The rise of inside sales

The sales approach that is coming to dominate the ICT channel

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29 October 2019

A different approach to sales has emerged in recent years that is termed inside sales (IS).

According to Investopedia, inside sales means the sale of products or services by personnel who reach customers through phone, email, or the Internet. Other ways to define inside sales are “remote sales” or “virtual sales.”

Forbes reports that within the US, inside sales have grown 15 times faster than outside sales.

Inside sales is the dominant sales model for reps in B2B, technology, SaaS, and a variety of B2C industries selling high-ticket items, says Salesforce.

An inside sales expert, Gabe Larsen, writing for HubSpot, said inside sales offers a leaner, more automated approach, compared to outside sales’ capitalisation on in-person interaction and face-to-face communication.

Ireland has become a centre of excellence for inside sales and holds a unique opportunity to strengthen its position as the location of choice for large multinationals and indigenous Irish companies looking to expand existing IS operations or in setting up new centres, according to Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet.

“Ireland can be a leading location globally for IS as a result of its highly skilled (and EU accessible) talent pool, IS experience and favourable economic environment. It can be a place where creative and talented people work harmoniously with technology, such as process automation, to build an IS model that can truly power organisations’ growth and transformation,” said David Feenan, network manager, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet.

According to InsideSales.com, large organisations (revenues of $500 million or more) remain dominated by field sales reps (71.2%), but this is expected to reduce as more organisations adopt hybrid or inside sales models.

For smaller organisations (revenues of $50m or more), there is a larger proportion of inside sales reps (47%). However, the highest growth rates reported for inside sales reps is among large companies, with growth rates of 4.9% for 2018.

A challenge for inside sales, due to its remote nature, can be in developing a rapport with customers, developing the trust and relationships that form the basis of a deep partnership. Another challenge is the constant search for talent. Inside sales may require a shift in mindset for sales professionals, and so finding the right people to staff inside sales teams can prove difficult.

According to InsideSales.com, differentiation in the market can also be a challenge, as the opportunities from face to face interaction are not there.

To provide Irish sales professionals with the necessary skills to develop their inside sales capabilities, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet is running a part funded course providing a Level 8 diploma in Inside Sales.

The programme was developed through a collaboration between TU Dublin, the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA- ISP) and Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet. Graduates will gain membership to the AA-ISP.

The program structure consists of four core modules: