The Cold Hard Facts of Hiring Your Own Sales Team

To thrive in a competitive market, moving companies must focus on driving sales growth and optimizing efficiency. A crucial decision that can significantly impact your business trajectory is whether to hire an in-house sales team or outsource sales to a specialized service like Oncue Booking. In this blog article, we will delve into the true costs of hiring a full-time salesperson for your moving company and compare it with the benefits of entrusting your sales to Oncue Booking – a team of moving experts who can answer calls, follow up on leads, and book moves for your company.

The True Costs of Hiring a Full-Time Salesperson

Building an in-house sales team involves several stages, each with associated costs and considerations. We consulted industry experts to understand current market rates for sales representatives, and here are some examples:

Entry-Level Sales Rep:

Entry-level sales reps typically earn an hourly rate of $12-$15, with commissions ranging from 1.5% to 3%. While they may seem cost-effective, employees with this level of experience may lack the overall work experience required to generate substantial revenue for your moving company.

1 to 3 Years of Experience:

Sales reps with 1 to 3 years of experience might receive a base salary in the range of $35K – $40K, with commissions varying from 3% to 4%. Despite having more experience than beginners, they are often in high demand and harder for moving companies to source.

3+ Years of Experience:

Experienced sales reps with proven track records could command salaries between $75K to $100K+, with flat commissions of 6% to 7%. While top performers can justify this investment by consistently bringing in inbound and outbound business, it remains a significant expense for your moving company. Sales reps experienced in commercial sales are particularly valuable.

The Hidden Costs of Hiring Your Own Sales Reps

Beyond salary and commission, other costs associated with hiring an in-house sales team are important not to overlook:

Recruiting Expenses:

Recruiting the right salesperson involves more than just placing a job advertisement. It requires investing time and resources into finding, screening, and interviewing potential candidates. The recruitment process takes time and may involve multiple rounds of interviews, background checks, and assessments.

Employee Benefits:

To attract and retain top sales talent, offering competitive employee benefits is essential. Health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other perks are expected by experienced sales professionals. These benefits add to the overall cost of hiring and maintaining an in-house sales team.

Employee Attrition:

The average tenure for an in-house sales representative is 18 months, leading to constant pipeline filling for their eventual replacement. High turnover rates among salespeople result in a constant need for recruitment and training, disrupting customer relationships and impacting sales performance.

Training and Development:

Even experienced sales reps require continuous training to stay competitive and adapt to changing market conditions. Investing in ongoing sales training programs can be costly, especially if conducted externally by specialized trainers. Additionally, training new hires can divert attention from revenue-generating activities, impacting overall sales productivity.

Non-Productive Time:

Salespeople, like all employees, may experience periods of non-productive time due to various reasons such as illness, personal reasons, or administrative tasks. During these periods, sales reps may not be actively closing deals, resulting in missed revenue opportunities. In contrast, outsourcing to a specialized team like Oncue Booking ensures consistent availability, 7 days a week, and a dedicated focus on generating leads and closing deals, minimizing non-productive time and maximizing sales potential.

Benefits of Hiring a Full-Time Salesperson

At early stages of growth, a moving company owner may choose to hire a full-time sales rep. Here are the typical reasons why someone may want to have the team in-house:

Dedicated Focus:

In-house sales reps focus solely on your moving company’s sales, building lasting customer relationships, and gaining an in-depth understanding of your business. Often, these employees are co-located at the office with other staff, like the dispatch team, which may give them an opportunity to learn the business quicker.

Company Alignment:

Internal sales teams align with your company’s values, effectively serving as brand ambassadors. Hiring someone who can interact well with potential customers and represent your company well may be a smart decision if you are trying to build a company culture.

Adaptability:

Full-time sales reps can quickly adapt to changes in sales strategies and market demands. Over time, sales reps will learn your business and customer base, enabling them to make tradeoffs and decisions in the best interests of your company.

Outsourcing Sales to Oncue Booking

While there are advantages to hiring your own team, moving companies looking to grow without the burden of bringing on full-time staff are choosing to outsource their sales operations to Oncue Booking. Here are a few reasons why:

Cost Efficiency and Flexibility:

Oncue Booking’s service is cost-efficient, eliminating recruitment expenses, training programs, and overhead costs. You only pay a monthly subscription to have 7-day-a-week coverage, providing scalability and flexibility to adapt to changing sales requirements, especially during seasonal fluctuations.

Industry Expertise and Specialized Knowledge:

Before taking a phone call on behalf of one of our customers, every member of Oncue Booking undergoes intensive training on the moving industry and our customers’ specific policies. This specialized knowledge leads to more effective sales conversations and higher conversion rates.

Sales Skill Sets and Quality Assurance:

Oncue Booking invests in training agents to become skilled sales professionals, adept at handling various leads, overcoming objections, and closing deals efficiently. Every call is monitored by Oncue’s Quality Assurance (QA) team, ensuring a successful customer experience.

Scalability and Daily Coverage:

Outsourcing sales to Oncue Booking enables your company to scale sales efforts based on demand, with the added benefit of 7-day-a-week availability for enhanced customer satisfaction and accessibility. No more missed phone calls over the weekend or when a team member is out sick!

Focus on Core Competencies:

By working with the Oncue Booking team to handle sales, your moving company can focus on critical aspects of the customer experience, such as providing excellent service and running an efficient business, instead of managing an in-house sales team.

Consistency and Brand Representation:

Every phone call with a customer is an experience that customer has with your brand. Oncue Booking ensures consistent brand representation, aligning with your company’s values and policies and consistently delivering a cohesive customer experience.

Conclusion

While hiring a full-time salesperson may seem conventional, the data and comparisons provided in this article strongly emphasize the advantages of outsourcing sales to Oncue Booking for your moving company. The cost efficiency, industry expertise, sales skillsets, scalability, focus on core competencies, and consistent brand representation make outsourcing to Oncue Booking the optimal choice for maximizing sales potential and achieving unparalleled success.

By entrusting your sales efforts to Oncue Booking’s team of experts, you can expect improved sales performance, increased revenue, and high customer satisfaction.