your product and your business goals. The cornerstones of a good strategy include these essential elements.

Multi-channel communication support: 

Good customer service happens when you meet customers where they are. That means connecting to prospects using the communication channel they prefer within just a few minutes. With rapid lead response tools, your inside sales team demonstrates that your business is dedicated to customer service and responsive to your clients’ needs.

For example, rapid response software like Calldrip’s Respond sends prospects an instant response to an inquiry. It follows up by connecting them to a salesperson via webchat, text, or phone within minutes. 

Sales enablement initiatives: 

When your team deploys a sales enablement approach, you strive to understand the needs and pain points of your ideal clients, customize your sales process, and build resources to deliver the best solution at the best price and right time. More than 75% of companies using sales enablement strategies have increased their sales between 6% to 20%. You can read more about how to be a great sales enablement manager (even if that's not your official job title) in this free guide.

Sales conversation coaching: 

Sales call coaching software provides realistic, honest, and constructive feedback on actual sales calls and offers your sales reps best practices to improve their results. Calldrip's sales coaching software includes customizable coaching scorecards, key performance indicators, and purpose-built playbooks for call and text conversations. Tools like these allow your salespeople to improve their approach and build a solid and successful team.

How do you implement an inside sales strategy?

Your inside sales strategy should align with your overall sales strategy and optimize your company's sales goals. Here are some of the most important aspects of a successful inside sales strategy.

Ensure you have the right talent and technology

Inside sales rely on technology to automatically connect with prospects and provide a seamless buying experience. You must invest in a good lead response software solution that responds to incoming inquiries efficiently and tracks attribution, records conversations for follow-up coaching, and integrates with your CRM.  There are a wide range of powerful inside sales tools, including a range of call tools, that can help. It's worth considering inside sales automation technology as part of your tech stack, too.

Hiring the best sales leaders is also critical to your team's success. Inside sales require strong communication skills, active listening skills, and the ability to work independently and to learn from mistakes. The best salespersons love working with all kinds of people and are committed to your team and the company.  

Customized call flows and lead routing

Your software must do more than just answer phone calls and take messages. The best inside sales software will route all inquiries according to the customer's needs and your team's strengths. Calldrip's Respond software will automatically connect the best member of your sales team to the lead within seconds of a new inquiry, ensuring that a connection is made while your prospect's interest is at its peak. 

Make sure performance is measurable

To be the most effective, you must be able to measure the results of your inside sales strategy. That way, you can adjust actions or workflows that are not working and enhance the ones that are. Your team’s sales goals should be actionable enough to guide their day-to-day activities and help them make strategic decisions.

Built-in feedback loops

A feedback loop for a sales team involves listening to your prospects and using the information they provide to create a better sales experience. When your team deploys an actionable feedback loop, you will reduce lost sales and customer churn. With a strong sales coaching software solution like Calldrip, your team can take improvement into their own hands by reacting to consistent feedback from their conversations.

These are just a few essential details to consider when implementing a powerful inside sales strategy. Both sales success and customer loyalty can be enhanced when your team has the tools and workflows to provide outstanding sales and customer service.

Get started with inside sales software

Calldrip can support your company by providing those crucial tools to drive a successful inside sales strategy. Get started today with a free demo and customized pricing for Calldrip's Respond and coaching software solution.