On one hand, sales is sales. That great sales guy who can “sell ice to Eskimos” can easily adapt to sell Rolex watches, bank accounts, software, or math curriculum.

But on the other hand, different industries do have different specialized needs when it comes to how to sell effectively. In our experience, here are some of the most common sales models in the industry, and each of these has almost infinite variations from company to company and from product to product.

TELEPHONE SALES

A lot of industries use telephone sales as an efficient and cost-effective way to connect with their customers and close deals quickly. If you hear “telephone sales” and think of the kind of annoying telemarketing call that happens right when you’re sitting down to dinner, you are unaware of the latest innovations in telephone sales. Here at Access2Sales, we divide telephone sales into two different categories, cold calling and warm calling.

Cold Calling

Cold calling involves having a list of phone numbers and making unannounced calls in the effort to develop a short list of potential leads. At Access2Sales, this task is NOT done by our sales representatives, because we don’t think it’s the best use of the salesperson’s time. Rather, in our Sales Support team, we have a Pre-Sales call center with people who do this work.

Warm Calling

Warm calling involves making a sales call to someone who has already opted in or pre-qualified themselves in some way. It may be that cold calling efforts have developed a list of warm leads that they pass on to the sales agent, but more often, warm calling comes from an online funnel. A customer signs up for a free trial or downloads an ebook, and in order to do so, they have to provide their phone number. 20 minutes later, the sales rep is giving them a call. The beauty of warm calling is that the customer already recognizes the company name, and if the sales consultant encounters any gatekeepers (secretaries, etc.), it’s easy to say, “Hey, I’m just calling about the product Mr. Smith signed up for 20 minutes ago.” Then when the conversation starts, no matter how much the customer tries to blow off the sales rep, the fact remains that they probably signed up for a reason, which gives the salesperson a better chance of uncovering that reason and getting 5-10 minutes of the customer’s time.

Industries that typically benefit from telephone sales:

IN-PERSON SALES

Other industries have found that there is no substitute for an in-person visit to a client in order to build rapport, establish trust, and close a deal. The sales visit can involve anything from a brief conversation with one individual to a lengthy presentation in a conference room to a group of stakeholders.

When you outsource your sales force to Access2Sales, the sales representative we find for you will be assigned exclusively to your business, carry your business card, and represent your company and brand well. We have a stake in each sales consultant’s success because we don’t charge a recruiting fee and we make money when your salesperson is a high performer who brings in revenue to your company.

All industries typically benefit from in-person sales, but it’s typically not cost effective except for higher-dollar products. Here are some of the common industries who practice in-person sales.