9 Ways to Optimize Outsourced Sales for Startups

Written by Adam Grossman

An ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development, he is a cofounder and the Chief Development Officer at The Selling Factory.

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Has your company ever struggled to balance your sales with running the rest of your business? The average sales conversion rates across all industries are already low enough. It’s even more difficult if you don’t have the staff to turn those numbers in your favor. 

One way to handle that issue is by using outsourced services. Instead of building your own sales team, you borrow one that already exists. 

Here are nine ways to optimize outsourced sales for startups so you can get the most profit out of your investment. 

1. Define Your Sales Goals

First of all, figure out what exactly you want out of your sales team. Measurable and achievable sales goals are essential if you want to build your team the right way. They can help you gauge the success of your sales team and if you need to increase their numbers. 

What are your specific sales goals for the next year? How about the next month? What do you expect from your team and what does your business need to survive? 

2. Find the Right Provider

Once you know what you need from your sales team, you can look for the right provider. Some of the benefits of a turnkey sales team are saving money, gaining resources, and getting experienced employees without needing to train them. 

Ideally, the outsourced services should be able to handle whatever you throw at them in little to no time. If you know that business picks up during a specific season, they should be able to help you handle the extra work. 

Do your research and ask for references. Get a proposal of their services and pricing. Always try to get the best value for your money. 

3. Outsource Lead Generation

One of the best purposes of an outsourced sales team is that they can focus on generating leads for your more knowledgeable team to follow up with. This can be done by assigning them to your marketing campaigns or even assigning them to handle overflow needs. 

What matters most is that you aren’t wasting your most talented manpower on generating leads. Give the outsourced team a specific set of leads or a number to meet every day. This is especially helpful if you don’t have much experience in the area and you’re short on sales staff. 

4. Outsource Cold Calls

Easily one of the worst parts of sales is the dreaded cold call. You can have years of experience in the field, but you never know how it’s going to turn out. It’s definitely not a job for someone who responds poorly to negativity. 

If you want to avoid making cold calls, you can always rely on your outsourced sales team. They can provide outbound sales and support or help with other related tasks. Meanwhile, the rest of your company’s internal team can focus more on converting leads and maintaining current clients. 

5. Define Your Scope of Services

In addition to determining your sales goals, your company should also determine what kind of services you actually need. Do you need the new team to increase overall revenue or will they be more focused on lead generation?

The last thing you want is to hire outsourced services and not have work for them to do. It’s a waste of your money and their time. Instead, always have some kind of task lined up for them so they can keep working on your behalf. 

6. Follow Up With Leads

While your outsourced team is dealing with generating leads and making cold calls, your internal team can focus on the leads you already have. You can follow up with them, qualify leads, and nurture the established ones. 

If you need that extra bit of help, outsourced sales development reps also have the required expertise. They’ll know things like the best times to make certain calls and how to seal the deal. While they may not know as much about your brand, they have more experience in that area. 

7. Enter a New Market

Sometimes outsourced sales optimization requires trying out a new market. However, you may not have the resources necessary to do so. Outsourcing allows you to explore different avenues without investing a lot of time and money into building up a whole new team. 

Additionally, these outsourced services often have much more experience than your startup at navigating these other markets. 

8. Train Your Sales Team

Despite their experience, you can’t assume that an outsourced sales team will know how to sell your product as soon as they start. They’ll still need some level of training and onboarding to understand your brand and your product. 

For example, what is the general process for your company’s sales? It may be much simpler or more complicated than what they’re used to.

The sales team should be able to answer any questions about your product or service. This is especially important if they’re expected to make cold calls or generate new leads. 

They should also understand your target market. Provide information such as your audience’s demographics and buying history. 

9. Manage Them From Inside Your Company

The final key to outsourced sales optimization is to manage them using your own resources. Even though they aren’t your own sales team, they’re still under your command.

Provide any resources they need and stay in communication with them. This may involve setting up weekly calls or sending updates on your company’s progress. You should also hold them accountable for their performance by setting up and tracking KPIs. 

Try Outsourced Sales for Startups

Optimizing outsourced sales for startups isn’t easy, especially when it’s your first time trying it out. However, following these nine tips should help you gain an advantage over the competition. It’ll also help you save time and money on building your own sales team. 

The Selling Factory provides outsourced work to college students. Let them do the research, make calls, and generate leads on behalf of your company. Contact us to learn more and get a free consultation. 

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com