Sales & marketing are vital functions that every business should undertake. These tasks help businesses push their brand to their target audience. Sales & marketing is a dynamic industry and your team may not be able to keep up with the pace. This can be challenging for your in-house team. With quotas and deadlines to meet, it may be difficult for your team to still update their skills.
This is where hiring an outsourcing firm can come in handy. They can help you ensure that your marketing activities will not be disrupted because of your team’s hectic schedule. Sometimes these key areas get pushed aside because your team has become overwhelmed with their tasks.
Outsourcing sales & marketing is a big decision that businesses need to make. There are definitely many benefits that you can derive from outsourcing to a third-party. But there are many questions and issues that you need to address first. Also, outsourcing isn’t for everybody so you need to carefully assess your situation before deciding to outsource.
- Why Outsource Sales & Marketing?
- Why You Shouldn’t Outsource Sales & Marketing?
- Which Areas Should You Outsource?
- Tips When Outsourcing Sales & Marketing
Why Outsource Sales & Marketing?
Many companies struggle with lead generation and improving conversion rates which may cause them to shorten their sales cycles. According to a recent study, 69% of B2B salespeople do not have enough leads in their pipeline to meet sales quota. This may be because they did not have the right lead. Another possible reason is that they may not have the right tools needed to achieve their target.
Perhaps you are still having second thoughts about outsourcing your sales & marketing. You may be thinking if it will benefit you that much. Here are some reasons why outsourcing sales & marketing makes sense for your business.
1. Outsourcing Can Help You Target New or Underserved Markets
You may just have a small team of sales or marketing agents that cannot cover different territories and industries. Also, you may lack the resources to pursue missed business leads available to you. You may have budget constraints that will keep you from undertaking projects that you may have missed because of lack of manpower.
By outsourcing, the third-party provider can focus on developing specific vertical or geographical markets. The outsourcing company can also test out new approaches to sales and product positioning. Using analytical tools, the firm can also fine-tune your marketing before you expand to a larger base of customers and prospects.
2. Outsourcing Can Help Leapfrog Technology Constraints
Another challenge you can encounter with sales and marketing is technology. You may have the resources to invest in new technology but do you have the knowledge and expertise to leverage those tools? If your team is already stretched or pressured with their current work, they may no longer have the time to learn the new technology.
Outsourcing can give you new access to professionals who are experts and knowledgeable with the latest sales and analytical tools. You can leverage your partner’s experience with data and technology environments. Using data analytics, your outsourcing partner can help provide your sales team with insights such as the best time to call a customer or extend an offer.
3. Outsourcing Helps You Break Out of Silos
In reality, a lot of teams operate in silos. Most in-house sales teams don’t have regular collaboration with marketing or other departments. In addition, teams will approach issues holistically and will instead focus on departmental tasks. When you outsource, your partner will help manage outcomes in a more direct way.
The outsourced company will work with other departments within your organization to improve your overall sales execution. The outsourcing company is capable of working with a short time frame which has proven to be challenging with internal teams.
4. Outsourcing Supports New Product or Service Launches
Launching a new product or service can be difficult. Statistics from Harvard Business Review reveal that 75% of product launches fail to attract new customers. Rolling out a new product or service involves risks and there is a possibility of incurring heavy losses or even layoffs. Also, according to a Gartner survey, 45% of product launches are delayed and 20% of those launches fail to meet internal targets.
An outsourcing company will partner with you in ensuring the success of your product or service launch. They will analyze the results and feedback and help determine whether to launch the product into the market or make revisions. They can provide you with an assessment of how your product is being received in the market. They will recommend an effective price point and how sales will look like for that product.
5. Outsourcing Can Help Improve Omnichannel Customer Engagement
Another reason you should consider outsourcing sales & marketing is because you can tap into the expertise of sales reps with proven experience in digital channels such as web, chat, and social media, resulting in stronger omnichannel customer engagement. According to the Aberdeen Group, companies with an extremely strong omnichannel experience retain an average of 89% of customers compared to 33% for companies with weak omnichannel customer engagement.
