Sales Scape

Bringing you the latest insights from the inside sales, customer care, and account management subject matter experts here at Salelytics.

Sales Scape

Bringing you the latest insights from the inside sales, customer care, and account management subject matter experts here at Salelytics.

Sales Scape

Inside vs. Outside Sales: What's the Difference?

by Tessa Vogel
March 7, 2022
Learn about definition of inside sales and how it differs from outside sellers in a work from home environment.

Since that first box was unpacked in the kitchen, a set of processes and organization is decided to make it an efficient space to live in. Cups sit close to the sink for quick access to the faucet, fruit occupies a bowl on the counter to encourage healthy snacking, and big pans are not stored in the stove (because you forget every time).

Part of the thrill of process optimization is figuring out just that: Which sales models (or combination of) make the most sense for your unique company challenges? Inside Sales or Outside Sales? 

Inside Sales Definition

With the evolving nature of technology, it’s hard to put a definition to Inside Sales. The practice is commonly thought of as a selling process or account maintenance via phone, email, or social media. Inside Sales is done remotely from an office space environment, whereas outside sales are done somewhat face to face.

Businesses now see an interesting transition with the pandemic where these outside sales field reps are taking on a more remote role. But they differ still. 

Benefits of Inside Sales

Inside Sales providers are already the experts in established methodologies for success in a remote setting. Going this route can ensure the following assets. 
  • Documentation of all interactions within a CRM System.
  • Telephony to support calling vs. untracked from a cellphone.
  • Tools to sell the entire office.
  • Historical first-class customer experience. 
  • Maximized results with founded integrated technology and channels that include: 
    • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Communication channels. 
    • Digital Marketing. 
    • Data Analytics. 
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI). 
Challenges with Remote Outside Sellers 

Outside Sales are a great way to build personal relationships and to have stronger deals, but there are many reasons why organizations either choose to forgo or work in combination with inside sales in a remote climate.
  • Access to decision-maker. 
  • Staying motivated when strengths are on the road. 
  • Self-sourcing leads. 
  • Documenting pipeline and activity information. 
  • Even if your outside sellers are working in person, they are still more expensive (transportation, experiences), time-consuming (focusing on one lead at a time), and hard to scale geographically. 
Source: The Truth About the Field Sales to Inside Sales Migration Trend Survey.


Conclusion 

Each organization is singular in their own way. Whether you choose to put your napkins by the microwave or in a cupboard, you make the decision based on what works best for you. The distinctions between the inside sales vs. outside sales models are no different. Take all things into consideration, including the common work from home setting, to distinguish the best sales model for you.

Tessa Vogel, Marketing Content Manager
As a Marketing Content Manager, I'm passionate about bringing creativity to business. Through leadership, content writing, photography, social media, and campaign building, I'm able to find that intersection.

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