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Business Profitability: 3 Reasons Why Inside Sales More Effective Than Before

 

Recent advances in internet-based enterprise technology has had a seismic impact on the way business is conducted. Transaction processing is much easier and faster, and customer relationship management is more efficient, improving the efficacy and profitability of inside sales. Here are a few reasons why every burgeoning entrepreneur needs to consider making inside sales part of their overall marketing strategy.

 

 

A much greater level of qualified lead generation

In previous eras, small business owners had good reason to be incredulous about the effectiveness of inside selling. The process of generating qualified leads through cold calling and direct mail marketing was a time-consuming activity that could not be depended on to deliver a consistent return on investment. However, the ubiquity of social media now allows salespeople to pursue connections with consumers who have been pre-qualified through precise metadata filtering. By using a big data approach, a founder can maximize ROI by only making contact with potential clients who are actually in the market for the services and products the company provides.

 

Web conferencing tools are hugely empowering

Another way recent technology advances have made inside selling more powerful is through the emergence of high-quality online meeting utilities. Whereas in the past inside sales teams had to negotiate the problem of being unable to engage with consumers visually and aurally at the same time, services like GoToMeeting make it a cinch to pitch to potential customers with a multidimensional presentation that includes text, video and graphics. As this Forbes article notes, the power to give remote product demonstrations cannot be overstated.

 

Now and in the future, the digital is the primary sale channel

Although it would be a mistake to discount the strength of customer relationships that were forged in person or to simply write off the still sizable segment of the population that is uncomfortable making purchases online, digital is the primary sales channel of the 21st century. In order to keep their businesses competitive and cost-effective going forward, contemporary entrepreneurs need to be focused on migrating their company's operations into the digital space, regardless of industry. As such, developing a top-flight inside sales team now is of the utmost importance to the long-term success of your business.

 

 

This article was written by Mario McKellop for CBS Small Business Pulse.
 

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