Inbound Vs Outbound Sales Call Centre – What Is The Difference

Many businesses outsource their call centre for a specific discipline like sales or customer service or sometimes both. Both disciplines can involve an inbound or outbound element depending on the client requirements, campaign type and their products/services. Inbound and outbound are two very different types of call centre, each with its own characteristics and service approach. Understanding more about the difference between inbound and outbound sales call centres is helpful in not only determining which type will best suit your business and its specific requirements but also in tailoring your campaigns to make the most of each call centre’s characteristics.

In this article, we explore both inbound sales call centres and outbound sales call centres in detail, including their individual characteristics and the most effective service approach for each type.

Inbound Sales Call Centre

Inbound call centres are often attributed to the customer service discipline but are equally important within sales. In the case of an inbound call centre, the customer calls you directly with the call to action most commonly being an advert. The advert could be on TV, in a newspaper or magazine. As the customer is calling after seeing an advert, they are likely to be well informed as to the product/service that is available. This creates a high desire to buy at the point of the phone call.

The role of the call centre agent in this case is to sell the benefits of the product/service but also to ask questions to confirm the need and suitability of the product. By adopting this needs-based selling approach, the end customer will feel valued and that they have been assisted rather than convinced to buy a product/service that is unsuitable. At this stage, the call centre agent will promote a suitable upsell to the customer while also highlighting any complimentary products/accessories to them. The outcome of a successful inbound sales call is always a satisfied customer, who has received great service and purchased the right product/service that meets their needs.

Calls made to an inbound sales call centre can be categorised into two distinctive groups: simple sales, and complex sales. In the case of a simple sale, the call is very straightforward and involves taking an order, recording the customer details and finalising payment over the phone. A complex sale call is more involved will include upselling or cross-selling to a consumer. Many clients will want agents to increase the average order value, using the customer’s desire to buy at the appropriate time. Customers that call are often excited about receiving a new product, so if there is an upgraded product available that is more suitable, or an additional product that will compliment it, or a suitable accessory there is a prime opportunity to promote an additional spend based on the customer’s needs. These complex sale calls take longer but are a great opportunity to significantly increase the average order value for a client.

At Impact, we are particularly skilled at complex sales calls and have increased client average order values across a wide range of different sectors. If you are looking to increase the average order value that you achieve from inbound sales calls, our highly trained sales team are ready to help.

Outbound Sales Call Centre

Outbound sales call centres are synonymous with sales and have gained a less than positive reputation from consumers at large. This is mostly due to unwanted cold calls which annoy and frustrate consumers. There are many different types of outbound sales calls, and call centres tend to specialise in a specific type of call.

We are proud to be different at Impact and do not make any cold calls on behalf of our clients. Instead, we specialise in replenishable products and contacting our clients’ existing customers. Where a customer is buying a product/item that requires regular use, the outbound calls should focus on relationship building with the customer. The call centre agents will find out more about the consumer, their lifestyle, and preferences. This assists each agent in then matching products to their need. In this type of outbound call, making timely calls at key times where replenishment is likely to be required is critical.

Many customers will initially start their customer journey through the inbound route. During the initial call, a call centre agent will look to secure consent to communicate with the customer on an on-going basis. This is the start of the retention journey and is critical to the success of the outbound call centre. If consent is not gained at that crucial initial stage, the valuable opportunity to retain a customer and generate further sales via outbound is lost. Sometimes a business may opt to communicate with customers via email or text message instead. However, these interactions tend not to convert as well as a phone call.

Outbound sales calls are effective at generating sales opportunities for a whole host of different products. Whether you are selling a relatively low value consumable consumer good or a complimentary product for a high value vehicle, this form of outbound sales call delivers great results.

Appointment setting is another popular type of outbound sales call that is used extensively by many businesses. It is particularly well suited to businesses that are selling high value items that cannot be sold purely over the phone. In this case, the call centre agent’s role is to secure an appointment for a member of a client’s sales team so they can then progress the conversation and secure the sale in person. The outbound call centre has a critical role at the start of the process and the exact format of the call can be tailored to the client’s specific requirements.

Pre-sales calls are another form of outbound sales call that an outbound call centre may complete. The most effective pre-sales calls are made by call centre agents with an absolute knowledge of the company and its products/services. They will have been trained specifically in pre-sales calls to secure a positive outcome.

Key Differences Between Inbound Sales And Outbound Sales Call Centres

Inbound sales and outbound sales call centres have many similarities, particularly in regard to their overall setup and the sales processes they follow. However, there are some clear differences between these two key sales types which are very relevant to the two different types of call centres.

Different Desire To Buy

The different desire to buy held by customers during an inbound sales and outbound sales call is the most significant difference between these two types of sales call. In the case of inbound sales, the high desire to buy has already been generated. Customers who call are likely to have their card in hand and be ready to buy. Many customers are also excited about securing a new product or service and are therefore significantly easier to convert. When there is a strong need, the role of a call centre agent is important, but the call is often far simpler than it would otherwise be.

For outbound sales, there is a much lower desire to buy on the part of the customer and the role of the call centre agent is to create the customer interest and facilitate the buying process. This requires much more structure on the part of the agent as they will need to work far harder to secure a great client. While this makes outbound sales a more challenging discipline, it is still very possible to secure great results. This is especially the case when you outsource your outbound call centre to a trained and highly skilled sales team, like the team of exceptional sales specialists that we have at Impact.

Call Complexity

Call complexity tends to vary significantly from client to client, and certain products/services by their very nature will be easier to sell than others. Those that are more challenging will naturally be more involved as there will be more to explain or perhaps multiple steps in a process to complete. Outbound sales calls tend to be more intricate due to a lower desire to buy, whereas inbound sales calls and particularly those that involve simple sales are far less convoluted.

Not all UK call centres are adept at handling complicated sales calls. Whether you require support with inbound or outbound sales calls that have a degree of complexity, we can help. At Impact, we relish the challenge of generating sales from many different types of calls and have a team of experienced and trained sales specialists that can help. Get in touch with our team by completing our contact form or calling us on 01794 230 230.

Call Duration

Call duration is another defining feature between inbound sales and outbound sales. In many cases, inbound sales calls are more straightforward due to a higher desire to buy and therefore tend to have a shorter call duration. This can have positive implications on the cost and operational requirements of a sales team.

Outbound sales calls are typically less straightforward, and will necessitate a longer phone call, more stringent sales process, and highly skilled call centre agents to deliver exceptional results.