Outsourcing isn't just for IT and customer service anymore. More companies are now choosing to outsource sales to streamline operations, scale faster, and cut costs. This is true for startup founders drowning in cold calls or an enterprise trying to expand into new markets, outsourcing your sales team can be a strategic move.
In fact, about 84% of B2B companies outsource at least part of their sales and marketing activities.
But what does it actually mean to outsource sales today?
The idea is simple: outsource your sales (or parts of it) to experts so your internal team can focus on what they do best, including closing deals, nurturing accounts, or leading strategic growth.
Like most business decisions, whether or not to outsource sales services isn't a question of right or wrong. It's about finding the smartest way to hit your revenue targets, without burning out your team or blowing your budget.
In this article, we'll unpack the pros and cons of sales outsourcing, break down how it works, look at the top outsourcing services, and how to outsource like a pro. Ready? Let's dive in.
Once you've decided to outsource your sales, the next question is—which parts of the process should you hand off? Not every sales task needs to stay in-house.
In fact, splitting responsibilities between your internal team and an outsourced sales force can make your operations leaner, faster, and more effective. Here's a breakdown of the most common types of sales activities you can outsource, along with where they bring the most value:
Prospecting is a grind, and often the biggest time sink for in-house reps. That's why companies often start by outsourcing sales prospecting to third-party teams that specialize in lead generation, list building, and appointment setting.
These providers use data tools, cold outreach sequences, and sometimes even AI to find and warm up qualified leads so your internal reps don't waste time chasing the wrong people. With a dedicated sales outsource team handling the top of the funnel, you get better quality leads and faster pipeline growth.
Once the leads are in, the next challenge is nurturing them. That's where outsourced sales development comes in. These teams specialize in qualifying leads, identifying buying intent, and moving prospects closer to a purchasing decision.
Whether you're scaling a SaaS startup or building enterprise relationships, outsourcing sales development can improve conversion rates and ensure only sales-ready leads hit your closers. Bonus: you also cut down on wasted time and bloated pipelines.
Think you can't outsource your sales team at the bottom of the funnel? Think again. Some businesses choose to bring in outsourced closers or account managers to handle demos, negotiations, and onboarding.
This is especially common in outsource software sales, where product knowledge and deal management are critical but don't necessarily need to be done in-house. If you lack experienced closers or want to expand into new regions, outsourcing sales reps for closing can be a game-changer.
The unsung hero of every revenue team is operations, and yes, you can outsource sales operations too. From CRM management and sales reporting to analytics and performance tracking, this back-office work is crucial but often overlooked.
A reliable sales outsource service can optimize your tech stack, build dashboards, and keep your data squeaky clean. And that translates to better decision-making and fewer headaches for your internal teams.
The goal with assessing sales outsourcing is to understand the direct effects on the business: will outsourcing help us or hurt us? The answer is hardly clear-cut, but there is the opportunity to outsource your entire process or only parts of it.
Or, you could keep everything in-house and not outsource.
Since there are thousands of reasons that a company might outsource their sales, we've laid out several pros and cons to outsourcing your sales.
|
Pros of Outsourcing Sales |
Cons of Outsourcing Sales |
|
Extra help with an intricate part of business development |
Can be expensive |
|
Potentially better performance |
Must trust hired company to perform up to expectations |
|
Allow employees to focus on other aspects |
Oversight of the entire process |
|
Less need for more extensive employee base and management teams |
Data and privacy concerns |
Choosing to outsource sales can be a brilliant business decision for the right company and industry.
Some of the most obvious options and reasons for outsourcing your sales team are:
A less apparent reason to outsource sales is actually how cost-effective it can be for the right company.
In the United States, a good salesperson can cost a company anywhere between US$53,000 to upwards of US$250,000. These can be purely commission-based structured payouts or salaries. For many businesses, this is a massive expense that, while worthwhile, is still an expense.
Why would a business hire just one person when they could potentially hire an entire team?
Outsourcing sales means less hiring and overall management of in-house teams. This cuts down on a company's overhead, needing to pay out benefits, and is often more cost-effective. A company can instead focus on their existing teams and do what they do best: which might not be sales.
It's never easy to let go of any business control. It's especially true for sales since sales equal revenue. If revenue doesn't meet expectations, the company suffers.
One of the main problems with outsourcing sales is that it is a business expense. Hiring a third party to make sales will cost money. That may be difficult for a company just starting out or venturing into new areas. So many people end up asking: how much does it cost to outsource sales?
And there is no good answer.
It depends on the hirrd company and how much is being outsourced. There are so many factors to consider in the cost, so be sure to look at all the options before deciding whether or not to outsource your sales. It's best to decide on a budget before making that leap, so no one is surprised when the bill comes around to the accounting or HR department.
Outsourcing also means a loss of control over the sales process.
When sales are handled in-house, there is more oversight, but delegating the sales to another company means there has to be some trust that everything will be done correctly. In addition, it's not always clear how many potential sales are lost by another company, which can affect your company's bottom line.
