Successful B2B sales following the Inside Sales Model

How brands relate to their customers has evolved with the emergence of new digital channels. And companies have incorporated these new channels into their customer relationship services. Customers, increasingly informed and demanding, also require close and customized attention, so they will want to have a personal advisor who understands their needs and offers tailor-made products or services.

This reality has provided the opportunity to create a new sales service model that focuses on offering end customers a high-value proposal. Highly-qualified agents who, assisted by Artificial Intelligence tools and analytical technologies, optimize decision-making and complex problem-solving. As a result, we can deliver memorable experiences to end customers.

How to succeed in B2B sales

This type of service has grown exponentially due to the pandemic, in which remote service was encouraged. The Inside Sales professional model has arisen from the need to replace and/or complement the traditional face-to-face network, commonly known as ‘door-to-door’, for a profile that offers the same services but from a workplace or electronically. In this context, it also has the advantage of relying on analytical technology and Artificial Intelligence tools to perform its function more successfully and efficiently. 

The SME segment in B2B sales probably best responds to this sales model. Let’s consider that (according to the United Nations) there are more than 200 million companies in the world in this segment. We can assess the high potential of commercial activity that can be developed following the Inside Sales model.

Customer Experience centers can find opportunities in this service, as it represents an evolution of their activity in the B2B sales field. Professionalization of the sales profile and the technological tools used to make it more effective and durable are the basis of a service that shifts the traditional telemarketing sales paradigm.

B2B Sales: profile of the Inside Sales professional

The Inside Sales profile does not directly correspond to the professional telemarketing profile, as each has a different function. Telemarketing in general is based on a single call with a pre-defined script in which the professional focuses on selling a product or service to the customer. On the other hand, Inside Sales identifies and captures business development opportunities with current and potential customers through tools (virtual demos, video conferences, chats, emailing phone contact) and employing advanced analytics.

Inside Sales services are here to offer a complete end-user service that in turn, generates a better and more personalized Customer Experience.

The Inside Sales professional stands out mainly for 4 aspects:

• Consulting role. Through their complete vision of the customer’s history with the brand they represent, the Inside Sales salesperson provides customized advice to meet the customer’s real needs. The very nature of these services allows them to take more time to listen and prepare personalized offers.
• Specialization through Training. We can go one step further and not limit ourselves to only training professionals in the products or services they represent. They must also have extensive knowledge of the sector in which they work. In the Telecommunications industry, for example, they should have advanced knowledge of the latest technology such as 5G, IoT, Big Data, Cybersecurity, etc. We can clearly see how training is a crucial pillar of these services. The norm is to give weekly trainings in products, trends, market and competition, with a minimum duration of 1 to 2 hours.
• Use of Digital Channels to communicate with the customer. Social Media, Instant Messaging, Chat and Video Calls are the tools used by Inside Sales professionals to communicate with their customers. Phone call is still a main one, but other channels with other benefits are increasingly being used. Using a complete mix depending on the moment and need presents a significant advantage with a direct effect in improving the Experience.

• Use of analytical and Artificial Intelligence capabilities. This aspect is decisive since it achieves a double objective: on the one hand, it makes the professional’s activity more efficient, and on the other, it increases the success in sales and, therefore, in the Customer Experience. Artificial Intelligence would help achieve greater efficiency, for example, by automating day-to-day processes and activities, while analytical technology would help determine in greater detail the moment your customer is in, with a 360º vision of their journey, and to accompany them in their Customer Journey by offering services or products 100% adapted to their particular needs.