If you’re intending to expand your products or services to new markets, you may opt to outsource services such as a telesales team. Alternatively, you may choose to outsource telesales reps to augment your internal team and meet ever-increasing targets. Choosing the right approach according to your goals may determine the success of your campaign. However, finding the right outsourced telesales team, coaches, or representatives could ultimately define your company’s path.

However, before outsourcing, it’s important to rationalize the need based on ROI and other factors. Do you really need to add more telesales reps? Or is it better to hire a coach to improve the performance of your internal telesales team? Questions like these should prompt sales executives to look closely at what’s working and what’s not, and to identify functions that a specialist can perform better, if any.

Choosing a Top-Performing Telesales Agency

Successful returns on your outsourced sales investment depend on the quality of the chosen sales agency. How can you tell if you’re working with the right outsourced telesales team?

1. The right outsourced telesales team provides high value at a low cost.

The best outsourcing firms focus on providing value and ROI-driven results while keeping costs low. Although they’re aware that top-performing companies keep sales costs lower than their peers, they don’t focus on cost alone. The right telesales outsourcing agency effectively controls costs by presenting a clear view of profitability. They know the cost-to-sell for every product, customer and sales channel, and they share data with corporate and sales leaders for transparency and better collaboration. Solid tracking and reporting help sales leaders make better decisions. It helps them identify and improve weaknesses.

2.The right outsourced telesales team is driven by data.

Analyzing data in sales can transform your sales team and performance. Top telesales agencies employ smart ways to measure ROI. Because they have good data that identifies areas with high sales ROI, telesales providers can prescribe effective channel tactics for different segments.

The right outsourced telesales provider also focuses on quality instead of quantity. Rather than adding more entry-level people, they coach existing sales reps so that they can exceed their sales quotas.

3.  The right outsourced telesales team is constantly working on improving performance.

Quality telesales agents generate quality sales. Good telesales providers invest in their sales force, grooming them to be the best in the business.

Besides quality, the provider also deploys sales people effectively. They have more sales staff in support positions than sales management roles. More support means that telesales reps and telemarketers can focus on selling. Administrative tasks like order management and complaint resolution are handled by administration support, so that telesales can invest their time on customers.

Outsourcing firms can either provide telesales reps for your company, or take on admin sales tasks. Both methods increase productivity by providing more time for reps to sell.  Outsourced sales agencies also bring automation to the table, cutting out certain jobs and funneling routine tasks. To be successful with this outsourcing approach, sales managers must first identify low- and high-value tasks in order to distribute them accordingly. 

4. The right outsourced telesales team has multichannel expertise.

Top sales outsourcing agencies have mastered the art of selling through multiple sales channels. They target inside sales, field sales, value-added resellers, retail stores, affiliates, distributors, and outsourced sales reps, among others. Companies that use a multichannel strategy for selling can retain 89% of customers.

A good outsourcing agency is aware that not all channels are suited for every product. As such, they’ll recommend the best option for your product and market vertical. For instance, an agency may suggest adding inside sales reps to handle complex key accounts, while assigning low-complexity accounts to an external sales team. Sales offerings and reviews from actual clients can also help you choose the right telesales agency.

Signs of a Poor Telesales Outsourcing Relationship

Working with the right outsourced telesales provider does not preclude mishaps. You may still run into performance and alignment issues. The outsourcing project may also fall short of corporate management expectations. However, working with a top-notch provider from the start reduces the risk that the telesales outsourcing project will fail.

Outsourcing relationships that are destined for failure often make the following mistakes:

1. The wrong outsourced telesales team outsources the wrong sales function.

Some tasks or activities should be kept in-house. The general rule of outsourcing is to hold on to core functions and farm out non-core, transactional —typically low-value— activities to a third-party specialist.

Sales, the only part of the organization that actually brings in revenue, can be considered core or non-core depending on the business. For manufacturers and business services firms, sales is often a non-core function and can be safely outsourced. However, for some companies, strategy and segmentation are highly strategic tasks that provide a competitive advantage. Even if they appear to be good candidates for outsourcing, the company may need to keep them in-house.

Additionally, a good telesales provider will assess whether telesales should be outsourced and recommend sound alternatives aligned with your goals. For example, if you are selling a commodity or undifferentiated product/service, the vendor should recommend an external team of cold callers instead of a team of sales executives.

2. The wrong outsourced telesales team overestimates savings.

To make the most out of your outsourcing investment, remember that call centers are usually intended for high-volume cold calling and appointment setting for internal sales teams, while strategic sales vendors focus on lead qualification, conversion and value. They employ top sales executives, telesales reps, and technical consultants for specific products. They also hire sales coaches to improve the performance of both sales agents and sales leaders. Their focus is long-term value, instead of merely providing a service.

3. The wrong outsourced telesales team overpromises and under-delivers.

Some sales outsourcing firms promise optimistic projections and unrealistic growth without data backing them up. It’s crucial to understand your telesales targets and current situation before transferring responsibility to another party. Work with a sales provider that uses data and analytics to make forecasts and turn insights into value for your company. This type of agency customizes solutions to your needs and adapts its strategies accordingly. Look for a long-term partnership that focuses on collaboration and provides a platform for difficult but necessary conversations.

4. The wrong outsourced telesales team has no transition strategy or contingency plan.

A company that outsources telesales must clearly define the scope of management needed for an effective transition once the campaign begins. Transition is generally disruptive, so it’s important to focus on governance and execution throughout the process. And even if the risk of failure is slim, sales managers should have a contingency plan just in case things fall apart. Also, make sure that general objectives are translated into specific and measurable goals, such as cost-reduction targets and reduction in sales cycle time.

5. The wrong outsourced telesales team lacks expertise.

To determine whether the telesales provider understands how to achieve your sales goals, look at case studies and success stories demonstrating their experience in telesales.  Better yet, look for a telesales vendor that has experience in your specific industry. A track record of success means a higher chance of replicating that success with your organization. Make sure to ask how they handle challenges such as underperforming telesales reps.

To learn more about outsourcing, you can read our Top 8 Qualities of an Outsourcing Company in the Philippines article. We invite you to follow us on social media and to visit our website to learn more about our services.

About Us: Sourcefit is a widely recognized US-managed business process outsourcing company based in Manila, Philippines. We proudly serve over 100 clients with a workforce of more than 1,300 employees. Our global centers can serve multiple markets, and our staff is highly proficient in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Whether you need a few or many employees, we can help you achieve your business goals and build high-quality offshore teams.

Latest Awards

Sourcefit’s commitment to excellence has been recognized through numerous industry awards and certifications.

We recently received the Fortress Cyber Security Award from the Business Intelligence Group. Sourcefit was also honored with the prestigious recognition of Best Outsourcing Solutions Provider in the Philippines during the 2023 Business Excellence Awards.

Other awards include: FT ranking of 500 high-growth Asia-Pacific, The Marketing Excellence Awards, Inquirer Growth Champion,  HR Asia Awards, among others.

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• Advantages of Outsourcing Sales and Telesales
• Finding the Right Outsourced Sales Solutions Provider
• Telesales & Sales Outsourcing Success Stories and Case Studies
• Sales Outsourcing and How It Can Help Your Business
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