When you are scaling to a new territory, sales development is going to be extremely important to your success. Traditionally of course, you would setup an office in the new country but the hassle involved in getting everything up and running makes this a lengthy, costly and potentially risky option. You would have to find a property, spend time hiring local sales staff and giving them long enough to become successful. Then there’s the local laws and taxes, market dynamics, possibly even a new language and a whole load of other stuff that is actually hampering your sales development rather than improving it. The important things to understand about sales development is that there are two types of leads it can bring in and the fact that you’ll have to use both if you want optimal results.
Inbound Marketing
The first type of lead is known as an inbound lead and this is generated by the marketing department. They are able to get leads by taking a strategic approach to creating valuable content that aligns with the needs of the target audiences and inspires a long-term customer relationship. Despite the lead being generated by the marketing department, it will still need to be handed off to an SDR so they can qualify it. This involves engaging with that lead and qualifying their intent to purchase a product or service before deciding whether to spend more company resources pursuing this lead. Remember, just because they contacted you does not guarantee a sale and sometimes it is just better to move on to a more promising prospect. However, if the SDR decides it is worth continuing with the inbound prospect, the lead will be given to a business development manager.
Outbound Marketing
The second type of lead is commonly known as an outbound prospect and is a lead that has been found by the SDR. What happens is that the SDR identifies a lead that they believe would benefit from buying the product or service on offer. The SDR will discover leads through extensive research and an in-depth knowledge of the buyer persona.
Once an SDR has identified a lead that they wish to sell to, they will need to find a way to connect with that prospect. This is most often done by phone but increasingly, SDRs are using other outreach methods which may be more appropriate for the prospect they have in mind. These can include email, social channels like LinkedIn or even face-to-face contact at conferences and events. Regardless of how an SDR connects with a lead, the objective is always to get a positive response. This allows the SDR to open a conversation and begin to develop a relationship. In the process of developing that relationship, the SDR will be able to gauge the buying intention of the lead and drive them towards having a phone call with the business development manager.
What Makes SDRaaS Different?
Before you commit any resources to a new territory, you should remember that Aexus already have people on the ground who are ready to get your sales development off to the best possible start. You can even use us to test the appetite in the market for your product or service. This makes us a very cost-effective option.
What’s more, our people work to proven methodologies, are data driven and work with all the latest tools and technologies in order to streamline their activities. We also use the full range of outreach methods including phone, email, social and more. By covering all these bases with our SDR as a Service, we can give your sales development the boost it needs in any new territory.