The fastest way to close more deals and increase revenue is to outsource where and when it matters most. There’s no denying this. And smart companies are doing it more and more. Whether it’s outsourcing customer service, product fulfillment, or any role in-between — the genius of outsourcing cannot be overlooked.

 

And the sales development representative (SDR) role is no different.

 

In fact, I would argue that outsourcing SDR’s is the #1 way to stuff your pipeline with qualified leads, day in and day out. While a growing number of companies are heeding this advice, there are still those that are slow to buy in. These companies think that keeping the SDR’s in-house helps to control costs and quality of calls. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

Try it. Try to build an in-house team of SDR’s. You’ll find the cost savings do not outweigh the convenience and performance (ROI) you get from an expert lead-gen service in your corner. I mean, appointment setting in 2019 and beyond is a whole new ballgame.

 

 

Now keep in mind, not all sales and SDR services are created equal. So be thorough in your vetting process. When you find the right one, you can kick back and enjoy sales opportunities pretty much on demand.

 

The Top 7 Reasons to Outsource Appointment Setting

 

#1 – Get Sales Opps FAST

When you outsource to a competent company, the ramp-up time is incredibly fast. In some instances, you can engage on a Tuesday and have your prospects’ phones ringing on that very same Thursday.

 

On the other hand, when you try to build a team from the ground up, you must consider the travails of recruiting the right people, hiring and HR tasks, training, and the list goes on. Not fun. Outsourcing your appointment setting is like turning on a faucet, rather than having to dig the well yourself.

 

#2 – Performance Pays

 

A good appointment setting service comes stacked with highly-experienced, expert SDR’s. It’s what they do day after day. Making calls, qualifying opportunities, and setting sales appointments — it’s all in a day’s work. And they’re great at it. They won’t fumble on potentially huge clients, or give your company a bad first impression.

 

When you build an in-house team, however, you have to train, train, train. And don’t expect them to be self-motivated or self-correcting. You’ll constantly have to keep a finger on the pulse of quality and performance.

 

Think of it this way, you could go out and try to find a bunch of random guys and gals to help build your house, OR you could just hire a professional contractor. Which would you prefer? It’s a no-brainer, right? The performance and quality that comes from true professionals will make all the difference, in your home and for your sales pipeline.  

 

#3 – Turnover? What Turnover?

 

Here’s something that most companies never even consider: In-house SDR’s have perhaps the highest turnover rate across all personnel and all departments. Why? Because it’s well-known that the SDR role is the gateway to a more lucrative sales position.

 

So if your company doesn’t have an opening in sales when they’re ready, don’t be surprised if they up and leave for greener pastures. And if you do happen to have room for growth, you’re constantly playing musical chairs — moving SDR’s up and scrambling to find others to replace them.  

 

I see it all the time. Hire a handful of SDR’s and they’ll soon be knocking down your door in hopes of that Sales Exec. promotion (and who could blame them!). But outsource to an expert appointment-setting service and you’ll never have to worry about SDR turnover again.

 

#4 – Flexibility to Scale Up or Scale Back

 

If you go with an in-house SDR team, it’s on you when it comes to scaling. This can be tricky, as big wins often come in seasons and cycles. So in busy seasons it’s entirely on you to hire the appropriate number of SDR’s and sales staff. Similarly, when things are slow, the burden of layoffs falls directly on your shoulders as well.

 

On the other hand, when you outsource SDR activities, it often comes with added flexibility and adaptability. Expect a busy quarter? The service should be responsive and double down on your account. Slow holiday season? Same deal, they’ll scale back and adapt accordingly. The peace of mind of always having that outsourced, go-to SDR team is worth its weight in gold.

 

#5 – Focus on Building Relationships and Closing Deals

 

If your sales execs are responsible for the entire sales cycle — from prospecting to closing — you’re doing it wrong. Instead, divvy up the labor. This will free up your true closers from having to chase down leads, and allow them to focus on what they’re best at. That is, building important relationships with decision makers.

 

Also, an in-house team of SDR’s will require a team manager. So if you’re not outsourcing your lead gen, you can expect to either hire this additional managerial role, or delegate it to one of your seasoned sales guys. But again, this takes at least one person’s focus off of building meaningful relationships with prospective clients or customers.

 

#6 – Save BIG on Resources

 

Believe it or not, there’s a whole suite of new technologies that goes hand-in-hand with SDR’s. Build up a team and you’ll find yourself reading endless product reviews for things like designated CRM’s, sales intel tools, automation software, analytics and tracking, you name it.

 

This can be extremely overwhelming, not to mention time-consuming and expensive. So an added benefit of outsourcing to an SDR appointment-setting service is that they’ll absorb these costs entirely. This means you can keep your sales stack simple and streamlined.

 

#7 – Get Real Results… Finally.

 

Bottom line, first impressions are the SDR’s world. And first impressions are everything. Whatever it takes, ensure your highest priority is making a stellar first touch and landing a subsequent sales appointment. Whether in-house or outsourced, you can’t afford to have schmucks on your phones.

 

Sustainable growth is the name of the game here. Outsource the SDR role, and get a highly-qualified and dedicated team of appointment setters at your beck and call. Go with the right service, and you’re almost guaranteed to reel in bigger, better fish… and much more frequently. More qualified appointments means more sales. Period. 

 

What if I already have an SDR Team in Place?

 

If you’re already running an in-house team, but open to exploring options, this one’s for you. Here’s a great solution that many companies are going with: Continue with what you’re doing, but outsource a portion of your sales budget.

 

This way you can measure the results (key metrics!) of the SDR service against what your in-house team is doing. Then just do the simple math with regards to cost-savings and revenue. Finally, do more of whichever works best. This relatively risk-free approach is attractive to companies that are on the fence about outsourcing for sales. 

 

Here at C-Level Partners, we specialize in delivering sales appointments on demand, so you can focus on closing deals and dominating your space.

 

 

If you’re interested in learning exactly how you can kiss cold-calling goodbye, forever — we invite you to get in touch. We offer much more than SDR appointment setting services. Our mission is to put you in front of The Right People, in the Right Role, Right Now. And we move mountains to make it happen.

 

In the meantime, don’t forget to drop by the C-Level Partners blog to read more articles on what it takes to get ahead in sales, business, and life.

 

Until next time,

 

Johnny-Lee Reinoso