INTRODUCTION | How a Successful Inside

Sales Program Benefits Your Business

When you understand the role an

inside sales program can play within

your organization, you can begin to

identify the facts around what makes

a successful program as well as key

success factors.

Within this eBook, we will take a

deep-dive into these benefits,

explain the differences between

customer service and inside sales

programs, debunk myths and pitfalls,

explain best practices, teach you

how to complement your inside sales

program with your CRM system (and

vice-versa), and much, much more.

When it comes to Inside Sales, the

more information you have at your

disposal, the more likely you are to

set up an effective program!

Inside Sales programs are

growing 300% faster than

Outside Sales, according to

Dave Elkington, CEO of

InsideSales.com, so it’s no surprise that organizations are ramping up

their investments!

In this eBook, we provide 21 top tips on how to build, revitalize, and grow a successful program

unique to your organization. You will become aware of industry trends, success factors, things to

watch out for, plus key metrics and dashboards to help you achieve what you never expected was

possible with an Inside Sales program.

M A K E C U S T O M E R R E L A T I O N S H I P S A P R I O R I T Y W I T H I N S I D E S A L E S

P R O G R A M S

INTRODUCTION | Inside Sales Reps are the

Present and Future

Greg Dove, Director of Business Consulting

at Ledgeview Partners, has been working in

the field for more than 18 years. He is

pleased to see that inside sales is growing

at such a fantastic rate in 2018. In

reflecting on Dave Elkington’s findings at

InsideSales.com, Dove says, “I think this

statistic shows that while many

companies adopt and understood the

benefits of inside sales early on, it is still

a very present trend that has continued to

evolve and show its relevance.”

There is also a lower cost per sales call with inside sales at $50.00, versus a $308.00 call for an

Outside Sales Rep. This is not only huge for cost-savings, but efficiency. Since it now takes about 8

attempts to reach a customer, as opposed to only 3.8 years prior, Inside Sales can be leveraged to

cut these attempts in half to make processes more efficient. An average salesperson only makes 2

attempts to reach a prospect, so when you have an effective Inside Sales program, you can use them

to spend more time on quality prospects and reach them faster and more effectively because they

are focused on these efforts.

The high-end solutions predicted to take over sales processes in the next few years with the growth of

the digital world will still need consultants (like Inside Sales Reps) to guide prospects through the

buyer journey. Video conferencing and webinars will be especially beneficial for Inside Sales Reps.

The present and future of your business success are clear. You need an

inside sales program to thrive. Your business model depends on inside

sales to succeed.

“Smart, successful organizations realize the additional benefits of creating an effective Inside

Sales team. If properly used, Inside Sales will drive efficiencies, customer retention, and

increase profits to the bottom line.”

G R E G D O V E , D I R E C T O R O F B U S I N E S S C O N S U L T I N G

AT L E D G E V I E W PA R T N E R S

TABLE OF CONTENTS | Breaking Down

What You’ll Learn by Section

TIP #1 | Create a More Efficient Sales

OrganizationIt just makes sense that a person sitting in their office making calls out day-to-day with

customers and focusing on lead generation is going to have a much higher success rate when it

comes to reaching customers or prospects and selling, because they can hit many more on an

average day.

TIP #2 | Inside Sales Reps are Readily

AvailableIf you’re a customer, and you’re calling your sales rep, typically that sales rep may be out on

the road and calling on three or four other customers. These reps may not even have cell

coverage! Usually, with an inside sales rep, however, they have access to their phones at all

times, and even if they’re not immediately available, will get back to you soon via email,

phone call, or chat.

TIP #3 | Inside Sales Renews Relationships

with Smaller CustomersTypically, with a properly implemented inside sales team, your organization is going to have

smaller customers that are transferred in for those Inside Sales Reps to handle. That helps

renew your relationships with smaller business while your outside sales reps may have been

focusing on larger clients or opportunities. Inside Sales Reps help you to sustain and grow small

business. Odds are your Outside Sales Reps may have unintentionally exhibited a level of

neglect with smaller business, but Inside Sales Reps help address this common problem from the

get-go when a program is properly implemented. Small customers may have big opportunities

that Outside Reps have accidentally overlooked as well that Inside Sales Reps can focus on.

By coordinating Inside Sales and Outside Sales, you will increase customer

satisfaction and increase your opportunities.

