Outsource Sales for Low Risk Business Growth
Picture the scene, you’re running a successful sales team who are max’d out generating leads and business and you have no capacity. Then your company decides it wants to launch a new product (or service) – this could have been sometime in development or the business may have made a strategic acquisition – now what do you do ? Take existing – and performing – team members of the cash cow to start with the new offering or recruit a new sales team ?
Both options represent a potential risk to revenue, staff morale and your own job if you pick the wrong one. Luckily the freelance or interim market is undergoing a resurgence brought about by the current economic situation.
FTSE250’s and other blue-chips are hiring territory sales managers on one-year contracts, regional sales managers are being offered month-long assignments for a quick boost in sales volume prior to year-end and interim sales managers are hired by the day to develop team strategies and mentor or recruit new staff.
The current recession has lead to cost cutting across the board, with more of a focus on short term appointments to stimulate the market with new products without risking existing resources. But as the economy begins to recover then more organisations will cautiously test their own solutions with outsource sales posts before recruiting full-time perms.
Analysts have said that where a business is implementing a strategic change possibly utilising a temporary project to either confirm forecast figures or demonstrate to the business that it won’t work, then an experienced, dedicated and flexible sales person is essential.
Interim or outsource sales staff can also audit your sales operations to see where you can do things better. Reviewing processes and systems, channels to market or sales propositions are good examples, as are evaluating existing sales people.
By bringing in an experienced and high performing sales interim you are putting the proverbial cat in amongst the pigeons and as such should see a surge of fresh competition and increased performance from your existing sales team.
Any good interim will also bring with them their own network of contacts and decision makers that can be tapped into immediately giving the new employer a competitive advantage.
Interim staff generally boil down to two distinct types, those that have made a career from it, and those who are using these roles until the economy recovers and something more permanent comes along. Of course, there is plenty of competition on at the moment, and moving into this market is a skill and not everyone has the determination or skill to make it.
The interim sales executive must be able to hit the ground running, show immediate results, take the position seriously, understand the employer and show full comprehension of what your new boss is expecting of you, because ultimately an interim position may have its contract lengthened or even turn into something more permanent.
So to summarise the key benefits that an interim can bring to a sales role are:
Independence and objectivity
Broader industry or sector experience
A new set of senior business contacts
Understanding of sales processes and KPI’s
Battle scars – they’ve done it already and have the scars to prove it
Clearer focus, with personal interest in performing
More senior than equivalent full-time role
No fixed costs
On an as-needed basis
IT Hummingbird can offer highly experienced outsource sales resource either independently or together with our marketing services. Our outsource sales professionals come with many years proven experience selling many different types of software solution to a variety of markets.
Our portfolio includes sales staff with experience in the supply of software and services to support the implementation of CRM, ERP, Logistics, Business Intelligence, Document Management, BPM and Workflow across markets as diverse as Local Government, Central Government, The NHS, Housing Associations, Logistics and Financial Services.
FTSE250’s and other blue-chips are hiring territory sales managers on one-year contracts, regional sales managers are being offered month-long assignments for a quick boost in sales volume prior to year-end and interim sales managers are hired by the day to develop team strategies and mentor or recruit new staff.
The current recession has lead to cost cutting across the board, with more of a focus on short term appointments to stimulate the market with new products without risking existing resources. But as the economy begins to recover then more organisations will cautiously test their own solutions with outsource sales posts before recruiting full-time perms.
Analysts have said that where a business is implementing a strategic change possibly utilising a temporary project to either confirm forecast figures or demonstrate to the business that it won’t work, then an experienced, dedicated and flexible sales person is essential.
Interim or outsource sales staff can also audit your sales operations to see where you can do things better. Reviewing processes and systems, channels to market or sales propositions are good examples, as are evaluating existing sales people.
By bringing in an experienced and high performing sales interim you are putting the proverbial cat in amongst the pigeons and as such should see a surge of fresh competition and increased performance from your existing sales team.
Any good interim will also bring with them their own network of contacts and decision makers that can be tapped into immediately giving the new employer a competitive advantage.
Interim staff generally boil down to two distinct types, those that have made a career from it, and those who are using these roles until the economy recovers and something more permanent comes along. Of course, there is plenty of competition on at the moment, and moving into this market is a skill and not everyone has the determination or skill to make it.
The interim sales executive must be able to hit the ground running, show immediate results, take the position seriously, understand the employer and show full comprehension of what your new boss is expecting of you, because ultimately an interim position may have its contract lengthened or even turn into something more permanent.
So to summarise the key benefits that an interim can bring to a sales role are:
Independence and objectivity
Broader industry or sector experience
A new set of senior business contacts
Understanding of sales processes and KPI’s
Battle scars – they’ve done it already and have the scars to prove it
Clearer focus, with personal interest in performing
More senior than equivalent full-time role
No fixed costs
On an as-needed basis
IT Hummingbird can offer highly experienced outsource sales resource either independently or together with our marketing services. Our outsource sales professionals come with many years proven experience selling many different types of software solution to a variety of markets.
Our portfolio includes sales staff with experience in the supply of software and services to support the implementation of CRM, ERP, Logistics, Business Intelligence, Document Management, BPM and Workflow across markets as diverse as Local Government, Central Government, The NHS, Housing Associations, Logistics and Financial Services.
