Outside sales, or field sales, involves sales representatives meeting prospects and customers face-to-face rather than selling remotely. Outside sales reps travel to customer locations for meetings, presentations, and relationship building. This approach works well for complex, high-value sales where in-person interaction strengthens relationships and facilitates detailed discussions. While more expensive than inside sales, outside sales can be more effective for enterprise deals, technical solutions, or industries where personal relationships significantly influence purchase decisions.
What's the difference between outside sales and inside sales?
Inside sales reps work remotely from an office using phone, email, and video calls to connect with prospects, while outside sales reps meet customers face-to-face at their locations. Inside sales typically focuses on higher volume, shorter sales cycles, and lower transaction values, whereas outside sales handles more complex, higher-value deals with longer sales cycles. The inside sales model is generally more cost-effective (50-90% less expensive per contact) and allows for reaching more prospects daily, while outside sales excels at building deeper relationships and handling complex demonstrations. Many modern B2B companies now employ a hybrid approach, leveraging the efficiency of inside sales for prospecting and qualification while deploying outside sales representatives for strategic accounts and final deal closing.
What skills are most important for success in outside sales?
Success in outside sales requires exceptional relationship-building skills to establish trust with prospects during face-to-face interactions. Strong communication abilities, both verbal and non-verbal, are crucial for articulating value propositions and reading client cues effectively. Self-motivation and resilience help outside sales professionals manage rejection and maintain productivity without constant supervision. Territory management and planning skills enable efficient scheduling of meetings to maximize productive time with prospects. Finally, consultative selling and problem-solving abilities allow reps to identify customer pain points and position solutions appropriately during in-person meetings.
How do I build an effective outside sales strategy?
An effective outside sales strategy starts with clearly defined territories and target accounts to maximize your field representatives' time and travel efficiency. Develop a data-driven prospecting approach that prioritizes high-value opportunities while equipping your team with mobile CRM tools and presentation materials optimized for in-person meetings. Establish measurable KPIs beyond revenue, including metrics like meetings-to-opportunity conversion rates and territory penetration, to accurately track field performance. Create a structured cadence of check-ins, ride-alongs, and coaching sessions to support your outside sales representatives who often work independently. Finally, implement a systematic approach to gathering customer feedback during field visits, as this valuable intelligence can inform product development and reveal additional selling opportunities.
