Breaking down the key characteristics of a sales agency

When you’re searching for the right sales agency to partner with, there are several key characteristics you should look out for as a buyer. It might seem like an overwhelming task to sift through so many different agencies and their varying services. Still, with a bit of research and careful consideration, you can narrow down your search and find the perfect fit for your company. What’s more, when you work with an agency that matches your company’s needs in these key areas, it shows that the agency is proactively looking out for all of its clients. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at five key characteristics of the highest-quality sales agencies. Read on to learn more about these hidden gems that every agency should have if they want to succeed in the long term.

Know when to enlist a sales agency

Many salespeople outside of sales agencies enter the industry specifically because they’re intrigued by the prospect of making money without ever working directly with customers. They might have a degree in marketing, a relevant skill set, or both, so they’re able to make cold calls, prospect for new sales opportunities, and handle all the other business development tasks that are part of the sales process. You should consider hiring an agency only if you’re starting out in sales and don’t have experience managing customers or closing deals. If you have the skills and experience you need to succeed in sales, you might find that the time and effort required to establish and maintain an in-house sales team is more time-consuming and costly than hiring an outside agency.

Highly trained and certified staff

Many agencies focus on hiring experienced sales professionals, but it’s rare to find an agency that hires only staff with sales management credentials or certification. In fact, most sales management credentials are relatively new and are only recently becoming common practice in the sales industry. If an agency only has a few employees who have managed sales teams and staff who have scored sales management credentials, it shows that the entire team has been carefully selected and is fully trained to support the company’s sales goals. It’s also important to note that a sales management certification shows that the staff have been fully trained in all aspects of sales management and have received a standard of competence that sets them apart from the rest of the company’s employees.

Outbound and inbound sales equivalencies

It’s easy to think that an outside sales agency has the advantage because they have a larger reach and can reach out to more customers than you can on your own. This is true in certain cases, but it’s important to realize that the sales process is a two-way street and not just a one-way street where the salesperson makes a sale and leaves the customer to deal with the billing and service issues. If you and your sales team are the only ones working with your customers and clients, the sales and marketing teams need to have a strong working relationship in order to successfully manage the customer relationship. An outsourced sales agency should be capable of closing deals on your behalf while also helping your sales and marketing teams manage their relationships with customers and clients. This means that the sales agency should help close deals while also helping your sales and marketing teams manage their relationships with customers.

Collaborative partnerships with prospects and clients

A good sales agency partner should be able to find and work with the right customers for your company, but it’s also important for your sales and marketing teams to understand where potential customers are coming from and how to use this information to their advantage. For example, if a sale is made and a customer is from a new account type (like a government agency), there are a few different ways your sales team might work with the customer to close the deal. You can either:

• Call the customer back to follow up (an inbound sale)
• Follow up with the customer’s manager or someone in the company’s sales team (an outbound sale)
• Contact your business development manager to see if they can find a solution (a collaborative sale)

Supplier management and onsite training

It’s critical for your sales agency to have a signed, legal contract with your company. In some cases, sales agencies may claim to have signed contracts with clients, but these agreements may have been signed under pressure, or they may be written in another language that’s illegible to your sales team. Furthermore, it’s important to have a clear contract with your sales agency that details specific responsibilities and expectations for both companies. Having a process for managing suppliers is another key component of a successful sales partnership. You need to be sure that your sales agency has a clear process for managing suppliers, both on their own and in conjunction with your company.

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