If you are looking for a career in inside sales, you are
in a hot field. More and more companies are shrinking their outside field sales
forces to not only cut costs but also to align better with more knowledgeable buyers.
Too meet the increased demands, many of our clients have
lowered the experience required to be hired as an inside sales rep. Because of
this their hiring, branding, on-boarding, training, career-pathing and
engagement strategies for inside sales have changed dramatically to meet the
needs of a different workforce.
What about salary? Though average compensation for new
reps is down a bit, salary levels for experienced inside sales reps remains
high. The value of the role is still very much intact. In fact more and more
B2B firms are investing heavily in their inside sales forces because they
recognize the cost savings and efficiencies that can be achieved versus relying
solely upon more traditional field sales teams.
Another interesting and positive trend is that inside
sales teams responsible for lead generation are reporting increasingly directly
to sales rather than marketing. This speaks to their more direct link to revenue
creation than just brand awareness.
