Outsourcing has been on the rise since the growth of the gig economy. Due to the pandemic, outsourcing in the technology industry has accelerated as workplaces were forced to adapt to digital transformation and change the way workplaces previously operated. With the dramatic revenue hit on many companies, organisations have had to redefine their business strategies and find ways to save on additional costs. Outsourcing has emerged as an opportunity for global companies to accelerate growth and rely on external support to keep up with demands of the business. In this blog, we go over the various reasons why global companies are utilising outsourcing and why outsourced inside sales teams (SDRs, BDRs, and LDRs) lead to a scalable solution for growth.
Why Use Outsourcing?
Technology companies are resetting their business strategies and looking for ways to increase their cash flow and stay afloat in the current market. In fact, “the 2020 Global Managed Services Report by NTT suggests that 45% of global corporations are planning to outsource more work in the next 18 months.”
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is used for businesses who need essential business tasks such as customer service marketing, research and sales to be performed by external sources. The pandemic fast tracked the need for this service and reinforced the benefits of implementing a sustainable outsourcing strategy to cut costs and deliver services to meet customer demands. The shift in work from home scenarios has shown businesses that remote work does not necessarily affect the productivity of virtual teams, thus, there are alternative options for in-house resources. Outsourcing contractors and providers offshore can help businesses reduce the costs associated with office space along with the expenses of hiring and onboarding in-house employees. Outsourcing is beneficial in the following ways:
Outsourcing helps businesses eliminate the additional expenses relating to salaries, benefits and onboarding costs of having a full time or part time resource. It’s expensive to hire and train employees, especially in roles with high turnover. Outsourcing gives businesses the opportunity to hire when needed and at more flexible costs, which allows investment to be allocated in other areas. Implementing this strategy also provides organisations with the ability to easily ramp up or ramp down staffing levels to adapt to the changing business environment. Moreover, flexible work arrangements have also made it possible for businesses to reduce overhead expenses of an office space by allowing employees to remotely work from home.
Outsourced service providers have experts in specialised areas who already have the knowledge on how to be successful in certain job roles such as sales, marketing, and data. Highly trained and experienced talent can dive into projects and achieve results quickly, without having to do the typical onboarding and training of in-house employees. Outsourced service providers drive efficiency and improve performance of specific roles, therefore, freeing up time for Managers and business leaders to focus on maximising revenue.
Finding talent in affordable regions is more accessible than ever before. Contractors and outsourced service providers across Asia Pacific have started to become integrated into B2B inbound and outbound strategies to find talent at a fraction of the cost by offshoring companies in the Philippines, Singapore, and India. By having access to more “on demand” resources, businesses can scale faster without adding additional headcount.
The outsourcing model allows more functions to be performed by experts who use best practices and the latest technology to generate results. For example, activities like lead generation, data research, and sales can be outsourced from providers who have the specialisation to optimise business results and can provide strategies for the in-house team to implement and use for future business use. For in-house resources, employees get the opportunity to focus on more strategic and creative activities, whilst the outsourced resources are adding value in other areas.
Businesses today are rapidly evolving and advancing in new regions. Growing into new regions with teams who have the local knowledge and experience in the region is ultimately an advantage of outsourcing. Business expansion will accelerate faster when teams have the local language, connections, and expertise of the region already in place.
What is SDR-As-A-Service?
Now that we have a better understanding of why businesses outsource, let’s take a look at why outsourcing inside sales teams allows businesses to take advantage of untapped opportunities.
SDR-As-A-Service is tailored to assist current sales teams in growing their pipeline, without adding headcount. SDR is commonly known as a Sales Development Representative and can have a number of names associated with the same type of role such as Business Development Representatives (BDRs) or Lead Development Representatives (LDRs). The SDR role is one of the most critical for helping businesses with their outbound approach. SDRs are responsible for generating 30-45% of the sales pipeline.
SDR-As-A-Service is beneficial to businesses looking to get results quickly and use less budget to hire in-house employees. SDR outsourcing companies are an extended inside sales team that works on outbound strategy on tasks such as lead generation, lead nurturing, outbound calling, reporting, etc.
Why Use SDR-As-A-Service?
Technology, more so than any other B2B industry, needs inside sales roles to develop pipelines and build revenue. Outsourcing inside sales roles eliminates the high turnover associated with hiring in-house inside sales roles. In fact, the average turnover of sales development representatives is 34%.
Services like SDR-As-A-Service allow businesses to hire more SDRs at scale to ensure productivity continues and reduce the risk and uncertainty of turnover.
There are several ways in which SDR-As-A-Service can benefit global IT companies:
The cost of employing a new in-house SDR may range from $55,000 to $65,000 but this is not the total price of what businesses actually pay. Hiring, onboarding, software costs, and management overhead is associated with the overall costs in preparing candidates to be ready to do the job. SDR-As-Service usually provides a few different models where businesses can choose between a performance model or base the lead generation on the number of hours necessary to reach prospects. This service provides flexibility to allow businesses to invest budget when needed and prioritise specific campaigns and target audiences.
Due to high turnover in sales positions, the ongoing process of hiring and training is a repetitive cycle. Many in-house sales teams struggle with training their SDRs on how to use the tools and software necessary to run campaigns. According to ClearSlide and CSO Insights research,,“71% of companies take 6 months or longer to onboard new sales development representatives.” Outsourced SDRs are already trained and specialised in working on an inside sales team, where they require little onboarding to get started working on campaigns. SDRs already have the skillset and the tools in their belt to meet lead generation goals in a short period of time. Outsourced SDRs work with multiple companies on a variety of campaigns, so this means they can adapt to working closely with your team. It's not uncommon for SDRs to work remotely on flexible hours that align well with the specific business.
Sales and marketing agencies across the Asia Pacific region are increasingly being utilised for lead generation, data research, and cold calling. Global companies are realising the positive impact of exploring other regions to reduce overhead costs, increase efficiencies, and save on cash flow. For example, the Philippines has cost efficient labour costs, the locals speak and write English as a second language, and there is more availability of staff with specialisations.
SDRs are trained to be on the phones, qualifying prospects, and setting appointments for your account executives to take over the lead and guide it through the sales funnel. By executing these sales activities, your account executives can prioritise more value added activities to nurture the leads into opportunities. Outsourced SDRs gives your business the chance to develop a more powerful and effective sales strategy that contributes to the bottom line. In-house resources can therefore focus on other business development and essential activities to generate new business.
The Asia Pacific region is one of the most difficult places to expand opportunities due to the specific languages and cultures within each country, yet, it’s one of the most sought out regions to expand business. Due to the vast number of languages and cultures, being knowledgeable and aware of these variables will support the growth in new regions. Outsourced service providers who work with local talent will have better opportunities than those who do not have locally experienced talent representation.
Grow your Business with SDR-As-A-Service
More global IT businesses are realising the positive impact of Outsourcing for inside sales reps, who ultimately are the foundation of growing sales and reaching company objectives. Building an efficient and trained inside sales team can make a difference in your outbound sales strategy and improve your revenue.
If you’re facing challenges in finding good SDRs or having meetings booked across North America and the Asia Pacific, you’re not the only one. SalesPond gives you the assurance to accelerate business growth and reach key KPIs your sales team lacks.
If you are interested in hiring an outsourced SDR, fill out this form on our website and we will be in touch.