Key Outsourced Sales and Marketing Metrics

by | Jun 14, 2017

Why are Marketing Metrics so important for success? Athletes have known the answer for years. Quite simply, you can’t improve what you don’t measure. This is why of the six teams leading early in the 2017 MLB season, five are advocates of the data-driven systems advocated in Michael Lewis’s, Moneyball.

Over the past ten years, we have seen data transform the way businesses are run – and sales and marketing are no different. You can use data to help you to improve what is working, remove what is not working, and make smarter business decisions in the future. Capturing this data is one of the key drivers of the recent adoption of CRMs like Salesforce.com, and Marketing Automation Systems. It’s also why working with an outsourced sales company may be a smart move for many companies because they can help them capture key outsourced sales and marketing metrics.

So how does all this impact your business? In sales, like sports, consistent wins don’t happen by accident. Repeatable results are driven by repeatable math—numbers that define your sales team’s past performance will predict future performance.

Here are the key outsourced sales and marketing metrics you can expect from an outsourced sales company.

Outbound Calling Metrics

The first key metric an outsourced sales and marketing company can help with is, how much outbound activity does it take to generate a lead. An outsourced sales company will measure the results of every call and track the connection ratios (how many calls does it take to get a person on the phone). Your outsourced sales reps will also track how many calls result in someone that is mildly interested in your solution, and willing to accept Marketing Material (Marketing Qualified Lead – MQL), and how many buyers have a potential need for your product (Sales Accepted Lead – SAL)

In most cases, cold calling alone may not be the most effective way to generate leads and you will understand these metrics clearly. Below is a chart of the cold calling metrics you can expect from an outsourced sales company.

Email Lead Generation Metrics

Marketing Sherpa found, 70 percent of buyers now prefer to learn about new products and services from email first.  For about the cost of a cold caller for one month, you can now make 25,000 to 75,000 potential buyers and influencers aware of your solution. What is important from a data perspective is, you can also test up to nine different messages as part of these campaigns. The key outsourced sales and marketing metrics in this case will be:

  • What messages and subject lines resonate most in the market
  • What offers were most engaging

This information can help you to determine:

  • What messages your callers should focus on
  • What content should you create to help digitally educate your buyer
Key Outsourced Sales and Marketing Metrics Scorecard

Outsourced Sales and Marketing Metrics

Building a consistent flow of leads is the most critical first step in scaling a sales effort. But if you’re over spending or underspending on your lead generation efforts, you will not be keeping your closers’ (your most expensive sale cost) time maximized. A scorecard will tell you:

  • How much and what type of activity is required to generate a lead
  • How much outbound activity is required to generate a single qualified sales opportunity
  • How many of those opportunities will result in a proposal
  • How many proposal does it take to win a deal

Gabriel Sales Provides outsourced sales and marketing metrics

Gabriel Sales specializes in helping SMBs and Start-ups launch modern sales and marketing operations. As part of building, launching, and executing sales campaigns to fill your closers sales funnel, we provide key outsourced sales and marketing metrics. To learn more about our outsourced sales and marketing services we invite you to visit our outsource sales and marketing services page.

 

Engineering and Management Agency Consulting Case Study

Engineering and Management Agency Consulting Case Study

by | Jun 13, 2017

Sales and Marketing Operations Outsourcing Case Study

The Challenge

Management Consulting and Industrial Engineering Professional Services firm spun out of Fortune 250 Company and hit $4M in annual revenue within 18 months.   The principals were mired in a cycle where they would sell, service and then need to start pipe from scratch.  Over next 4 years they hired 3 enterprise reps with Rolodex’s and landed one additional deal outside their own network and remained flat at $4M.  Sales cycle for enterprise deals was over 360 days for initial engagement of $20K to $50K, deals then scale to $250K – $500K in year two and $1M plus in year three.  To inject new revenue stream with shorter sales cycle company acquired a smaller practice with entry level solution and sales for that product line also remained flat.

Selling To: Fortune 1000 and Privately Held  Manufacturers’ SVPs and VPs of Supply Chain, Operations, Head of Engineering and Energy Manager

The Solution

  • Sales Consulting and Inside Sales – Scripted,  created content and created an inside sales process for entry level solution.  Took inbound leads from existing telemarketing partner, qualified, engaged and closed.
  • Sales Consulting – Simultaneously worked with client to create a repeatable high velocity sales process, ideal customer profile and collateral for enterprise professional service engagement.
  • Lead Generation Outsourcing – Client migrated telemarketing to Gabriel Sales for enterprise deals as entry level product sales transitioned back to business unit.
  • Digital Content Production and Digital Sales Execution –  Cloned the sales process for Top Producers for enterprise deals with video,  webcasts, blog and success stories.
  • Outsourcing Inside Sales and Marketing Operations – Gabriel Sales took over all lead generation, database management, software implementation and management of  direct marketing efforts to target, engage, qualify and nurture enterprise prospects.
  • Outsourced Sales Staffing – Staff a blended team of lead gen rep, inside rep and senior enterprise sales rep to manage the logistics and close of deals.

