You've made a wise decision by choosing to get a sales outsourcing partner on board. This investment will pay for itself in the long run, but only if you choose the right partner.

We know you want to on board an outsourcing partner who are bloody good at what they do. 

Here are the five qualities that you need to look for in your sales outsourcing partner.

1. Credibility - are they reliable?

The internet is filled with horror stories of business owners who outsourced their company’s business functions to the wrong outsourcing partner.

It’s better to check if they’re reliable before you offer them any contract.

How do you do this?

It sounds generic, but start with stalking your (potential) outsourcing partner’s social media.

What kind of rating and reviews do they have on Facebook? Take a look at the company’s LinkedIn account and view profiles of the high-ranking officials.

Ideally, they should all have substantial experience in sales and 500+ connections - as most seasoned salespeople are resourceful and have a huge network.

(Want some quick-fire sales tips? Download our top three sales tips direct from the experts to improve the performance of your sales team.)

2. Experience - how long have they been in the game?

Not only you should know how long they’ve been in the game, but you should also know how well they’ve played it.

Almost everyone thinks they can sell.

But this is what happens in a real customer-facing environment: anxiety, objections, failure to reach the decision maker, more objections, forgetting the sales script and going autopilot, and some more objections.

An experienced sales outsourcing partner has seen it all, and they know how to handle it.

Always check how experienced the outsourcing partner is. Stats don’t lie, ask them to provide a proven sales track record.

Here are some of the metrics you need to be aware of:

• Sales target vs final numbers
• Exact dollar figure of the revenue generated
• Lead conversion rate
• Quote-to-close
• Sales per rep

3. Motivated sales personnel - who will communicate with your clients?

Ideally, a sales rep should have the following qualities:

• Conscientious
• Assertive
• Ambitious
• Coachable
• Social

It’s also essential that all the sales personnel are well-versed with your company’s brand image and values.

Remember, your company will be perceived as the sales rep who has direct contact with your customers. From a customer's perspective, they aren't an outsourced sales rep, they're YOUR sales rep.

4. Testimonials - what are their clients saying about them?

It’s really important to double-check what kind of experience the previous clients of your sales outsourcing partner had with them.

Did they reach sales targets? Did they take ownership for their mistakes? How did their sales rep handle a difficult situation?

The best sales outsourcing companies have heaps of easy-to-find, positive testimonials from their clients.

Do you want to know what’s even better? Video testimonials - because you can actually see and hear the client speak as they give their testimonial.

Take us for an example - here at Leading Edge, we’ve provided sales and services solutions to one of New Zealand’s biggest companies, Spark.

Here’s what the Interim CEO of Spark has to say about us:

5. Technology - are they up to date with the latest tech?

The top B2B sales outsourcing companies are aware of the latest technologies and are able to train their sales reps to take full advantage of them.

Here are some technologies they need to be aware of:

• Video prospecting: Approaching prospective clients using video instead of traditional cold calls or emails.
• Sales automation: Usings BOTS to identify, nurture and qualify leads
• Chatbots: Qualifying the best prospects using online chat, like Facebook messenger

(Read more: Top 5 sales technologies you need to know about)

An experienced sales outsourcing partner can take your company to the stratosphere. But it’s really crucial for you to do the research and choose the best one for your business.

Want some quick-fire sales tips from experts?

Download our top three sales tips direct from the experts to improve the performance of your sales team.