While telephones existed earlier, the concept of a dedicated, non-traveling sales team working from an office was pioneered by Dial America in 1957. This marked the beginning of inside sales as a distinct profession and a major shift toward virtual business transactions.
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To gain intelligence on hard-to-reach buyers in departments like IT or HR, try calling a sales representative at that same company. Salespeople are often collaborative and willing to talk shop. They can provide valuable internal context, intel on decision-makers, or even a warm introduction that bypasses traditional gatekeepers.
Requiring inside sales reps to be in the office is a talent filtering strategy. Those willing to make the sacrifice of a commute for the benefit of accelerated learning and career development are the driven, exceptional individuals you want to build a winning team with.
The lack of technology for outside sales stems from venture capitalists' backgrounds in inside software sales. They don't understand the unique needs of field reps and are biased toward funding tools for the sales environment they know, leading to an underserved market.
With roughly 20% of decision-makers changing jobs annually, relying on one contact is a major risk. Top sellers build "inside insulation" by cultivating a web of relationships across departments. If a key contact leaves, this web flexes without breaking, safeguarding the deal from sudden disruption and protecting future revenue.
A sales leader's value isn't in managing from headquarters. It's in being on the front lines, personally engaging in the most challenging deals to figure out the winning sales motion. Only after living in the field and closing landmark deals can they effectively build a playbook and teach the team.
John H. Patterson, founder of National Cash Register (NCR), introduced the first mandatory sales script, sales quotas, and sales conventions. These innovations were created to standardize professional selling and tame the 'wild west' nature of the profession at the time.
Sales is the ultimate human profession in the age of AI, but only if salespeople engage in real-time, synchronous conversations (phone, video, in-person). Relying on asynchronous methods like email is abdicating the human advantage to robots, which can perform those tasks better.
When making your first sales hires, never hire just one person. Hire two. This instantly creates healthy competition and camaraderie. More importantly, it provides a crucial benchmark. If one succeeds and the other fails, you know the problem is the rep. If both fail, the problem is likely your product or market.
Whether it's older sellers who only work in-person or younger sellers who only use digital channels, becoming "single siloed" is a mistake. To maximize success and income, salespeople must become proficient across all communication methods, from phone calls to emails to face-to-face meetings.
Instead of optimizing a physical travel route, which consumes immense time, field sales reps can bypass the problem entirely by using the telephone. The phone allows for far greater prospecting efficiency and appointment setting, solving the core business challenge without the logistical overhead.