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Creating an Inside Sales Career Path

Posted by Patrice Murray on Thu, Apr 14, 2011
 


The number of Inside Sales departments is projected to grow from 800K (in 2009) to over 2M (in 2013) - according to SKKU/infoUSA research (PDF).

Steve Watts from The Sales Insider argues:

A 300% increase isn’t a “minor trend,” or a “significant shift.” It’s a Revolution.

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But what happens when an Inside Sales Rep is ready for something new and different? Does their career path always mean staying “inside?”

Some view Inside Sales as a stepping stone. But the days of "hungry", first job out of college-Reps pounding the phones are largely gone.

In order to be effective in today's B2B climate - companies are investing heavily in training, enabling & equiping Inside Reps. Why would you then let someone with a solid understanding of your products/services, value proposition, messaging as well as buyers leave your organization? 
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With average tenure for Inside Reps at  2.9 years (see our research), companies need to have an action plan for transitioning these valuable resources. Having a well thought out career path is a key component of that planning.  Here are some thoughts around career pathing:
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  • Provide professional development tools
    Give the team great books on selling, marketing, time management or work/life balance.  Those that care about their careers will care about personal development. Help them figure out what they want their next step to look like.
    . 
  • Encourage them to attend relevant webinars and events
    There are great events such as local AA-ISP Chapter meeting or their annual Summit. Sales & Marketing conferences are also a great place to talk shop and hear speakers that are on the cutting edge.
    . 
  • Implement a mentoring or leadership program
    Let your more experienced Reps work with new hires, partner with existing hires or spend a day every quarter shadowing you so they can see what it is like to be a Sales Leader.
    . 
  • Marketing and Sales are intertwining
    Allow your reps to work more closely with marketing to gain a better understanding of marketing roles and opportunities as a possible career path.  A solid foundation in sales is great experience and translates well into effective marketing skills.
    . 
  • Get out there and get face to face
    Consider having your Inside Sales Reps work alongside your Outside Reps on client visits or sales presentations to gain firsthand insight into field sales and the skills required.
    . 

Finding and keeping great personnel is a key component of any business. You are still going to have attrition, but having a career path plan will limit your exposure. And that's a good thing.

How have you implemented effective career pathing in your organization?

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Patrice Murray is an Inside Sales Consultant. She works with Bridge Group clients maximizing their inbound and outbound calling campaigns to build robust pipelines.

(Photo credit: pedromourapinheiro)

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COMMENTS

The demand for above average Inside Sales talent already outstrips supply. If the grow forecast for 2013 becomes a reality, companies should gear up for what strategy consulting firm McKinsey & Co. outlines in their report "The War for Talent" which essentially says that the most critical corporate resource is talent and that resource is also in the shortest supply. 
 
Top performing Inside Sales professionals realize they have the leverage in the market and keep their ears open to opportunities that are stronger than their existing situation. This talent gravitates to companies that offer the greatest chance for success. 
 
I counsel every Sales professional I talk with to evaluate opportunities - starting with their current role - based on resources (sales training, Marketing support, sales tools, etc.), career path (how often do people get promoted?), culture, market share, compensation (including % of team above quota) and most importantly the Sales Manager. 
 
Companies that fail to provide a realistic career trajectory for top performers do so at the risk of becoming a "talent feeder" for those that do.  
 
 
Chris Corcoran 
Founding Partner 
NavyHorse 
www.navyhorse.com 

posted @ Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:46 AM by Chris Corcoran

First, thanks for the comment and the mention.  
 
Second, InsideSales.com is almost the perfect "incubator" for some of the talking points you mention.  
 
We have a broad range of sales reps, of varying ages and experience, and I'd say that the 2.9 year average tenure mark is almost spot on for our sales organization (some stay much longer, some stay less).  
 
The question most of our sales reps end up having to decide when planning their career path is, "Am I looking to go vertical, or merely horizontal with better pay opportunities?"  
 
A sales rep looking to move into a management role will need to be working and developing those skills, as well as their various sales-related ones.  
 
Also about Chris's comment: "Companies that fail to provide a realistic career trajectory for top performers do so at the risk of becoming a "talent feeder" for those that do."  
 
So, so, true. Sales is competitive. It's a business role that every company needs. There's always going to be "greener pastures" for top talent. Keeping the best people has to be a company-wide mandate.

posted @ Thursday, April 14, 2011 11:54 AM by Steve Watts

Thanks to all who commented. As we know, retaining great sales talent is not something to be taken lightly, and that nurturing the professionals you've already invested in is key.

posted @ Friday, April 15, 2011 12:42 PM by Patrice Murray

Patrice, I found your comments about the projected growth of Inside Sales 
 
to be really interesting. Without a doubt, Inside Sales is an effective way to increase pipeline activity for an Outside Sales force. Although outside reps sometimes try and do their own lead generation, this usually tends to be counterproductive, because they have so many things on their plate.  
 
 
 
Technology has now made it possible for Inside Sales people to work out of a home office environment, which increases productivity even more. But to work independently, Inside Sales people must be self-motivated, and be able to produce results without having to be guided by a manager on a daily basis.

posted @ Sunday, April 17, 2011 9:54 AM by Carl Coerdt

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