How to Build an Outbound Sales Team in 7 Steps

Without having a dynamic and effective outbound sales team, your hopes of expanding market reach and boosting revenue will not be met.

Even if you have top-notch products or services, the full potential of your business remains out of reach without a strategic and agile sales force. This guide recognizes the pivotal role that a robust sales team plays and aims to be your compass in navigating the intricate process of building and managing one.

The outbound sales landscape is dynamic, and what works today will need tweaking tomorrow. Our goal is to equip you with insights, strategies, and practical advice that withstand the test of time.

Let's dive into the world of outbound sales excellence!

Creating a robust sales team structure is crucial for long-term success. The first step in this process is to divide your team into distinct roles: Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and Account Executives (AEs).

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs): These are your lead generators, the trailblazers of your team. Their primary responsibility is to delve into the market, identify potential leads, and initiate the first contact. Picture them as the scouts, mapping out the terrain for future success.

Account Executives (AEs): On the other side of the spectrum, you have your deal-closers, the AEs. Once the leads have been identified and warmed up by the SDRs, it's the AEs' time to shine. They're the smooth talkers, the negotiators, responsible for sealing the deal and turning potential into profit.

Now, why is this division essential? Because it helps both focus on their specific tasks to achieve success. Each team member knows their steps and when to make their move. SDRs pave the way, and AEs take center stage when the time is right.

By clearly defining these roles, you're not just organizing your team: you're setting yourself up for success. You create a streamlined workflow where everyone plays to their strengths, maximizing efficiency and, ultimately, boosting your chances of success.

Navigating the path to success requires a clear roadmap, and that's where specifying your goals every quarter comes into play.

It's not just about setting targets; it's about creating a dynamic framework that keeps your team on track, motivated, and aligned with the grand vision of your business.

Think of quarterly goals as milestones along the journey to success. These aren't just random targets; they're carefully crafted objectives that are both clear and achievable.

The clarity ensures that everyone on your team understands what's expected, while achievability keeps motivation high by showcasing progress.

You could perform a PIP to help them achieve their goals.

Your quarterly goals shouldn't operate in a silo – they need to sync harmoniously with your overall business objectives.

Whether your focus is on increasing lead generation, closing more deals, or conquering new markets, each quarterly goal should be a strategic stepping stone toward the bigger picture.

Success lies in the details. Break down your goals into specific and measurable targets. Instead of a vague aim to "increase sales," aim for specifics like a 20% growth in lead conversion or securing a set number of new clients.

This precision guides your team and provides tangible markers for success.

Picture these quarterly goals are the checkpoints you should cross off. Each one signifies progress and fuels the motivation to tackle the next deal.

The tools you choose can make all the difference between mediocrity and mastery.

At SalesPipe, we're on a mission not just to meet but exceed expectations, and that begins with a carefully curated arsenal of sales tools that empower our team for success.

When reaching the right audience, Apollo.io is our go-to companion. Its advanced capabilities in outreach and prospecting empower our team to pinpoint potential leads with surgical precision.

With detailed insights and a robust database, Apollo.io ensures that every outreach effort is not just a shot in the dark but a targeted and informed connection.

And it's connection to LinkedIn and social selling allows us to double our prospects in the blink of an eye!

Working with a certified Apollo.io agency will help you get the most out of Apollo.

Your message is only as effective as its delivery.

Unfiltered.ai is your solution to poor email deliverability.

After all, ensuring optimal email deliverability is crucial, and this tool is our guardian angel in navigating the complexities of the inbox.

It's not just about sending emails; it's about making sure they land where they matter – in your prospect's inbox. If they don't, you will never be able to tell if your strategy or messaging is actually working.

Keep your mailbox healthy and your emails read with Unfiltered.

Prospecting is an art, and Sales Navigator is our canvas. There's a reason it's most people's BFF when it comes to B2B sales.

With its robust features for lead generation, persona building, and social selling, Sales Navigator becomes our compass in navigating the vast terrain of potential opportunities.

It's about more than just finding leads, it's about forging meaningful connections.

Sales is not a solitary endeavor - it's a team effort.

Here's where Notion steps in, transcending the boundaries of traditional project management.

By seamlessly integrating Notion into our toolkit, we don't just manage projects: we cultivate a collaborative environment where ideas flow freely, and tasks seamlessly align with our sales strategies.

