Sales Representative Outsourcing

Sales representative outsourcing is a great way to keep your own, small sales team busy with face-to-face current and potential customers while leaving the dirty work (cold calling) to a sales team at another location.

About Sales Outsourcing

The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing pros of outsourcing are obvious: You have the potential to really increase your sales because you have trained sales associates in other offices making cold calls. That leaves you to train your very own sales team (if needed) to talk with customers face-to-face. They don't get burnt out or resentful of cold calling.

There are many benefits associated with outsourcing part of your company's sales function. You're free to run your business without the hassle of keeping a larger sales team staffed. You pay the outsourcing company and they handle the interviewing, hiring, training, and even firing when necessary—plus the payroll. They set their own pay standards, so you don’t have to worry about what's fair (which also takes time in the form of research).

The downsides of outsourcing may even be a non-issue, depending on the standards of the company you choose. The salespeople they use, though, are going to be the first impression many people get of your business. In sales, it's incredibly important to make a good first impression. If the salespeople are knowledgeable and friendly, you don't have anything to worry about. If they aren't, your company's reputation could suffer. Since you're not making the calls yourself, and you're not directly involved in hiring or training the salespeople, you give up a certain amount of control.

Where to Go from Here

If you've decided you want to give sales outsourcing a try, you may still not know where to start looking for a third party provider to make cold calls for you. Here are a few outsourcing businesses to check out:

• Inteli Target offers sales lead generation, business-to-business telemarketing, outsource sales services, database cleansing, trade show follow-up, and pre-and-post-event support.

• Acquirent offers full-time sales and client acquisition as well as new product launch sales, geography-specific sales, sales and development strategy, sales consulting, new market penetration and more. They charge a monthly fee plus commission.

• Representative Outsourcing Incorporated

Find Sales Representative Outsourcing Jobs

Acquirent has a careers section worth checking out. They have a very extensive selection process for their sales representatives including reference checks, a writing sample requirement, and a personality test. The interview process is a multi-tiered process. They assess your "communication skills, sales skills, motivation, and intelligence" through two phone interviews and three face-to-face interviews.

Other job search sites like Monster, Career Builder, and HotJobs are generally teeming with sales positions. Check the descriptions to find out if it's with an independent sales company or the manufacturer.

Job Requirements

The number one requirement is sales experience. You don't have to have a college degree, but you do have to have people skills that will entice a client to purchase the product you're selling. That means you have to be well spoken, intelligent, and friendly.

Sometimes an Associate or Bachelor's degree is required. It will depend on the specific company's requirements, so before applying, be sure to check out the education requirements.

Having background in a specific area, such as finance, mortgages, etc, makes you a more favorable candidate for certain outsourcing companies. If your specialty matches their specialty, you're much more likely to be hired.

You also need to be able to work under general supervision. There won't be someone there at all times, so you need to possess good judgment (though you will be able to approach a supervisor if needed).

You should be creative and goal-oriented, as well. Since many sales positions pay commission, sales goals will be very important to you.

Your Job Duties and Expectations

If sales representative outsourcing jobs are sounding better to you by the minute, here's a list of job duties that the positions may involve. Looking over a summary may offer you a mental checklist to consult before jumping into the sales world unprepared.

• Develop new prospects or follow-up with existing clients
• Perform a multitude of office tasks (though sometimes you can work from home!)
• Learn the products you're selling very well
• Think creatively to successfully sell the products to different types of consumers
• Stay updated on current products

Expect to see the field grow. More and more companies are outsourcing their sales work. Getting the job will be a fierce competition, and opportunities and earnings will, of course, be reflected by economics and consumer preferences.

Expected Salary

Generally, sales positions pay a base hourly pay plus commission. Depending on your job title in sales, your salary will fluctuate. Once you know the job titles you're aiming for, you can check on Salary.com to find out more about what you can expect to earn.