Sales leaders are starting to realize the potential opportunities of messaging and chat in acquiring new customers and retaining current ones. By outsourcing, you get to work with companies with proven digital engagement skills which can help achieve dramatic results in improving unit volume and Net Promoter Score.
Why You Shouldn’t Outsource Sales & Marketing?
While there are reasons to outsource sales & marketing, there are also reasons why you shouldn’t. If you are considering outsourcing because it is cheap, then you are outsourcing for the wrong reasons. Let us see the reasons why outsourcing can become a worse choice as well.
1. Your Product Deserves Attention
You would want your product to be presented in the best possible light including how it works and why someone should buy it. Outsourcing defeats the purpose because the provider may present your product as one among many. The outsourced professional may focus his sales pitch on the product that is easier to sell and it may not be yours.
On the other hand, an in-house team will ensure that your product will be in the spotlight. Their concentration will be on your product alone. This way, your product will get the full attention it deserves. Their sales pitch will be about the features of your product and its benefits so you can promote your product effectively.
2. Your Product Has Many Ins-and-Outs And Proper Way To Articulate Them
When working with an outsourcing provider, there might be the risk of some product questions being unanswered. The outsourced provider may be on the phone with a potential customer who may be interested with your product but needs information on how it can be used. They may know about your product but their knowledge comes from the catalog. They may know about the price and how to order but that’s about it.
The thing is the third-party provider you are working with may not have the same level of commitment to your product because they can always get other product lines if your product does not work out. Moreover, they may not know how to troubleshoot issues which could keep customers from buying your product.
3. Your Product Needs A Reliable Ambassador
Selling your product is not just about the transaction but also about your brand image, which is either nourished or denigrated during the sales process. When you outsource to a third party, you give up control over the way your product gets sold. They may send out hundreds of brochures or make hundreds of calls but will never follow through.
With an outsourced provider, there is no safety net for your brand image or company. This will hurt your brand and company image because customers will have the assumption that it is the way you do business.
Areas You Should Outsource
If you have the budget and resources, outsourcing can make sense for your business. However, not all tasks should be outsourced. You can take three outsourcing routes:
- Completely outsource your marketing efforts
- Keep it in-house
- Use a combination of outsourcing and in-house
Which route to take will depend on your financial situation, experience, capacity, and skillset of your current in-house team. Should you decide to go full outsourcing, here are some areas that you should consider outsourcing:
Content Marketing
Providing fresh and informative content will position your business as an industry leader. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content is one of the most effective ways to promote a business. In fact, almost half of marketers plan to use content to attract customers. A survey by PointVisible confirms this. Their research reveals that 60% of B2C marketers are committed to content marketing.
Unfortunately, not all businesses know how to use content marketing and/or don’t have a content strategy in place. Research from Zazzle Media revealed that 60% of businesses find it hard to deliver content on a consistent basis. This is where an outsourcing provider can be of assistance to your business.
Outsourcing content marketing gives you access to professionals who have a better grasp of marketing tools and platforms available for making relevant and enticing content for your target audience. In addition, they have the experience in finding the right target audience. The professional will work with you in ensuring that the content they will create is in line with your business.
Digital Marketing
As most businesses go digital, digital marketing is going to be critical. Initially, you might think that you already have an in-house marketer so why do you still need a digital marketer? It is worth noting that digital marketing is a different animal. An outsourced provider will provide clarity on complex problems and assist you in decision making and driving change within your organization.
Digital marketing is more complicated than its traditional counterpart. The digital marketing industry is a dynamic sector and ever-changing. If you want to attract new customers, you need to keep up with the advancements in the sector. You really don’t want to lag behind and eat the dust of your competition. Working with an outsourcing company will help you stay relevant and stay abreast of key marketing statistics.
Digital marketing professionals are knowledgeable about the industry. They are equipped with the right tools and technology needed to target the right audience for your business. They will help you see the bigger picture. The outsourced company will help you see things as they really are compared to what they look like within the walls of your company. They can advise you on what course of action you can take to move your business forward.
