Are Oubound Sales Dead?

I admit it – I’m guilty! I’ve been caught stereotyping a “salesman” in the past. Hair slicked back, bright white smile and classically trained in the art of persuasion. Perhaps this is why consumers, whether it is individuals or businesses, historically don’t have a high opinion of salespeople. This typecast, coupled with the rise of technology as a medium to reach consumers began this new wave of inbound sales.

Inbound sale is defined as a sale or lead that begins with the customer reaching out to a company or brand. A sales team using inbound sales spends their time studying buyer behaviour, consumer needs and anticipating the exact moment a buyer is ready to purchase. It is often considered more cost-effective and targeted.

Outbound sales had developed a bad reputation with many claiming it’s not targeted enough and much more expensive than inbound. But what should a company’s strategy be when inbound sales efforts dry up?

The truth is that sometimes inbound needs outbound.  Even if cold-calling is successful a fraction of the time; it’s still successful in generating leads and sales. That success grows exponentially the more experience and training your sales team has.  My grandfather was that salesman listed above. He always had on his suit, smile, and was ready to charm you with his great sense of humour. But the greatest tool in his tool belt wasn’t his pitch or product knowledge but his ability to listen to the potential customer. A great outbound sales team needs to be able to listen effectively. It’s a much harder skill than it appears to be. 

I think that one of the main issues that companies are having is that they simply don’t have the manpower or training to take on cold calling and outbound marketing initiatives.  They outsource things like website design, legal and accounting services but don’t think about outsourcing their outbound sales efforts & lead generation. Using a team of trained sales reps to make calls on your company’s behalf is an excellent strategy to complement a strong inbound marketing strategy. It also frees up the time of your sales force to do what they do best; close sales and analyzes inbound traffic for new sources of consumers.

So next time you revamp your lead generation strategy, consider the mix. Not putting all your eggs in one basket is widely accepted good advice.  Is it crazy to consider that your team should consider carrying over the same mentality to your sales approach?

- Kris