The Results

First 180 days

  1. Eliminated prior sales processes, which required extensive travel and face to face meetings.
  2. 4 entry level new business clients closed with inside reps
  3. Put 6 enterprise deals in the sales pipe.

Second 360 Days

Internet Marketing Technologies scoped and implemented and blog launched

Nurturing database of 2,000-plus decision makers created and marketing automation implemented.

Sale collateral digitized in webcast, blog, video and customer testimonials

Additional Entry-Level Deals

Enterprise Deals Closed

Enterprise Deals Moved to Upsell

B2B Sales Outsourcing Lead Generation Tactics Explained

by | Jun 12, 2017

B2B lead generation is one of the top sales challenges facing many small business that want to grow their sales revenue. And generating a consistent flow of leads is critical in a competitive market. To grow the sales of a solution, establish or maintain a competitive advantage to thrive in today’s sales environment, which requires innovative approaches and hard work.

This is where a B2B sales outsourcing solution may be able to help. A B2B sales outsourcing company can assist you in framing and executing the most current and effective campaigns using modern sales and marketing operations. This will allow you to move faster, implementing the right research, lead generation techniques, and technologies. Your sales team can focus on selling, while your B2B sales outsourcing partner can focus on sustained and consistent lead generation to improve your sales results and help you meet your sales revenue targets.

With so many possible tactics available right now, your B2B sales outsourcing team will help you select the best direction for your business.. The following lead generation tips are some of the options that will now be at your company’s disposal.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is now a requirement for lead generation success. Over 70% of buyers now prefer to learn about new products or solutions with educational information shared through email. You can share this content through social media campaigns, email-marketing campaigns, and with cold callers on first calls.

Over time, a bonus effect of quality content will enable you to slowly start moving to a higher and higher position in search engine results. A B2B sales outsourcing lead generation company like Gabriel Sales will be able to help you craft educational content that your buyers will enjoy in a short, one to two day content workshop.

Social Media Marketing

Once you have your quality content, you can share that content on social media. For most B2B companies, we recommend starting slowly and saving your best content for social media. The two most effective tools for B2B campaigns are LinkedIn and Twitter (in that order). It is also helpful to share that same content on Facebook and Google +.  Google+ is very helpful to improve search engine results.

Email Marketing to Generate a New B2B Leads

Email marketing is all about communicating through a structured email to generate leads and establish a relationship with potential clients. A B2B sales outsourcing lead generation company will be able to help you navigate through multiple vendors to target as many as 75,000 potential targets for about the fully-loaded costs of one sales development rep for one month. This will typically generate 2000 to 4000 early stage leads.

Email Marketing to Develop and Prioritize B2B Leads 

One of the most significant developments in sales and marketing over the past decade is marketing automation platforms. Marketing automation allows you to share your thought leadership to develop trust and stay top of mind with consumers that are not quite ready to buy.  These same tools also allow you to score leads and predict their readiness to buy based on the content they are engaging with. A B2B sales outsourcing company will be able to help you implement these campaigns and technologies the right way the first time.

B2B Sales Outsourcing Calling Team
Finally, a lead is only valuable if it turns into an appointment. The days of old school smile and dial and throwing bodies on the phone to generate more leads is over.  A B2B sales outsourcing company will be able to help you immediately staff a trained team of sales development reps that understand how to use content and marketing automation the most effective way possible to set appointments for your closers.
About Gabriel Sales B2B Sales Outsourcing Lead Generation

We specialize in helping SMBs and start-ups build modern sales and marketing operations. To learn more about our outsourced sales and marketing services and how we now view the sales challenges B2B companies now face and how we solve them we invite you to check out our new approach to outsourced sales page or visit our B2B sales outsourcing lead generation starter campaign page. Contact Us to learn more about how we can help your business.

B2B Sales Outsourcing Lead Generation Tactics

B2B Sales Outsourcing Lead Generation Tactics

by | Jun 12, 2017

Having useful B2B lead generation tactics is one of the top sales challenges facing many small business that want to grow their sales revenue. And generating a consistent flow of leads is critical in a competitive market. To grow the sales of a solution, establish or maintain a competitive advantage to thrive in today’s sales environment, which requires innovative approaches and hard work.

This is where a B2B sales outsourcing solution may be able to help. A B2B sales outsourcing company can assist you in framing and executing the most current and effective campaigns using modern sales and marketing operations. This will allow you to move faster, implementing the right research, lead generation techniques, and technologies. Your sales team can focus on selling, while your B2B sales outsourcing partner can focus on sustained and consistent lead generation to improve your sales results and help you meet your sales revenue targets.

With so many possible tactics available right now, your B2B sales outsourcing team will help you select the best direction for your business.. The following lead generation tactics are some of the options that will now be at your company’s disposal.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is now a requirement for lead generation success. Over 70% of buyers now prefer to learn about new products or solutions with educational information shared through email. You can share this content through social media campaigns, email-marketing campaigns, and with cold callers on first calls.

Over time, a bonus effect of quality content will enable you to slowly start moving to a higher and higher position in search engine results. A B2B sales outsourcing lead generation company like Gabriel Sales will be able to help you craft educational content that your buyers will enjoy in a short, one to two day content workshop.

