Sales-as-a-Service Comparisons & Insights

Sales-as-a-service (SAAS) is not yet clearly defined and could be considered as software or services (or a combination of both), which provides businesses with “sales capabilities as a service” whereby, businesses can access relevant and crucial sales resources when they need them. For instance, if you are looking for an efficient sales channel or sales team, SAAS software can help you acquire the resources you need to meet your company’s goals.

SAAS allows businesses to create and manage a sales force without having to advertise, recruit, hire and even train sales agents for the positions.  Also, SAAS can also provide marketing tools, lead generation, effective sales systems and more. However, different SAAS service providers offer different packages and features.  

As an example, in a recent Wall Street Journal article titled: “Coming Next: The On-Demand Sales Force” reviews how the startup Universal Avenue is building an app to hire a sales team via an app. Universal Avenue says they are building a “sales-as-a-service” app based on the “sharing economy” which is best known for services offered to consumers such as Uber and Airbnb. It’s possible the “on-demand sales force” from Universal Avenue may disrupt the marketplace in much the same way.

Below is a comparison of some of the companies providing 
‘Sales-as-a-Service’:

Elastic Sales

Elastic Sales is a ‘sales-as-a-service’ service provider, which operates using the Close.io software. Close.io has four main features that can help businesses make more sales by closing more deals.

The main features include:

• Make and receive calls with one click: all inbound and outbound calls are logged into the software automatically, which allows for better and more sales calls. Also, the lead activity of a caller is displayed when the phone rings; this means, that crucial sales data will always be available when you need it.
• Send more and better sales email: The Close.io app automatically tracks all your sales emails. You will, therefore, be able to see who opens your emails and keep track of the number of emails you have sent out at a particular time. This app also allows you to save templates, hence improving email workflow.
• No tedious data entry tasks: Close io eliminates the need to do tedious manual data entry work with its auto-logging feature, which automatically enters relevant sales data into the system such as email and call correspondence. This can free up your sales agents to concentrate on closing more deals instead of doing data entry.
• Get quick and accurate answers to your questions: For instance, if you need to know the number of potential leads/deals in a particular neighborhood that you have not yet contacted, simply ask the app, and you will get quick and accurate results. This is because the app collects most of its data based on actual sales behavior, therefore giving you accurate data.

Despite its great features, this SAAS software from Elastic Sales is not for everyone. For instance, if you do not use email or phone as part of your sales efforts, and you only manage 100 leads annually, then you may not be able to utilize Close io entirely.

Peacock Digital

Unlike Elastic sales, Peacock Digital does not offer a SAAS app or software. Instead, this sales-as-a–service, service provider offers a full-service sales outsourcing solutions to businesses.

These services include:

• Lead Generation: Peacock Digital’s SAAS service identifies your target audience and potential marketing territories, and then applies a systematic approach in building leads for your business.
• Lead Development: through the use of phone and face to face conversations Peacock digital sales team nurtures prospects for your company.
• Sales Finalization:  this involves closing deals and contract negotiations (if required).
• Partner development: this SAAS service can match your business to the most suitable implementation partner.
• Market Representation: the company provides market representation in New Zealand and Australia.

SeedFire Venture

Seed Fire Venture has over 20 years of global experience in offering SAAS services to various businesses.

Seed Fire services include:

• Strategic Go-to-marketing Plan:  A Strategic Go-to-marketing (GTM) plan will help you identify key competitors; develop market projections, profile customer segments and to profile large potential markets.
• Develop a route-to-market strategy and execution process:  Distributors, resellers, manufacturers and consultants are a valuable part of the sales process; hence, the need to involve them in this process.
• Lead Generation and Lead Management: Seed Fire ventures, unlike other SAAS service providers, offers a ‘pay per lead payment facility’, which makes lead generation and management a priority for them. They generate leads using various mechanisms such as digital marketing, telemarketing, and partner ecosystem.
• Elastic sales force (on demand): provides a sales team to execute a scalable sales strategy, upon request. This service benefits small and medium organizations as they might not have the large amount of initial capital required to hire, train and maintain an in-house sales force.
• Product Pre-sales and Post-sales support: Seed Fire Venture supports sales efforts needed before a “deal is made.” In addition, the company also offers post-sales support which works towards developing loyal customers.

Sales Push  

Sales push is a Sales-as-a-service, service provider which offers a variety of sales related services such as:

• Email Campaigns Management: helps conduct custom email marketing campaigns, using well-designed email templates, which are also responsive to mobile devices; hence, allowing your business to tap into the ever-growing “mobile phone (users) market.”
• Online Ad Management: Sales push makes ad designs, executes and optimizes these ads to help you generate more sales. An example of online Ads is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
• Online Reputation Management: Social media is an important part of the sales process in today’s “tech-savvy” world, where sales are sometimes closed through an “endorsement tweet or the number of likes a product or service has.”  Sales Push manages companies’ social media presence in a bid to generate sales leads and even close sales.

The Paretto Effect

The Paretto Effect is a SAAS service provider, which focuses on sales outsourcing for companies. This company uses a unique model of helping you select your sales team. The company is responsible for employing, training and even paying your sales team.  Once recruitment and training are complete, you are then left to manage the sales team after training; you have the right to terminate the services of your sales team when need be. 

The Paretto Effect’s SAAS model offers:

• A 12-month free replacement for every sales representative.
• There are no upfront costs. You only pay for visible results, hence reducing your ‘investment risk’.
• The cost is evenly spread over a period of 12 months.

NuGrowth Solutions

NuGrowth Solutions is an outsourced sales and marketing organization to help companies grow through professional market outreach and strategic territory management.

NuGrowth sales-as-a-service model includes a proprietary territory management system along with hiring, team building, and coaching. They provide people, processes, and systems to an organization for customer acquisition.

Their sales-as-a-service and a suite of full sales management includes:

• Sales management
• New business development
• New business development – fill the pipeline
• Full end-to-end service from Contract to Closing
• CRM Management

Instead of focusing on software (though a CRM is an essential tool), NuGrowth services are similar to adding a fully operational branch sales and marketing office built to scale.

There is a growing number of sales-as-a-service (SAAS) providers, but a side-by-side comparison is difficult because services vary. There is not yet a clear definition for sales-as-a-service. While some might offer SAAS services using a sales app or software, others will provide these services using an outsourcing model, where you outsource sales team recruitment services from them.  In addition, there are companies who build a custom team to act as a branch of your sales and marketing department.

In addition, some service providers may offer a flexible repayment period, while others may not. There are also service providers whose SAAS structures are compatible with changing technologies, such as the mobile phone platform, and others are not.  

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