Whether you’re just starting your business or you’ve been selling your product for longer than you can remember, going about creating an inside sales force is never easy. Developing an inside sales force requires time, money, and––even more––direction. That said, an inside sales force might be just what your company needs to move to the next level.

In order to determine if an inside sales force is right for your business, pinpoint exactly what is lacking from your business sales mix. Are your long-time clients leaving you for greener pastures? Or has new business been nonexistent? Perhaps you simply want to resolve some operational issues that you have with the current outside sales force. Regardless, it’s important to determine what you want from an inside sales force in order to find out if you even need one.

Maybe your goal is to increase the number of new clients your business services every year. If you’re selling a technical or specialized product, like digital video editing software, an inside sales force may be just what you need to draw in new clients and pamper them along the way. The inside sales force will communicate what’s unique about your product and how your company differs from the competition, all while maintaining that “sales edge” when communicating with potential clients.

But what if you just want to keep the business you have and help those accounts grow? An inside sales force can help with that, too, by contacting existing clientele and helping those relationships grow. Loyal customers will appreciate hearing about your new and improved products or services and the referrals generated from those satisfied long-time customers may make an inside sales force worthwhile.

In order for your new team to work, it will need direction from a leader. You or a designated sales manager will have to establish roles, create goals and monitor performance of each inside salesperson.

If your reason for hiring for an inside sales force isn’t clear, or you don't have the time to effectively train and manage new staff, it may be best to wait until you have more clarity or resources.

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