Sales Growth
This month’s Expert Speak comes from Pierpaolo Bertocco, MD, CPM Italy
The outsourcing of the sales force is more relevant than ever. This sales approach is gaining ground amongst both medium-sized local companies and multinationals because of the constant need for cost containment and the need to update their internal organisation with more flexible goals and better performing models in the medium term.
But the question “What can be done with an outsourced sales force?” is still key for each organisation that is facing this sales approach. CPM can offer a simple but strongly effective answer: “Exactly the same as you do with an in-house field force, but with a better control on goals, focus and ROI.” Essentially, outsourcing the sales force means we define, manage and monitor a direct relationship between costs and results. But if we want to go more in-depth, the competitive advantage of the CPM sales outsourcing approach can be summarised in three key pillars. First, the greater focus on sales goals and results. Second, the possibility of creating a strategic mix of human resources engaged directly and those outsourced, thereby ensuring greater flexibility in the size of the sales force and consequently an optimised return on investment. And lastly, an unquestionable advantage in terms of costs and results, plus greater flexibility in the management of the budget.
Blended field force and telesales
In this article, we would like to feature a sterling example of how a strategic sales plan based on the synergic co-work of field force and telesales resource can lead to sustainable sales growth.
When DKV, the European provider of a wide range of services aimed to help transportation and fleet companies, felt the need to activate new customers and promote new services within small & medium businesses in the Italian market, they made contact with us here at CPM Italy.
After setting sales targets, we defined a dedicated field specialists team, focused on improving DKV Fuel Card sales through phone contacts and appointments with fleet managers. The results achieved in terms of sales growth and ROI convinced DKV of CPM’s outsourced field sales force solution. Thus, we were appointed for an even more challenging project which aimed to deliver a brand-new sales approach based on a synergic team working between a focused telesales team and a strongly skilled field sales force team.
The results
The final outcome of the roles became the opposite: the telesales team supporting the field sales force team in closing the deal meanwhile autonomously appointing new clients, speeding up the process and doubling the new clients acquired.
The result? A huge increase of the number of clients and turnover – with over 35% success rate and 30%+ turnover year on year –, over 66 million euro of annual contracts in less than 5 years and a minimum small drop-out rate which confirm the quality of the clients acquired.
Marco Berardelli, Country General Manager, DKV EURO SERVICE Italia, talking about this encompassed sales service project stated: “Outsourcing a part of the sales force was a weighted and innovative decision. We have focused on the prospecting activity and we have achieved in a short time, after a first phase of learning of our Services by the new outsourcing sales agency, a considerable increase in contracts signed through a strong motivational drive, high productivity and flexibility of resources and a convinced result orientation. But that's not all, what most surprised us was the highly professional and proactive attitude of our outsourced sales partner in proposing new innovative sales solutions and communication methods, in order to multiply, with success and in perfect synergy, our sales potential!”
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