The rise of inside sales is a trend that is likely to accelerate. A 2013 study by InsideSales.com, a manufacturer of cloud-based sales tools, shows that inside sales is growing 300% faster than field sales. Projecting from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, InsideSales.com expects the number of U.S. non-retail inside sales positions to increase by more than 40-thousand per year through 2020.

In addition, a Harvard Business Review blog article by Steve W. Martin details significant statistics about the seismic shift from B2B field sales to inside sales over the past two years. 46% percent of study participants reported a shift from a field sales model to an inside sales model, while just 21% reported a shift from inside sales to a field sales model.

Given the growth of Internet technology and the social changes it has brought, the growth of inside sales shouldn’t be surprising. Basically, there are three reasons why inside sales are overtaking field sales:

1. Inside sales cuts costs

Businesses of all kinds are under tremendous pressure to cut costs, and inside sales deliver. In fact, inside sales reduce cost-of-sales by 40 to 90% compared to field sales, while revenues stay the same or even grow. There are many contributing factors to this added efficiency, but they boil down to greater sales force flexibility, increased numbers of customer contacts per day, and the ability to channel the field sales force to call on well qualified leads.

2. Buyers are comfortable with Internet communication

Internet technologies are pervasive, and buyers of all ages and industries are becoming more comfortable with them at all stages of the business cycle, including in B2B sales. Customers have become used to researching products and solutions themselves. Many are also comfortable communicating with salespersons via email, social media, and conference calls. Some customers even prefer these over phone or in-person meetings.

3. Internet communication has become more intimate

Webinars and web conferencing technologies, such as Skype, allow salespeople and customers to have rich, intimate interactions without having to meet in person. These technologies also allow greater flexibility and lower costs for both parties by reducing travel and better accommodating differences in schedules and time zones.

About the Author

Jeff Kalter is CEO of 3D2B, a global business-to-business telemarketing company that bridges the divide between marketing and sales. He leads customer acquisition programs for Fortune 500 companies, and is passionate about building strong business relationships through professional phone conversations.

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