Eloquent, Inc.

Improve Sales Force Productivity

After building a successful Direct Sales Force for Eloquent—a leading provider of enterprise knowledge deployment software and services for the Global 2000—Susan Dickerson, Vice President of Worldwide Sales, set out to increase her organization’s productivity by feeding them qualified leads instead of cold prospects. The goal was to shift the burden of lead generation from the relatively expensive Direct Sales Force to a new, more cost-effective Inside Sales group. This would allow Sales Reps to spend more selling time in face-to-face meetings. The Inside Sales operation would cold-call prospects, send them demo CDs, ask preliminary qualifying questions, and then arrange a personal appointment with their Direct Sales Rep.

A Complete Solution

Rather than attempt this challenging project alone, however, Eloquent brought in Phone Works to create an Inside Sales organization. Phone Works developed a business plan; outlined the requirements for office space, software and equipment; created compensation plans; and interviewed potential hires. When the Phone Works team left, a fully functioning Inside Sales department was in place. Indeed, just two weeks after the group was operational, the first appointment was set. Post-implementation, Susan reflected: “Phone Works installed a professional, highly competent team; and built a great foundation for our continued success”.

“The Jewel of the Company”

“The Jewel of the Company” is how Terry Opdendyk, a Board Member and investor in the company, described the new Inside Sales department. It has dramatically improved sales force productivity since the day Sales Reps start work they have appointments with qualified buyers scheduled. The strategy has kept the pipeline full where before it had been spotty. In fact, in the third quarter after implementation, 100 percent of new business was Inside Sales-initiated. The productivity of the Direct Sales Reps has increased substantially: Sales quotas are now 100 percent higher than they were before; and Sales Reps are meeting them! Susan Dickerson estimated the Phone Works services were paid for in just four months by accelerating the sales cycle. An added benefit has been the collection of prospect and market data, making competitive issues and trends visible to company management.