With real-time messaging, Slack ensures our fully remote, worldwide, asynchronous team stays connected, fostering a culture where ideas flow freely, and decisions unfold effortlessly.

Channels serve as virtual meeting rooms, allowing discussions to transcend physical barriers, while the platform seamlessly integrates into our toolkit, becoming a thread woven through our sales strategies.

Selecting the right sales tools is more than a choice. It's a strategic investment in your team's capabilities.

When you're building your toolkit for your outbound sales team, make sure to take this into account!

Building an in-house team before venturing into outsourcing will help you ensure you've got a solid foundation for your outsourced specialists. The initial investment in an in-house team serves a dual purpose: it fosters developing a robust company culture.

It cultivates a profound understanding of your products or services. This internal team becomes the heartbeat of your organization, embodying the values that define your brand.

The in-house phase is critical for building camaraderie, establishing workflows, and instilling a shared vision among team members. The deep product knowledge gained during this phase becomes an invaluable asset, ensuring that your sales force isn't just knowledgeable but passionate advocates for what your business offers.

Once this internal team is firmly rooted, the prospect of sales outsourcing arises as a strategic move to scale operations. It's not just about expanding: it's about leveraging external expertise to complement the strengths of your in-house team.

When considering outsourcing, it's crucial to orchestrate a seamless transition.

The experienced hands within your in-house team become mentors and guides for the outsourced team, ensuring the knowledge transfer is smooth and comprehensive.

They bring the outsourced team up to speed on your company culture, sales strategies, and product intricacies. This not only accelerates the learning curve for the new team but also maintains the high standards set by your in-house team.

Empowering your sales team to craft their playbook is not just about giving them a task: it's about fostering a culture of ownership and innovation, ensuring collaboration between SDRs and AEs.

It's a strategic move, as it harnesses the collective wisdom of your team. SDRs, with their pulse on lead generation, and AEs, with their finesse in closing deals, become the architects of an intricate playbook.

It delves into the nuances of objection handling and closing approaches, creating a holistic approach that covers every stage of the buyers journey.

The beauty of this dynamic playbook lies in its adaptability. It's not a static document but a living, breathing entity that evolves with market dynamics. Your team will continually refine and enhance the playbook, creating a culture of continuous improvement.

It will also cultivate a sense of ownership and camaraderie within the team. It's a testament to the belief that the best strategies are often born from the minds that are immersed in the day-to-day intricacies of the job.

By letting them shape the playbook, you instill a mindset of proactivity and adaptability that permeates every aspect of your sales team's approach.

Success in sales requires more than just occasional check-ins: it demands a perpetual commitment to evaluation and adjustment.

Implementing a culture of perpetual testing and metric monitoring is more than a strategy. You want to generate a collective awareness within your outbound sales team that the pursuit of excellence is an achievable goal and a never-ending endeavor.

From conversion rates to response times, every metric becomes a piece of data contributing to the larger puzzle of success. This data-driven approach helps glean actionable insights that guide your team's trajectory.

Regularly assessing your team's performance will easily steer you toward areas that need refinement and optimization. You don't need to be waiting for quarterly reviews or annual reports when you have a real-time awareness that allows for quick identification of both strengths and areas that warrant improvement.

This commitment to continuous testing and metric monitoring is more than a best practice; it's a competitive advantage. In an environment where change is constant, the ability to adapt swiftly and strategically is the differentiator between good and exceptional.

Communication is the backbone of a successful business.

Facilitate regular communication between sales teams, marketing, and customer success teams. This collaboration ensures a holistic approach to customer engagement and enables the sharing of valuable insights.

Break down silos to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across all departments.

By pushing all teams to communicate, you're fostering a community and finding spots for improvement. It's a domino effect, where a suggestion from the marketing team sparks innovation in sales, and a customer success insight triggers a new approach in marketing.

You want to encourage the flow of ideas and let collaboration flow throughout the team.

Building a successful outbound sales team is a multifaceted process that requires strategic planning, clear goals, and effective communication.

By following these seven steps, you can create a dynamic and high-performing team that not only meets but exceeds your business objectives. Remember, the key to success lies in adaptability, constant improvement, and fostering a collaborative culture within your organization.

And if you're after SDRs ready to help you achieve your outbound goals, make sure to get in touch with our team!