Inside Sales

Guide for
Startups

© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.

 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

Table of Contents.

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………..……..03.
What is inside sales?
Why you should do inside sales.

2. How to build & manage an inside sales process for your startup………..….05.
Prospecting.
Qualification.
Demo.
Objection handling.
Negotiation.
Closing.

3. How to build a winning startup inside sales team…………………….…..…..10.

Sales Manager.
Sales Process.
Goals.
Hiring.

4. Important tools for your inside sales success…………………………….…….11.

CRM.
Productivity Assistants.
Product demo tools.

5. 3 Tips on getting started in inside sales………………………………….….….12.

Use playbooks.
Listen.
Never give up.

6. Conclusion.………………………………………………………………………….14.

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

Inside Sales for Startups.

1.
Introduction.

Sales - the tip of the spear in business development and the key to
getting your startup off the ground. From the largest corporations
to the newest startups, sales, as we know, is the effort to find
potential leads and the process to turn them into actual purchasing
customers. It’s never been an easy job, sometimes expensive with a
low success rate accompanied with high expectations from upper
management. As if that isn’t enough, due to the endless supply of
product information on the internet, these potential leads are more
educated on products than ever before. The world, customers, and
the marketplace have never been more closely connected from
such far distances than they are now. These challenges, plus the
advantages of modern-day technology, have lead to the
implementation of the new strategy of inside sales.

In this guide we will discuss:

• The construction of an inside sales process

• Building a winning inside sales team
• Tools for inside sales success
• Tips to help you get started 


What is inside sales & why should startups implement it?

As the modern world continues to change (especially in the tech

industry), sales is continuing to change as well. The age of the
traditional Outside Sales Rep of traveling to meet with clients and
customers in person, is now becoming old school. Of course,
outside sales still has its place in specific industries due to the
‘human factor’. However, this method of business development is
on the decline.

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups
Meanwhile, the age of the inside sales rep
has arrived and is here to stay for the
foreseeable future. Why? - It’s quite simple.
First of all, inside sales reps work from
within the office (or sometimes anywhere).
They use the internet to acquire
information, conduct customer
prospecting, and outreach.
Due to the flexible nature of inside sales,
these reps can be far more efficient and
cost-effective. They save travel costs and
are available far more often to answer
emails and phone calls since they can
work from their office (or anywhere with
WiFi).
Let’s get started!
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
They save the company money and time,
and time is money!
Inside sales reps can continue to grow and
develop business at a fraction of the cost
from the old traditional methods. This
makes inside sales a ‘no-brainer’,
especially for startups who are always
trying to find the most efficient way to get
things done in the most cost-effective
manner.
We understand the vitality of inside sales
for startups and these challenges they
face. That’s why we created a guide to
assist fellow startups succeed in the
modern-day world of business through
inside sales.
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 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

2.
How to build and manage an inside sales
process for your startup.

6 KEY STEPS. First and foremost, before you even think about picking up the
phone or sending an email, you need to know one thing - what is
Prospecting.
your target market? Who are you trying to sell to? What types of
Qualification.
companies are you going after first? Identify these factors about
Demo.
your target before you even make any sort of sales attempts,
Objection Handling. whether it’s emails or phone calls, everyone within the startup
Negotiation. should understand what the main target is.
Closing.