Graphic Design and Web Development
Having a website is one of the ways you can establish your online presence. Website development is a highly complex process that your in-house team may not be knowledgeable about. Although you may have an in-house web development team, they might miss out on important things causing the process to drag out.
Your in-house team may not have the time to check for bugs and quality issues. In addition, they may already have a lot on their plate and you could risk a failed website launch. This is where the outsourced professional can be of assistance to you. They can provide you with support for your website design projects.
Web development professionals adhere to best practices and have an understanding of what your website needs. They are skilled in making your website pages responsive to attract more leads. Outsourcing providers will help optimize your website for speed and search engines, improve your site’s structure, and others.
Social Media
Social media is one of the most important channels for you to promote your business to customers. When done correctly, social media can increase your brand’s reach and visibility to the next level. Social media marketing isn’t just about posting on your news feed and sharing to your network.
Outsourcing sales & marketing gives you access to experienced and trained professionals. You will be able to leverage the technology and tools that the outsourcing company utilizes. The outsourced team will have knowledge of the different social media platforms so they will know which channel will be best for your business. By outsourcing social media, you can look forward to getting personalized and targeted brand messages.
The outsourced specialists will automatically post across channels on a regular basis, refine their social media strategy using data analytics, and communicate with your prospects at-scale.
Paid Media
Paid media is a tricky space as its rules, regulations, and restrictions change on a daily basis which could have a positive or negative impact on the ads you are running. It needs regular monitoring to ensure maximum returns of investment. You could be wasting your money on the campaign because you weren’t in the tool protecting your investment.
By outsourcing to a provider, you get to work with experts who will manage your campaign and ensure that it is optimized for your needs. They understand how and when to tweak campaigns to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth. Statistics reveal that 24% of marketers use paid advertising to impact their direct sales.
Paid media can help get your message to a wider audience. It includes PPC, branded content, and display ads. However, the task can be time consuming and requires some specialization which your team may not have. The outsourcing provider has the tools and technology for monitoring your campaign.
Tips When Outsourcing Sales & Marketing
At the end of it all, when you have decided to outsource your sales & marketing functions to a third-party provider, you may be asking yourself how to get started with outsourcing. Here are some tips on how to find the right outsourcing partner.
1. Evaluate Your Options
Look at your team carefully. Maybe there is already someone on your team who can fill the role you plan to outsource. Take a good look at them and ensure that you are not overlooking a team member who might be exploring a new growth opportunity or career path. On the other hand, maybe that person is already too bogged down with other tasks to become experts.
2. Hire For A Role Instead of A Task
Instead of using outsourcing as a way of getting certain tasks off your plate, think of it as a way to add an additional member to the team. Hire a contractor or agency that can fill a role that meets your company’s needs. Doing this will help streamline their duties and make them more effective.
3. Be As Stringent In Hiring Like An Internal Employee
Treat an independent contractor like you would treat an internal employee. Surely you wouldn’t just hire someone without evaluating their qualifications. When outsourcing, use the same process you would in hiring internal employees. After all, they would be an extension of your team so make sure that they embody your company culture.
4. . Set A Budget
Once you have identified which areas of marketing you will outsource, establish a budget for yourself. Conduct industry-specific research to have an idea of what your competitors are doing. Go through the pricing models that the outsourcing firm is offering.
5. Run Test Projects
Before making a long-term commitment, have them run a test project to help you gauge the quality of their service. This would help you determine whether it is worth working with them or you are better off hiring another firm.
Why Outsource Sales & Marketing To airisX?
Growing sales and marketing initiatives is key to any company’s growth. We help our clients help optimize and scale their sales and marketing with our outsourced business development agents, with skill sets ranging from account management to lead generation to sales agents, and more.
Unlike other providers, our costs are fully inclusive. We don’t charge extra for seat space, staff salary, benefits, infrastructure, training, HR and so on and so on. Make sure to read your Vendor’s fine print so you don’t get hit with all the hidden fees rampant in the industry. airisX opts to provide a great service for a low cost, without the need to cheat our clients