KEY BENEFITS

TIP #4 | Inside Sales Reps Assist Outside Reps through

the Assisted Selling Model

A trend that’s been around for a while with bigger companies is the assisted selling model. So,

if you can picture one of your top Outside Sales Reps who calls on one of your larger and

more complex customers, imagine the possibilities of having an Inside Sales Rep help them to

make better use of their time. That way, Outside Sales can focus on the top of the top

relationships, and Inside Sales can offer support with administrative tasks. Plus, they can help

with the procurement or buyers for that company to free up your Outside Sales Rep to work

with other larger and more strategic customers more frequently.

TIP #5 | Inside Sales Offers Temporary Resources to

Cover Vacant Territories, Vacations, or LOAs (Leaves of

Absence)

In any organization, there can be

difficulty with leaves of absence,

vacations, or turnover, but Inside

Sales Reps can help pick up the

slack when things go haywire

with your Outside Sales Reps. If

you don’t have an Inside Sales

team to cover you, it might be a

good idea to reach out to a

staffing agency for temporary

assistance, though we highly

recommend creating your own

Inside Sales program because

they will know your business

better than an outside source.

KEY BENEFITS

TIP #6 | Information is Easily Acquired and

Relayed with Inside Sales

By being on the front lines,

Inside Sales Reps can easily

relay information to their

managers and to Field Sales

(Outside Sales Reps). Inside

Sales Reps make numerous

customer contacts everyday, so

they are a great resource for

uncovering emerging details

regarding the industry, your

customers, and even your

competition …

TIP #7 | Inside Sales Helps Increase Your

Gross Profit and Incremental Sales for All

CustomersIncreasing gross profit is an easy goal to assume all organizations have. When you’re not

growing, that’s a problem. Inside Sales programs help organizations increase gross profits by

providing cost-savings while increasing customer retention and creating new opportunities. Over

time, your Inside Sales program will prove to have incremental sales growth for all customers.

By moving smaller, more transactional accounts to Inside Sales, Outside Sales can become more

strategic with larger opportunities. When you want to increase your customer base and

opportunities, Inside Sales is a highly beneficial solution that has been proven time and time

again to help increase your gross profits.

KEY BENEFITS

TIP #8 | Inside Sales Reps Offer Advanced

Skills Customer Service Reps May Not Have

One of the biggest misunderstandings within the Inside Sales industry is that a great Customer

Service Rep is equivalent to an Inside Sales Rep, but, by Ledgeview’s experience, there’s often a

huge difference, especially with job training, goals, function and responsibilities.

With customer service, there is often no degree required of reps. It is typically an entry-level

position for new hires who are compensated with an hourly wage. Listening and interpersonal skills

are listed high on this person’s resume. Customer Service Reps serve customers. They are reactive

and transactional in their day-to-day practices. They have basic product and industry knowledge.

Inside Sales differs from this description in many ways.

While Customer Service Reps help comfort the customer and are great at what they do, Inside Sales

Reps usually have more advanced levels of training. Inside Sales Reps typically, at minimum, have

an Associate Degree. They are very involved as an integral part of your sales team. This position

requires more skill and experience. It is typically salaried and requires reps to be more tenacious

and aggressive. Usually, Inside Sales Reps elect their profession as a career choice years in

advance, whereas Customer Service Reps often fall into their roles, though some may also elect it.

Overall, Customer Service Reps are reactive, comforting, and good listeners, while

Inside Sales Reps focus on being proactive and probing prospects as they build

relationships with an in-depth knowledge of their organization’s product and

industry.

KEY BENEFITS

TIP #9 | Don’t Let Inside Sales Become a Dumping

Ground for Tasks and Projects

Whether you’re building an inside sales program or

already have one, don’t let your Inside Sales team

and program become a dumping ground for

unwanted tasks. Inside Sales teams should be

focused on the initial responsibilities you laid out for

them in their employment contracts and job

descriptions. Embracing tedious tasks is not the

purpose of an Inside Sales team. Often, when an

Inside Sales team is launched, one common reason

for failure is not using Inside Sales reps for their

skills and pushing everything and anything over to

them. Do not use Inside Sales as a project-based

team. They should focus on growing your sales

pipeline just like Outside Sales.

