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Inside sales or outside sales? The most argued question is, which strategy is best for you?? Considering today's market, both roles are merged and have become a significant part of the sales company.

So, do you find these lines blur? Can inside sales be called the usual sales? Wondering which go-to-market can be selected here?

Let's explore the relationship between inside and outside sales and study what fits best in contemporary sales teams.

What is inside sales?

Inside sales are the procedure of selling distantly via emails, calls, and other virtual mediums rather than face-to-face. It is common in the B2B space, especially in SaaS and tech fields.

Duties of inside sales reps

Inside sales reps work distantly with their prospective clients to provide complete guidance in the sales procedure, ensuring they find a suitable product or service, thereby resolving the customer's problems. Their duties majorly include:

  • Showcasing high product knowledge to answer customer queries and questions
  • Developing relationships with prospective clients to establish trust
  • Nurturing leads to convert potential customers into clients and manage referrals
  • Reporting the exact sales data
  • Closing deals
  • Aiming to reach monthly quota objectives

Because inside sales reps meet with clients directly, they use tools like calls, emails, videos, and virtual meetings to connect with them.

Their schedule is predictable, and they have a proper target to achieve every day (for instance, the number of calls, zoom meetings, or emails sent)

To become an inside sales rep, you should have a sound knowledge of the product and the ability to explain the functionality of a product even on a cold call, if needed.

What is  outside sales?

Outside sales occur if sales representatives meet prospective customers in person. They only work in the office for a short time rather than travel around to meet clients in person. Often field sales are used interchangeably with outside sales.

Duties of an outside sales rep

  • They spend most of their time traveling to meet clients, interact with prospects and develop relations.
  • You may find them selling at company events, speaking sessions, and conferences.

As per the Xant.ai report of 2021, outside teams are doing 25% more calls and 50% higher email activities.

The tools used by inside and outside sales reps are the same, including CRM, email, and social media.

The HubSpot 2021 Sales Enablement Survey found that 68% of sales professionals chose a hybrid or a completely distant selling model in 2021.

Inside sales vs outside sales: The major differences

Parameter

Inside Sales

Outside Sales

Cost

Inside sales require more technology and communication tools. Inside sales reps can send emails and call at a quicker speed than they can visit prospects in person. 

Outside sales require more travel, accommodations, and expenses related to face-to-face meetings.


Sales cycle

Inside sales have generally shorter sales cycles because they often deal with smaller and more transactional sales.


Inside sales representativess prioritize quality more than quantity. Moreover lead qualification, inside sales reps work on sending emails, delivering phone calls, and developing relationships with potential clients. Though they foster leads, their time spent on it is less than that of an outside sales rep.

The sales cycle for outside sales tends to be longer, as it involves building relationships, negotiating deals, and meeting with clients in person.


The other reasons are that the deal sizes are more extensive, needing buy-in from a company's decision-makers. Depending on the size of the order, it may involve additional discussions and extra back-and-forth conversations between clients and sales reps.

Scalable

Implementing exemplary procedures for an inside team is simpler. . Because sales representatives work from their workspace, hosting training sessions or using new techniques is simpler. 

Victory of inside sales team depends on their call precision, devotion and persistence.

It takes time for a new representative to establish relationships instantly. As outside sales rep work in varied locations, it is tough to train them and implement tools and techniques.

On the other hand, the victory of the outside sales team relies on the relationship with clients. This is why it is not highly scalable compared to inside sales.

Point of contact

Inside sales representatives can send emails, calls and messages

Outside sales representatives conduct face-to-face meetings.

Tools for sales closure

Inside sales representatives majorly labor from their office, they use phones, computers, and CRMs. But, outside sales representatives travel outside and hence use CRM and phones. As cloud computing and smartphones have become prevalent, they are also visible in outside sales.

Like inside sales reps, outside sales reps also use phones and CRMs to remain updated and connected. However, their major point of contact is Face-to-Face.



Inside sales vs outside sales: Finding the right fit for your business

Selecting inside vs. outside sales is a significant decision for a business. A big chunk of the salesforce includes outside sales representatives, but things are changing now. The inside sales teams are expanding 15 times quicker than outside sales teams.

Many aspects are considered before selecting a sales arrangement.

  • Is the product offline or online?
  • Are you catering to a global customer base?

In such situations, inside sales is a better option for you. Draft your sales team's objective on the general company goals.

To enhance the performance, ensure your sales management chooses SMART objectives- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-specific.

If the product is challenging and needs a demonstration for the client to understand, choose the outside sales framework. To ensure the highest productivity, draft an efficient scheduling system for your sales staff. Every sales representative should have specific areas to avoid overlapping and confusion. It would help if you considered appointing local sales representatives as they know these regions better.

In today's time, a hybrid method has gained fame with companies. Usual sales-focused organizations use inside and outside sales as it shields higher ground instead of one approach. F2F sales offer a customized experience.

Most people are still hesitant to make bulk purchases online. But online purchases are highly convenient. Hence, a hybrid model helps you target customers who need customized help and those who need accessibility.

Abilities needed for outside and inside sales reps

Inside and outside sales reps need unique abilities and behavior traits to gain success. For example, an excellent outside sales representative needs a high emotive proportion and situational experience.

They should be aware of social cues, make immediate decisions, answer queries and keep the client interested. Being on the work location offers a lot of autonomy. An efficient outside sales rep is more like a motivated person who doesn't need consistent supervision from their sales managers.

On the other hand, inside sales representative require a higher focus to gain success. They follow the instructions of their sales manager. Most companies offer inside sales reps templates and scriptures to make the workflow effective and smooth.

Both need common skills, which include good communication abilities, perseverance, and confidence.

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the difference between inside sales and outside sales, you can make a precise decision. If you decide between inside sales vs. outside sales, ensure to make the right balance to prepare a winning recipe. Building an inside sales team is cost-effective and highly scalable.

But, if you have a long sales cycle with organizations, then choose an outside sales team. And, wherever needed, choose a hybrid approach to bring tremendous success to your company.

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