Owner (of funded healthcare startup): “We need to hire 1-2 inside sales people. Can YOSD help us hire and train them?” Me: “We definitely can. I’m curious, have you considered the option of an outsourced sales team?”
Last year, we helped a couple of clients evaluate and answer the question, “Should you Outsource your sales team or keep it in-house?” There’s no single right answer, and there are many factors to consider for each company situation. Below are 4 key areas to consider as a starting point, and what these companies decided to do:
Location
Are you located in a place where there is good talent available, or good talent willing to move?
To pay people fairly based on cost of living, are you overpaying for the actual role/function?
Do you have the space to house a team, and will that be an issue in the future?
Leadership
Is hiring, training, inspiring, and driving performance a real strength of your leadership team/ sales manager?
Do they have the time to build and manage a great team, or are there other areas where their focus is more important to achieve the company’s goals?
Looking Inward
How complex is your product or service?
Are there seasonal or product cycle fluctuations in your sales?
What are the core competencies of your company that are MOST critical to keep in-house? Is sales one of them?
Looking Forward
How quickly do you need a team built and operating on all cylinders?
What’s the long-term vision for your company and how does sales culture fit in?
After considering the options, the Owner of the healthcare startup decided to outsource. The other company we evaluated, decided to expand in-house.
What’s right for you?