Business owners have to go to great lengths to keep their businesses open and making money. They often stay up late every night just to wake up early the next day. They take pay cuts to keep their businesses afloat and their employees employed. They do everything they can to build their business and their brand.
But sometimes in tough economies like this one, business owners need to start thinking more creatively to cut costs and stay on top. A lot of people are talking about outsourcing these days and many businesses are using it as a way to save money.
Are you thinking about outsourcing your sales duties to save your business money, but you have some worries about how it will work out? Below are the most common misconceptions about a sales outsourcing firm. See if your concerns are well founded or not.
“I don’t want to hire a full time representative.” If that sounds familiar, read on. You may think you only want a part-time sales rep, but this probably won’t work out well. You eventually will scale the sales rep up to a full-time position because it is a position that requires flexibility and availability. The good news is that sales outsourcing companies can help you meet your specific needs. They will help you find the right balance.
“The sales team I have is working out just fine.” Even if you have an excellent sales team working out of your office, you might still benefit from some outsourced sales work. They can act like an extension of your team on the ground. You can assign them specific tasks to free up your sales team’s time, or you can have them approach new potential customers that are outside of your team’s orbit.
“I want to hire my own team.” A lot of managers get the jitters about hiring someone they have not personally reviewed, interviewed, and approved. But unless you are a professional recruiter, you might be surprised by how much better outsourcing companies are at this job than you are. After all your training is in something else – running a business. Doing the work of putting a team together can take significant amounts of time, and giving this job to an outsourcing company can cut your costs and give you better results.
“I need to keep control of sales.” Although outsourcing your sales might seem like handing over control, the truth is that you are still very much in control. Only instead of having to manage a full team, you only need to manage your relationship with your contact at the outsourcing company. Good communication will ensure that your outsourced sales team is doing exactly the job you want them to be doing.
“Outsourcing won’t build my brand.” Building a brand for yourself is very important and should be central in any plan you put together to execute your business objectives. But there is no reason that outsourcing is at odds with this goal. Sales representatives are extensions of your business, they will work on building your brand. Their success is your success and vice versa, just like the rest of your employees.
If you are considering outsourcing but you are worried about losing control, diluting your brand, not knowing your employees, or that you simply don’t need it, think again. Outsourcing your sales team, whether in whole or in part, can boost your business, your brand, your team, and your time. So look into outsourcing your sales team today!
Juliana Weiss-Roessler runs Weiss-Roessler Writing with her husband Josh. Together, they offer press releases, blogging, website copy, and other writing services to small and mid-sized businesses. Her writing has been featured on high-traffic websites, such as Yahoo.com, and in major publications, such as PARADE and People. Along with her husband, Juliana lives in Austin, TX, with their two tiny-but-rambunctious dogs and one tiny-but-rambunctious baby boy. Learn more on www.WeissRoessler.com, or follow her on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.