TIP #10 | Do NOT Hire from Within and Expect them

to Continue with their Previous Duties

This is another common mistake we’ve found with organizations that newly implement an Inside

Sales Program. Though it closely ties in with our previous tip, it stands out all its own. You cannot

expect an Inside Sales Rep you hire from within to maintain their previous responsibilities of

whatever role they were in prior. Inside Sales is a separate role all its own. You cannot expect

one employee to do two jobs, nor should you. They need focus and clarity to succeed.

Do not spread one employee too thin. You are doing them and your

organization a disservice by applying this strategy. Backfill the

previous role before you put your employee in an Inside Sales role.

DO THINGS RIGHT

TIP #11 | Do NOT Begin Prospecting Until You Have

Stabilized Your Existing Customers

This mentality often leads to an Insides Sales team’s

demise. If you are setting up Inside Sales the right way,

you will not treat them differently than an Outside

Sales Rep. We define Inside Sales at Ledgeview as the

same as Outside Sales, except reps are using the

phone instead of face-to-face communication.

Train and treat your Inside Sales team the

same as Outside Reps. Do not ignore the

importance of this tip. Inside Sales Reps

should be charged with the same tasks

as Outside Sales Reps. How they function

is the only big difference.

TIP #12 | Do NOT Create an “Us” vs. “Them”

Mentality

When you’ve hired an Inside Sales team, you are eager to create new opportunities – we get

it. But, you cannot create new opportunities until you’ve solidified your foundation. It’s a

passionate topic of conversation in sales, but when you’re building an Inside Sales team and

transferring smaller accounts, be sure you address and exhaust all potential selling

opportunities before you move forward. Leave no stones unturned. Prospecting is wonderful,

but it won’t be successful until you’ve closed existing opportunities before opening new

ones. Stabilize existing business first, then prospect.

Also, be aware that someone who is good at managing existing accounts may not be great at

generating new leads or reaching out to new prospects. Play to your Inside Sales Reps’

strengths.

DO THINGS RIGHT

TIP #13 | Hire an Inside Sales Supervisor

It’s very important if you have 1, 2, or more Inside Sales reps that you have someone looking

over what they’re doing. So, if you only have 1 or 2 reps, for example, you don’t need to hire

a full-time supervisor, but can appoint one of these reps to be a working supervisor if/when

problems arise. They may spend 25% of their time on managing this way, and the other 75%

doing their account calls or prospecting. Once you get 5 or 6 more Inside Sales Reps

however, at Ledgeview, we recommend and strongly encourage hiring a full-time Inside

Sales Supervisor.

TIP #14 | Hire Candidates with Previous Experience

We recommend hiring an Inside Sales Rep with at least 2 years of experience in the field. This

is a must for us at Ledgeview, as it shows the rep is dedicated to this profession as their

lifetime career. As we mentioned earlier in this eBook, Inside Sales Reps have a unique

expertise and dedication to their field. When you hire someone who has put in the time,

education, and effort, you can be more assured you’re getting the best value out of your team

members.

Putting an Outside Sales Rep in an Inside Sales position, for example, and telling them to

make calls for 8 hours a day may not be a good fit for them since they’re used to the

freedom of the road. Whereas, an experienced Inside Sales Rep knows what they’re getting

into. They’re comfortable with the role, and better – they enjoy it!

TIP #15 | Incorporate Inside Sales into the Overall

Sales Organization

When you look at your sales organization, you need to make sure you’re incorporating Inside

Sales to it, so be sure to invite them to the same sales meetings and trainings. Celebrate Inside

Sales wins just like you celebrate Outside Sales wins. They may be on a smaller scale, but are

likely to occur more frequently.

Make Inside Sales a part of your whole sales organization. Show them they are integral.

When you do it correctly, they will see their value as you do and truly fly in their roles. When

you incorporate Inside Sales into your overall sales organization, you prevent the “Us” vs.

“Them” Mentality.

BEST PRACTICES

TIP #16 | Define and Use a Sales Process

Whether you have an Inside Sales program or not, when you have an effective sales process in

place, everything else follows suit with quality. All companies involved in sales have a sales

process. Make sure you have yours effectively defined, and your Inside Sales team members

know it. With Inside Sales, yours should specifically define the flow of how an Inside Sales

call should go and how reps can adhere to that process.

