When a B2B company decides to grow in another market, it usually considers two routes: handing sales over to a third party, or keeping them in-house and getting help to prepare market entry. Both are valid. The difference lies in who keeps the relationship with the customer and what is learned about the market.
What sales outsourcing is
It means delegating part or all of the sales function to a specialist company: prospecting, qualifying opportunities, follow-up and even closing deals. It tends to work when the product is standard, the sales cycle is short and contact volume is what matters.
When it fits less well
In technical or high-value sales, trust is built with whoever knows the product and will sustain the relationship. In those cases, delegating the conversation has hidden costs:
- The customer meets the intermediary first, not your company.
- Market knowledge stays outside your business.
- If the contract ends, the relationship may go with it.
The alternative: prepare market entry and speak to the decision-maker yourself
Another option is to focus external effort on what takes most time before the first conversation: understanding the market, identifying the right customers, partners or distributors, validating them and approaching them with a tailored proposition. From there, the relationship is yours.
The mixed model
There are options between the two extremes. For example, using an external team for research and first contact while you handle the meetings and follow-up. Or working with a local distributor for day-to-day sales while you keep a direct relationship with your most important customers. What matters is deciding in advance which part of the process you want to keep.
What to ask before hiring outside help
- Who speaks to the customer at each stage, and on whose behalf?
- What market and contact information stays with your company?
- How is progress measured: by activity, or by real conversations with decision-makers?
- What happens to contacts and opportunities if the collaboration ends?
To know which indicators to ask for, read how to tell whether your prospecting works.
How to choose
Three questions help:
- How much technical knowledge does the sale require?
- How much is each customer worth over the long term?
- Do you want the relationship and what you learn about the market to stay in your company?
If the answers point to complex sales and long relationships, it usually pays to prepare market entry well and lead the conversation yourself. You will find the full process in how to win your first B2B sales in a foreign market.
Where INOBERICA fits in
INOBERICA works in the second model. With the IBD Method, we identify and validate the companies that make sense for your situation and goals and put you in touch with the decision-maker. We do not sell on your behalf: the negotiation and the agreement are yours.