5.
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups
Prospecting.
Now that you know what your target
market is, it’s time to start prospecting!
Whether this is done by searching through
CrunchBase, Google, or pulling data from
pitch decks, you need to discover which
companies your product would be directly
applicable to. Here are some things to
look for when prospecting companies:
1. Products.
What are they selling? Are they within
the industry of your target market? Is
your product relevant to their business?
2. Company size.
Are they on-boarding new employees,
how many locations do they have, how
many products have they released, etc.
(This shows which stage the company is
at and their buying potential).
3. Company history.
How long has the company been
around? If they’re another startup, when
did they start and how many funding
rounds have they acquired? - If the
company is new and has not
experienced substantial growth or
financing, it may not be a strong
customer prospect.   processes are, etc. First, collect the necessary
Qualification.
Once a prospect has been discovered and
has the potential to qualify, now begins the
actual outreach. The two main methods are
cold calling and cold emailing.
In both cases, it is best to reach out to the
most relevant contact instead of simply
anyone within the company.
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
For example, if you are selling a program to
assist in the daily administration or operation
of the company, try to find the contact
information for the Chief Operations Officer
(COO) or their assistant. 
Now finding the contact information for a
specific person within a company is not
always easy. Often times their contact
information is not listed. So, our best advice
is to simply get creative and think outside the
box! If the person you are searching for is not
listed on the company profile (or provides no
contact info), try a search engine with the
company name, the person, and the position
you are looking for. LinkedIn often times
shows the profiles of those who work for the
company. Easy enough, try sending a quick
short message to your targeted contact.
Provide a brief introduction and the reason
you are contacting them.
When you have acquired the necessary
contact information, it’s time to make contact
whether by a call or email. Regardless of the
method, your next goal is to determine if
they qualify for your product. If you are
selling a digital tool to assist in operations,
you may ask what CRM they use, what the
information to determine if your product is
directly applicable to the company. Next,
what is their ability to buy? How much are
they willing to spend? Are there other prior
agreements that could stop the transaction?
Find out sooner rather than later what their
purchasing capacity is so you don’t waste
further time on a lead that might be a dead
end. When all the necessary info to
determine if the lead qualifies is collected,
it’s time for the next step. 
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 Inside Sales Guide for Startups
Demo.
Once you have qualified your lead, it’s time
to offer them a demo! Regardless of how
interested or confident you are in a customer/
lead, always offer a demo session of the
product. A few things to keep in mind when
conducting your demo:
Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
Demo calls should be long enough to
present the product and allow time for
helpful conversation.
Treat it like an informative conversation -
present the product, its functions, and the
problems it resolves. Allow feedback and
always answer questions.  pricing will probably be an objection. So
Finish the call with a brief summary and
any necessary clarification. Allow time to
answer any further questions.
Establish the next steps. Inform the
attendees what they can expect from you
and your company and move towards on-
boarding.
NOTE: The Demo may only be a foot in
the door in order to reach higher level
authority. Be prepared to give a demo to
the same company for the “big shots”.
Don’t make it a feature demo, but a
benefits demo!  Contracts/Commitments
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
Objection.
Tying in directly with active listening is
learning how to handle objections. Just like in
a normal non-sales conversation, people
object to the ideas and opinions of others
(some more than others). Therefore, you can
expect to receive objections during your
sales calls, so do not fear them or act
surprised by them. See them not only as an
opportunity to increase your sales skills, but
also to learn from potential customers and
improve your product according to their
feedback. Consider your product and think
about what objections you may receive in
advance. For example, if your product is of
high value and is more expensive, then
think of possible arguments for price related
objections before your calls. Also, don’t be
afraid to ask more experienced colleagues
about the objections they’ve come across.
Take advantage of the fact they have more
experience and see what methods they used
in overcoming customer objections. 
Now, objections can vary in topic. The most
common objections topics are: 
Cost
Time
Market Competitors
Product Features
Complacency
We understand that objections can be well-
formed and hard to overcome. That’s why at
Ciara, we have created a guide that discusses
the most common objections and helpful
examples to respond to these challenges.
Check it out!
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 Inside Sales Guide for Startups
Negotiation.
So, your customer wants to play hardball on
what services/products they receive and at
what price? Welcome to the world of sales!
Have you ever heard that expression,
“everyone has a price”? Some people eat,
sleep, and breathe by this motto. You will
definitely come across those who want to
negotiate, even when terms are non-
negotiable. Now, certain industries include