A good sales process will be followed by scripts or checklists to define your sales process flows

with Inside Sales. Start with creating your standard introduction, voicemail, and how to create

opportunities. Be sure reps are complying with your sales process. Tightly define parameters.

When you define your list of must-haves, Inside Sales reps can fill in gaps with their personality.

TIP #17 | Establish Clear Metrics and Growth Goals

Establishing clear metrics and growth goals are just as important for Inside Sales as they are for

Outside Sales. Define your metrics and growth goals with Inside Sales, then monitor them on a

regular schedule. Make sure your Inside Sales team is meeting their goals. Inside Sales reps are

motivated by goals that they can go after the same as your field reps are. We recommend

segmenting your customer base and creating a contact strategy for reps to meet their goals and

create room for more opportunities.

TIP #18 | Qualify ALL Incoming Leads (via Phone and

the Web)

Whether leads come in to your organization via a phone call, email, social, web request, or

another method of contact, a process of qualification should always be in place. Send those leads

through to Inside Sales first, then let them qualify these leads. Since Inside Sales Reps are readily

available, they can more easily qualify and even close the business. If it’s a bigger account,

however, they can at least qualify it for sales before moving the opportunity on to an Outside

Sales Rep. Consider creating a bonus and incentive program for Inside Sales Reps based on

meeting KPIs. Incentivizing is very effective.

BEST PRACTICES

TIP #19 | Utilize a CRM (Customer Relationship

Management) System to Drive Your Sales Process

Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System to drive your sales process forward with

Inside Sales. When you connect your CRM System to your sales process, you can better keep track of

opportunities and strategies, among many other benefits.

A CRM is absolutely necessary for Inside Sales! If utilized correctly, CRM is a key management

tool for Inside Sales Programs.

CRM helps drive your sales process forward as a management tool, tracking all activities and

creating reports for the key metrics you identify. CRM helps Inside Sales reps manage all of their

follow-up activities while eliminating missed opportunities or commitments.

CRM makes it easier to manage, track success, and see where opportunities are getting stuck.

Additionally, connected across the company, your Inside Sales will be able to see if there is a

customer service issue before they call so they are not walking into a fire. As accounts are transferred

from Outside Sales to Inside, or from one person to the next, a CRM will provide the history needed

for that rep to succeed out of the gate vs always starting over with each customer, prospect, or lead

they call when accounts are switched.

CRM is a great management tool for your Inside Sales team’s Opportunity Pipeline. CRM provides

dashboards on each customer so Inside Sales can understand current Sales Results and retrieve Key

Measurements easier. CRM helps collect and close Incremental Sales Opportunities, track Cross Sells

and Up-Sells, gives an overview of Trends and Competition, and, it automates mass communication.

BEST PRACTICES

TIP #20 | Best Practices – Transfer Accounts In and

Out of Inside Sales when it Makes Strategic Sense

When it makes strategic sense, transfer accounts in and outside of Inside Sales. Conduct regular

reviews for transfers to keep your sales team operating efficiently. For example, if an Inside Sales

account is getting too big or perhaps an Outside Sales account is doing good business but is not as

large of an opportunity as you anticipated, be aware of that and transfer accounts as is necessary.

Conduct regular reviews for transfers to keep your system efficient and up-to-date.

TIP #21 | Best Practices - Address and Prevent

Resistance to Inside Sales

People typically think Inside Sales is the same as telemarketing,

but it’s vastly different since it requires the in-depth knowledge,

experience, and attention we covered earlier in this eBook.

Another common misconception is that Inside Sales is only good

for finding new customers, but this is far from the truth, since

many Inside Sales Reps take on existing small business before

moving on to find new clients for the organization. Inside Sales

helps balance your overall sales organization.

Transferring accounts shouldn’t become a dumping ground. You

don’t want Inside Sales to start and say, “here are 5,000

accounts.” Make them manageable and keep it to the active

accounts you want them to work on. If they are not working on

them, they should not be assigned to them. There are also times

customers don’t want face-to-face visits, and things can simply

be handled by Inside Sales. Transfers happen, so make sure you

talk to all reps involved so there are no hurt feelings on “losing

accounts,” so they can all work together towards their common

goals.

Inside Sales will not alienate Outside Sales. It will help them,

and help benefit your entire sales process and organization.

BEST PRACTICES

RECAP