Did you know that?
~40% of companies have an inside sales group
~56% of inside sales personnel have less than 2 years of experience
~25% of inside sales time is spent on research (call prep) and admin tasks
~42% is the rate of annual turnover for inside sales groups

What are the critical success factors required to build a successful inside sales group?

1. Metrics Management
Inside sales is a measurable, predictable discipline. The focus should be on tracking and managing to metrics that are tied directly to your strategic plan and are consistent with the activity levels to reach targets and be successful.

2. Consistent Lead Qualification and Scoring System
Marketing and sales need to agree on the potentially complex rating methodology, document it and implement it consistently company wide.

3. Easy Access to Pertinent Marketing Data
Before making a call or sending an email to a potential customer, inside sales reps should have relevant information about the account. This certainly should include the standard information – names, titles, contact information, but also market intelligence and personal reference information preferably easily accessible through the CRM system.

4. Consistent Sales Message
Inside sales reps need current call guides or “sales scripts” that contains the right message for a specific type of prospect, delivered at a specific time in the sales cycle. A script should be included for leaving an effective voice mail, as well as a list of FAQs that is updated on a frequent basis.

5. Customized, Automated Lead Fulfillment
Sales collateral fulfillment should be a pre-planned, multi-step, automated process that is integrated within your CRM application. If every inside sales rep has to decide which brochure, white paper, data sheet, case study or letter to send to each prospect at various stages of the sales process, the result will likely be inconsistent and will not have the impact required for success.

6. Common, Consistent CRM Technology Adoption – Company-Wide
The consistent use of the CRM system is critical to the inside sales group as well as the entire sales and marketing organization is critical to efficiency and effectiveness – and the success of the enterprise. Inside sales groups must make an entry each and every time a contact with a prospective client occurs. The CRM systems must be utilized for efficient and timely “hand-offs” to/from the outside sales group. When an inside sales rep leaves or is promoted, the CRM system will allow for a quicker, less costly ramp-up of the new inside sales rep.

The implementation of these critical success factors will allow for the development of a world-class inside sales group that will be a key component of the sales team ultimately responsible for consistently meeting and exceeding the company’s sales goals.