Social Media Marketing

Once you have your quality content, you can share that content on social media. For most B2B companies, we recommend starting slowly and saving your best content for social media. The two most effective tools for B2B campaigns are LinkedIn and Twitter (in that order). It is also helpful to share that same content on Facebook and Google +.  Google+ is very helpful to improve search engine results.

Email Marketing to Generate a New B2B Leads

Email marketing is all about communicating through a structured email to generate leads and establish a relationship with potential clients. A B2B sales outsourcing lead generation company will be able to help you navigate through multiple vendors to target as many as 75,000 potential targets for about the fully-loaded costs of one sales development rep for one month. This will typically generate 2000 to 4000 early stage leads.

Email Marketing to Develop and Prioritize B2B Leads 

One of the most significant developments in sales and marketing over the past decade is marketing automation platforms. Marketing automation allows you to share your thought leadership to develop trust and stay top of mind with consumers that are not quite ready to buy.  These same tools also allow you to score leads and predict their readiness to buy based on the content they are engaging with. A B2B sales outsourcing company will be able to help you implement these campaigns and technologies the right way the first time with planned lead generation tactics.

B2B Sales Outsourcing Calling Team

Finally, a lead is only valuable if it turns into an appointment. The days of old school smile and dial and throwing bodies on the phone to generate more leads is over.  A B2B sales outsourcing company will be able to help you immediately staff a trained team of sales development reps that understand how to use content and marketing automation the most effective way possible to set appointments for your closers.

About Gabriel Sales B2B Sales Outsourcing Lead Generation Tactics

We specialize in helping SMBs and start-ups build modern sales and marketing operations. To learn more about our lead generation tactics and how we now view the sales challenges B2B companies now face and how we solve them we invite you to check out our new approach to outsourced sales page or visit our B2B sales outsourcing lead generation starter campaign page.

 

 

Selecting an Outsource Sales Company

Selecting an Outsource Sales Company

by | Jun 7, 2017

 

Many small businesses reach a point in their growth where the owner and/or founders of the small business have:

  • Established an effective business model
  • Have gained traction with a product or solution
  • Have run out of bandwidth to continue to both sell and run the company
  • Simply need capacity help and expertise to ramp their sales efforts

This is when many small businesses will start to evaluate if an outsource sales organization will make sense for their business and growth goals. They will measure this against the costs associated with hiring, recruiting, training, and managing their own team vs. going with an outsourcing company that can immediately build modern sales and marketing operations.

Once you have made the decision to outsource sales you will then have a variety of different types of companies to work with. This article will give you some less obvious tips to address what you should consider when making a final decision on what outsource sales company you should work with. In many cases, these issues are intuitive, but they should not be overlooked as a conscious part of your final decision.

Here are tips for selecting an outsource sales company

Decide what part of the sales funnel you want to outsource. Sales outsourcing can entail many functions. You can focus on new awareness campaigns, outbound lead generation campaigns, opportunity development, and appointment setting and closing.

Choose complementary sales partner. Once you have decided what stage of the sale funnel you want to outsource, it’s important to find the right fit. To short list, its important to understand what types of sales processes the outsource sales company has experience in. SaaS sales that can be completed online with no involvement from a sales rep requires a different type of expertise than more complex sales that require a sales rep to manage the transaction of the sale.  Short sales cycles function differently from sales cycles that are 90 to 180 days. Understand what type of experience the outsource sales company company has, to ensure you’re making the right decision on your sales partner.

What technology do they have experience using. One of the keys to long-term success is getting the right sales and marketing technology stack in place. At a minimum, this now requires a CRM and marketing automation technology to stay top of mind with buyers not ready to purchase immediately. It’s important to understand if the company will be:

  • Using systems
  • What systems they will be using
  • Will you have access to these systems during the engagement
  • What happens if the partnership ends – will they transfer the system or will the system go away?

Are they willing to start slowly and build gradually? Outsourcing all of your sales and marketing activity can be high risk immediately. Costs can quickly run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if you staff marketers, lead gen reps and closers immediately. As discussed above, you should find out if the sales outsourcing company is willing to start with developing the front end of the funnel, and then as the volume of leads increases, are they willing to add resources as needed. This will allow your business to establish relationships and build the working rapport to grow the partnership organically within your organization.

How will you monitor and evaluate your progress? Once your sales outsourcing activities begin, depending on your sales cycle, it can take months or even a year to evaluate how many deals it produces to measure your true ROI. It is important to keep track of meaningful measurements prior to this to understand the relative short-term success or failure of your sales outsourcing strategy. It’s important to understand how and at what frequency your sales outsourcing will provide these metrics –  what they will be measuring and why?

About Our Outsource Sales Services

Gabriel Sales helps small business and start-ups build modern sales and marketing operations.

If you need assistance scaling your company’s revenue, building modern sales and marketing automation or just need to put more sales qualified leads in your closer’s sales funnel, Gabriel Sales may be able to help. To learn more about our approach to outsourced sales, we invite you to check out our sales outsourcing services page.