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Unleash the Power of Inside Sales in Your B2B Organization
Maciek Marchlewski
7 min
The B2B landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. Gone are the days when marketing was all about brochures and trade shows, and sales relied solely on face-to-face meetings and “wining and dining.” Today’s buyers are digitally savvy, self-sufficient, and demand a seamless, personalized experience. This chart below—illustrating the “Sales Innovation Gap”—highlights how B2C experiences have steadily risen to meet modern expectations, while many B2B approaches have stagnated.
This shift has given rise to inside sales, a model that leverages technology and data to engage with customers remotely and efficiently.
Why business are choosing Inside Sales function to close the Gap
The growth of inside sales has been nothing short of exponential. In the past decade, it has grown 300% faster than traditional sales 1. This surge is driven by several factors:
- Changing Buyer Behavior: B2B buyers are increasingly mirroring B2C consumers in their preference for digital interactions and self-service. They conduct extensive research online and expect a seamless, personalized experience throughout their journey
2. - Cost-Effectiveness: Inside sales eliminates the high costs associated with travel, accommodation, and entertainment, allowing businesses to allocate resources more efficiently 3.
- Increased Reach and Scalability: Inside sales teams can engage with prospects globally from a centralized location, expanding reach and market penetration without geographical limitations 4.
- Technological Advancements: A plethora of SaaS-based tools empower inside sales teams to automate tasks, gather data, and personalize interactions at scale 5.
- Shorter Sales Cycles: Inside sales can significantly shorten sales cycles by enabling faster communication, streamlined processes, and quicker access to information. This allows businesses to close deals more rapidly, improve cash flow, and pivot quickly to adapt to market changes 6 . For example, instead of waiting for a scheduled in-person meeting, inside sales reps can leverage digital tools to connect with decision-makers instantly, provide immediate answers to questions, and accelerate the negotiation process. This agility is crucial in today's dynamic business environment
This shift has profound implications for both sales and marketing professionals. Sales teams need to adapt to a digital-first approach, honing their virtual communication skills and leveraging data to drive informed decisions.
Marketing, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly intertwined with sales, providing content, insights, and support throughout the customer journey.
Inside Sales: Why Marketing & RevOps Should Take the Lead
Ouch, I said it.
Because I’ve always worked in marketing across both B2C and B2B, I’ll admit I’m biased—but hear me out. A huge reason inside sales succeeds is its ability to bridge the gap in buyer experience (the “Sales Innovation Gap,” as Winning by Design calls it). B2C buying habits are favored more and more today, and some of the best B2C sellers come from a marketing mindset. We need that kind of thinking in inside sales so we can deliver exactly what buyers want—fast, with minimal back-and-forth—through a self-serve, personalized experience.
Marketers excel at crafting seamless, customer-centric journeys and are uniquely equipped to lead this evolution. After all, the success of inside sales hinges on bridging traditional sales methods with modern buyer expectations, and no one does that better than marketing.
Expand the list below to see all pros & cons
Don’t Just Take My Word for It—Check Out These Case Studies
If you’re still on the fence about inside sales, just look at how these forward-thinking companies have turned it into their competitive edge. Most of them also incorporate account-based marketing (ABM) to zero in on high-value targets and deliver ultra-personalized campaigns. Here’s the proof
DealHub
By leveraging intent data and ABM strategies within their inside sales approach, DealHub achieved a remarkable 55% increase in inbound traffic.
This demonstrates the power of inside sales to effectively target and attract high-potential prospects through digital channels. Furthermore, DealHub improved their ability to measure marketing ROI, highlighting the data-driven nature of inside sales and its ability to provide valuable insights for optimizing campaigns and driving revenue growth.
Marathon Health
Faced with a small marketing team, Marathon Health utilized 6sense to implement an ABM strategy within their inside sales model.
This allowed them to identify in-market accounts, personalize their outreach, and build scalable processes. By focusing their efforts on the most promising prospects through digital channels, Marathon Health generated an impressive $66 million in net-new pipeline.
This case study showcases how inside sales, combined with ABM, can empower even smaller teams to achieve significant revenue growth.
SUCCESS Computer Consulting
SUCCESS Computer Consulting adopted an ABM strategy powered by 6sense to enhance their inside sales efforts.
By leveraging digital channels and personalized messaging, they improved targeting, crafted more relevant email and content, and saw a 15% increase in email open rates. This demonstrates how inside sales can drive higher engagement and response rates by enabling a more targeted and personalized approach to prospect outreach
Motorola Solutions
Motorola Solutions leveraged 6sense to refine their inside sales strategy by honing in on buying personas, crafting content based on buying stage, and alerting inside sales to accounts with high purchase intent.
This data-driven approach, facilitated by inside sales technology, led to increased win rates, showcasing the power of inside sales to improve sales effectiveness and drive better outcomes.
Trend Micro
Facing increased demand during the pandemic, Trend Micro adopted a digital marketing approach with ABM and 6sense to bolster their inside sales efforts.
This shift to a digital-first model resulted in over 4x the average new account engagement, highlighting the ability of inside sales to adapt to changing market conditions and effectively engage with prospects in a virtual environment.
Inside Sales Team Structures
There are several ways to structure an inside sales team, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
Embracing the Future with Inside Sales
The B2B sales landscape is evolving rapidly, and inside sales has emerged as a powerful engine for growth in the digital age. By embracing a customer-centric approach, leveraging technology, and adapting to changing buyer behaviors, businesses can unlock the full potential of inside sales to drive revenue and achieve their sales goals.
While traditional field sales still holds its place, particularly for complex deals and relationship-driven industries, inside sales offers a compelling alternative with its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and agility. As technology continues to advance and buyer preferences shift towards digital interactions, inside sales is poised to become even more dominant in the B2B landscape.
By understanding the key differences between inside sales and field sales, and by equipping inside sales teams with the right structure, skills, and technology, businesses can create a high-performing sales organization that thrives in the digital age.
This is a time of transformation for B2B sales. By embracing the power of inside sales, businesses can position themselves for success in the years to come.
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