The ‘Big Picture’ of Starting an Inside Sales Team
Whenever you start out in a new position in a company you have to think about the “big picture.” What is involved in the “big picture” is a number of things and it always takes a lot of thought and planning.
Figuring out your leads will come later, but first you have to figure some things first to attract those leads.
What do you sell? Who do you sell to?
You have to ask yourself what you are selling. A good example of this is Masahiko Goto from Makita who went in and asked his employees what is was they sold. They told him it was power tools and drills. He told them they were wrong. Actually, they sell a hole in the wall.
So the question is, what is the “hole in the wall” are you selling? Once you figure out what the hole in the wall is, you can then move onto the next thing: Who do you sell to?
Your customers will fall into one of three groups: B2B, B2C and complex B2C. If you are able to answers these questions you will be able to effectively strategize and target your sales and marketing efforts.
Find the need, redirect a river, dig a well:
Before you start building your inside sales team, you need to know one of two things.
- Does the need already exist?
- Is there a solution for it yet that’s already been tapped into?
Think of it this way. You can either divert a river or finding a need that already exists, or you can dig a well and hope that you are able create need. For example, when Polaroid first came out they had to convince people and help them understand not only what a Polaroid camera did but also why they needed it. Polaroid created a need.
Creating need is much harder than redirecting need.
XANT noticed that there were inside sales teams using telemarketing equipment. This was a problem that hadn’t been addressed yet. There was a need for technology already, Dave and Ken just had to create it.
Where to get leads – list/leads:
Where and how to get leads can be difficult but there are assets that exist that can help with generating leads including: web leads, email databases, tradeshow lists, list vendors, lead vendors and social networks.
Consider the size of the leads and the sort of deals that will keep your sales team going, and which of the lead generating sources will produce the best for your company. You can figure out what will be best for you and your team by testing and figuring out what works best.
Ken Krogue, President and co-founder of XANT, and Trish Bertuzzi, President and Chief Strategist of The Bridge Group, Inc., went into greater depth about these topics in their ebook, “Attract the Ultimate Executive to Run and Build Your Inside Sales Team.”
Download your copy now and gain additional insight into how to go about creating a strategic approach to inside sales.
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