When giving sensitive data and customer information to another company, there are also privacy and data concerns. It is vital that all data stays secure. A data breach could mean bad things for a company and could lose the trust of your customers.
Feeling like outsourcing sales is the right move for your business?
Here's a quick guide to getting started.
First thing's first: what is that you're trying to achieve here?
Obviously, we need some numbers:
When you speak with an outsourced sales service, they're going to ask these questions to ensure you're fit, and to make sure they can actually help you achieve your sales goals.
So, get this stuff prepared before you go shopping.
What does your sales process look like? Do you even have one? 😬
Your sales process is the steps you go through with each lead from "interest" right through to "purchase".
The typical sales process looks something like this:
Having this fleshed out will help your outsourced sales company integrate effectively.
Now, look at your sales process and determine what parts of it you're going to outsource.
Maybe you just want to outsource the initial research and prospecting aspect, or perhaps you want to outsource everything up until the pitch, where your outsourced sales company hands the lead over to an internal Account Executive to take it from there.
Or maybe you need an external team to do the whole thing.
All valid options :)
Now, it's time to start looking at companies that can help you out.
P.S. We're going to provide a few recommendations shortly, so don't stress this point yet.
As with any business relationship, you need to know that you're going to work together well.
Culture fit is important, but you should also prioritize their experience in your industry. If they know your vertical product well, they're going to be much more skilled in presenting your company's value propositions and will likely drive more leads your way.
Lastly, you need to integrate that outsourced sales service with your own team.
If the service is only responsible for prospecting and needs qualification, then you'll need to define what the handoff process to your AEs will look like.
Even if you're outsourcing the entire sales process, you'll need to outline exactly how they'll hand a customer over to your fulfillment or customer success team to deliver on the sale itself.
Sales outsourcing isn't one-size-fits-all, and that's a good thing. Whether you need top-of-funnel firepower or backend CRM cleanup, there's a specialized service out there to match your needs (and budget).
Below is a quick snapshot of the five most common types of outsource sales services, including who they serve best and how they typically charge.
|
Service Type |
Specialization |
Best For |
Pricing Model |
|
Full-Cycle Sales Agencies |
End-to-end sales management |
Startups, SMBs, growth-stage companies |
Monthly retainer + commissions |
|
Outbound Prospecting Firms |
Lead gen, cold outreach, list building |
B2B companies needing pipeline fast |
Pay-per-lead or retainer |
|
Appointment-Setting Services |
Cold calls, email outreach, meeting booking |
Founders, consultants, lean sales teams |
Per appointment or flat fee |
|
Dedicated SDR/BDR Teams |
Prospecting + lead qualification |
SaaS, tech, or enterprise sales teams |
Monthly fee per rep |
|
Sales Operations Outsourcing |
CRM, reporting, analytics |
Mid-market and enterprise sales orgs |
Hourly or project-based |
These agencies are the Swiss Army knives of the sales outsourcing world. They handle everything from outreach and lead qualification to closing and onboarding. If you're looking to outsource your entire sales team, this is your go-to solution.
While they offer unmatched convenience, full-cycle agencies tend to be more expensive than other sales outsource solutions. Most charge a monthly retainer plus commission, so they only win when you do.
Need a packed calendar and a healthy pipeline? These firms specialize in outsource sales prospecting through targeted cold outreach and lead generation. They use a blend of email, phone, and LinkedIn to find and engage your ideal customer profiles.
If your internal team is tired of chasing down leads or wasting time on unqualified prospects, outsourcing prospecting to one of these firms can be a huge time-saver, and a solid ROI booster.
Sometimes all you need is someone to get you in the room. These services do just that: they focus on booking qualified meetings so your internal team can focus on closing. This is a lean way to outsource your sales without fully handing off the reins.
They're especially popular with solo founders, consultants, or lean SaaS teams who want to skip the cold calls and go straight to discovery calls. Just be mindful of the pricing model, because some charge per meeting booked, while others work on fixed fees regardless of lead quality.
If you already have closers in-house but need more pipeline, outsourcing sales development with a dedicated SDR or BDR team is a smart middle ground. These reps work as an extension of your internal team, qualifying leads and booking demos under your brand.
They're often used by fast-scaling SaaS companies and mid-sized B2B orgs that want to accelerate outreach without adding full-time headcount. And with many services offering monthly contracts, it's a flexible, low-risk way to test new segments or verticals.
This is the backend backbone of any outsource sales department, the behind-the-scenes team that keeps your CRM running, your dashboards clean, and your metrics accurate.
Whether you're struggling with pipeline visibility or drowning in data, these services help by:
If you're scaling fast and want your sales ops to keep up, outsourcing your sales operations can bring structure and clarity, without having to hire a RevOps manager in-house.
Outsourcing sales is a big decision: it's never an easy one, and each reason to outsource or not outsource should be carefully weighed.
For those who decide to maintain control of their sales process and teams, Ringy's sales solutions are here when you need them. As your complete CRM solution, we seamlessly provide all of the solutions your company needs.
Book a CRM demo worth your time today!