Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: Key Differences & Best Fit

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 involves selling remotely through channels like phone, email, and social media. It's often called remote or virtual sales due to its digital nature. Inside sales reps use messaging apps, video conferencing, and traditional methods. It's common in tech, B2B, and SaaS industries. 

Example: A software company uses webinars and email marketing to generate leads and close deals remotely. 

What do inside sales reps do? 

Inside sales reps work from a central location, avoiding face-to-face meetings. They focus on prospecting and engaging leads interested in the company's offerings. There are two approaches: 

• Inbound sales: Addressing inquiries from prospects who contact the business. 
• Outbound sales: Proactively reaching out to potential customers. 

Communication occurs live via calls or chat, or asynchronously through online forms and messages. 

Example: An inbound sales rep at a marketing agency promptly answers queries coming through the company's website to convert visitors into leads. An outbound sales rep makes cold calls to businesses to introduce the agency's services. 

What are outside sales? 

Outside sales involves representatives traveling to meet prospects in person at offices, conferences, and events. 

It's the more traditional sales approach, like field sales. Reps connect with customers through various channels, using smartphones and mobile devices. 

Example: Pharmaceutical sales representatives visit doctors' offices and hospitals to promote their company's medications. 

What do outside sales reps do? 

Outside sales representatives are primarily in the field. They meet with customers to discuss solutions, demo products, and build strong relationships. 

Example: A construction equipment sales rep visits a building site to showcase the features of a new excavator model to the project manager. 

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 

Desired skill sets of outside vs. inside sales reps 

Different skills are needed for success in inside versus outside sales. Inside sales reps need strong communication and tech skills, while outside sales reps need relationship-building and negotiation skills.  

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. 

 Common business impacts: Inside vs. outside sales 

Inside and outside sales significantly affect a business in different ways. Inside sales often drive higher volume with lower costs, while outside sales build deeper relationships and secure larger deals. 

Inside sales vs. outside sales team structure 

The structure of inside and outside sales teams differs to optimize their respective strengths. Inside sales teams often have a hierarchical structure, while outside sales teams are more geographically distributed. 

Inside vs. outside sales models 

Choosing a sales model isn't as simple as it once was. Traditionally, B2B sales teams based this decision on their offerings. Outside sales focused on selling physical products to larger companies. Inside sales handled smaller businesses and lower-cost services. 

Now, technology allows innovative approaches to showcase products and finalize complex deals through different channels. Think virtual meetings, demos via Zoom, and self-service options with inside sales support via live chat. 

Here's a typical structure of inside and outside sales models across a standard five-step sales process: 

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. 

Optimize Your Sales Team’s Efficiency with Compass 

With solutions like Get compass, businesses can streamline commission tracking for both inside and outside sales reps. By automating payouts and aligning incentives with performance, companies can drive higher engagement and efficiency. 
Schedule a call now! https://www.getcompass.ai/book-a-demo  

Conclusão 

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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