Introduction to online and field sales:
Traditionally, field sales and inside sales have had their distinct domains. Field salespeople conducted most of the heavy labor, meeting with customers in person. Inside salespeople sold via the phone and the Internet and were in charge of simple items, small and remote clients, and simpler sales activities, including lead generation and renewals.
However, field sales utilize online technologies like automated field sales tracking solutions in today’s digital age. At the same time, inside sales are encroaching on-field sales territory. As a result, businesses must reconsider how they structure, hire, support, manage, and incentivize their field and inside sales staff.
The digital revolution drives the convergence of field and inside sales in three ways. First, digital enables freemium and subscription sales organizations, which direct clients to digital and inside sales channels rather than costly field personnel.
Second, as technology improves, digital communication tools have grown more commonplace. Customers and salespeople (both inside and outside) are increasingly using email, live video, online tools, field force automation solutions, and websites to share information, develop and evaluate alternatives, and complete sales transactions.
Finally, data and analytics influence more salespeople, sales managers, field force managers, and sales leaders in online sales. Companies have always concentrated heavily on field sales, but the sector is changing. Online sales are expanding at a 15x quicker rate than outside sales.
Key differences between them:
The primary distinction between inside & outside sales is the salesperson’s interactions with customers. Field sales are conducted in the field via face-to-face talks. Online sales are conducted over the phone or the Internet.
Other distinguishing criteria include client acquisition expenses, revenue predictability, and the types of talents salespeople must possess to thrive.
Why choose online sales over field sales?
According to anecdotal evidence, inside sales teams grow 15 times faster than outside sales teams. Companies are putting their faith in in-house teams. It can be ascribed to causes such as the expansion of software companies and that more businesses are now selling to customers worldwide.
Another element that helps inside sales is that they spend, on average, 71 percent of their day selling. Due to longer travel times and difficulties coordinating face-to-face meetings, field sales representatives only spend 41 percent of their time.
With the rise of digital products and services, scheduling product demos via video calls utilizing Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, or similar applications is possible. Field sales teams can concentrate on less volume and spend more time with enterprise clients with particular demands and long sales cycles.
As measured solely in dollars and cents, field sales necessitate a higher investment to succeed. Outside sales representatives earn 12-18% more per year than inside sales representatives. Travel costs are undoubtedly higher due to the increased need to visit clients in various geographic locations.
As businesses look for new ways to sell more for less, harnessing the resources of an efficient and productive online sales staff leads to considerable cost savings while keeping production at the same, if not greater, level than before.
Final Thoughts:
Most businesses establish a balance between internal and external sales, as we’ve seen. It is less expensive and more scalable to build an inside sales team. However, if you’re dealing with big clients with lengthy sales cycles, an outside sales force might be a better fit for your company. All you need is a sales tracking software to conduct efficient business!