No matter your business’s industry, sales and marketing are always essential to success. And when it comes to sales, inside sales reps have a unique set of challenges that many companies overlook. Likewise, most companies that engage in inside sales face particular challenges. 

 

By understanding these challenges and implementing strategies to overcome them, you can improve your chances of success in this selling environment. This blog post will explore some of the most common challenges inside sales teams face and tips for overcoming them. Let’s get started!

 

Managing upgrowing competitors

As technology advances, it has become easier and more accessible for companies to take their operations online, making it difficult for an inside sales representative to stand out from the crowd. 

 

Due to this market shift turning into a battlefield among competitors, every sales rep feels challenged to find new customers and retain them. Everyone around has something different in marketing their products, and many reps go blank when they are questioned comparing other competitors.

 

To overcome this challenge:

 

• Study your competitors and their strategies of marketing.
• Find your potential and how you differ from them, and explain it to your ideal persona.
• Then, share your success stories and valuable comments from satisfied customers who chose you among such competitors.

Getting through to decision-makers

How often does a sales rep reach the decision maker on the first call? It’s infrequent. Before you connect with the critical decision maker, you always connect with an executive assistant, administrator, or receptionist. Though they don’t have authority over deciding about the product or service, they have full authority to stop you from making a sale. They are called gatekeepers, and the relationship between reps and these people has been complex.

 

To overcome this challenge:

 

• First and foremost, manage objections. Make a list of various complaints and try making a concise, thoughtful response for them.
• Ask early on which roles are involved in the decision-making process in their organization. 
• Involve primary decision makers in demos and conference calls as early as possible to provide all information to review on offers and budgets you provide.
• Build trust by being honest and straightforward. Show some success stories where you kept your promises.
• Add value to their time spent and make them trust that you already have a solution to their problem.
• Do something different to break the normal and make them remember you.

All about leads

Depending on the success of the campaigns, leads overflow in every stage of marketing and it has been a significant obstacle sometimes to manage them. Sales reps often waste their time on unqualified leads and miss many opportunities. Picking up qualified leads and nurturing them is one of the tedious tasks for every sales rep, and it has always been difficult. 

 

To overcome this challenge:

 

• Classify your prospects using their profile, needs, decision-making process, and your competition for that particular product or service.
• Using a CRM, leads can be easily segregated depending on their lead score.
• Using the same, schedule reminders and set automated emailing in particular intervals.
• Keep updating them with all up-sell and cross-sell offers after their purchase to nurture them.

Shortage of time to complete tasks 

It’s been prevalent among sales representatives to say, “I don’t have enough time, and I am up to my neck every day. But still, there are many unfinished tasks.”  

You have to make cold calls, schedule meetings, follow the prospects, nurture leads, etc., and a day is never enough to do all these. 

 

To overcome this challenge:

 

• Invest in CRM for the sales team and automate manual work such as scheduling, e-mailing, making appointments, etc.

Related: Inside Sales: Why is CRM necessary?

 

• It is also essential to ensure that the sales rep does not get distracted by the external office noises.
• To enhance your productivity, ensure that your work environment gives you a chance to execute.
• If you are the best worker in silent surroundings, invest in noise-cancellation headphones and work peacefully.

Related: Must-Have Tools for Inside Sales: Pay Attention!

 

Every sales rep faces many challenges daily in inside sales as it is intense and difficult to have complete knowledge. The only thing a salesperson can do is keep track of his challenges and try figuring out solutions in his unique way. By understanding the most common challenges inside sales reps face and how to overcome them, you can give your team the tools they need to be more successful in their roles.