negotiation as a part of the business. That is
just in their model and you should be fully
aware of this before you accept a position as
an inside sales rep. Regardless of the
industry or type of business you are involved
in, as an inside sales rep, you need to know
how to negotiate! Here are a few tips on
negotiation:
1. Know your bottom line!*
Your customer will try to come in lower
than the price that is set, so do NOT
start at your bottom line. Stay high
enough to respect you and your
company’s best interests, but don’t
start so high that you are no longer
competitive with the market.
*Determine this prior to the actual
negotiation.
2. Know the customer’s wants.
Listen to the customer first and
understand their wants/needs. Confirm
their feelings! A degree of trust and
understanding needs to be in place in
order to negotiate and come to a
conclusion that is beneficial for both
parties. Therefore, you need to let the
customer talk. Also, by allowing the
customer to talk, share their wants and
needs and their situation, you can
better understand their pain points
and how to better negotiate with them.
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
3. Know the value of your product.
If you understand the vitality and
importance of your product, share that
with your customer when justifying the
price for what you have to offer. Make
the customer understand that they will
receive what they pay for. Reaffirm
their pain/problem and reassure them
that your product is their solution!
4. Know when to be silent.
Silence can be a very effective tool in
negotiating. Your customer should
never get the idea that you are
desperate for their business! If this
happens, they will think they have the
upper hand and will use the situation
to their advantage. Therefore, allowing
some silence during a time of
negotiation will tell your customer that
you are not desperate and can survive
without their business. More often than
not, this will change the attitude of the
customer. 
5. Know when to walk away.
There are those who are not willing to
negotiate and not come to a fair
agreement for both parties. In these
situations, do not waste your time with
people who will not purchase your
product. If they are unwilling to reach
an agreement, your time and energy is
being wasted on something that is not
productive for you and your company.
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 Inside Sales Guide for Startups
Closing the deal.
Once you have made a successful sales call
(meaning the customer signed up/bought
your product/service), it is important to
always follow up. Do not leave the customer
on the edge of a cliff once they acquire and
start using a brand new system or product.
Obviously, large companies have entire
teams that focus primarily on customer
success and following up with pre-existing
customers. However, within a startup, you (as
in the inside sales reps) often times need to
wear both hats, meaning you acquire the
customers and then you need to make sure
they are successful in signing up/acquiring
your product or program.
Just like a crop in the field or newly planted
flowers, any seed needs to be tended and
watered, otherwise upon sprouting it will die
and wither away. So don’t let your contacts
slowly wither away. There is no use in
acquiring lots of sign ups or having many
conversations with customers if no one signs
up or agrees to test or purchase your
product.
“My wealth has come from a combination of
living in America, some lucky genes, and
compound interest.”
- Warren Buffett.
© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
It is much easier to work with current
customers than to acquire brand new ones.
Therefore, as startup inside sales reps, swing
back around from time to time and check up
on leads that you have acquired. This method
may also work in your favor in terms of
further customer acquisition. If customers of
your company have a good experience and
feel that they are well cared for, they will most
likely share their experience with colleagues
and friends. This will compound the growth
of the customer base for your startup.
This phenomenon is what we call the K
Factor, which is simply a formula that
measures compound growth. This is far more
effective than simply acquiring customers
one at a time on your own. Let the satisfied
customers do the marketing and build your
startup for you. Just like compound interest
in terms of finance and investment, this is the
most efficient way to grow a startup, and
build wealth. No one says it better than
Warren Buffett… 
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 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

3.
How to build a winning inside sales team.

“Our greatest Building a successful inside sales team from scratch is not easy. You
need to find people that have great interest and believe in the
weakness lies in
product(s) and the company. You also need those who share
giving up. The most
entrepreneurial values and share the vision of the startup! However,
certain way to
before you even start to think about on-boarding new inside sales
succeed is always
reps, you need a solid sales manager. 
to try one more
time.” The Sales Manager. Sales Process.
is in charge of creating the team, The sales manager must have a
- Thomas Edison. creating the sales process, and solid sales process established so
then executing the plan. He/She the inside sales reps have a
should be up to date with the model to follow. This is extremely
marketing team, working on important for new hires as they
inbound campaigns to increase learn the company, the process,
company awareness, thus giving and increase their company savvy
the sales team something to and sales operation know-how.
build on. 

Goals.
Each and every new hire should
clearly understand what the
immediate and long term goals
are for the startup. These should
be made clear at the beginning
so everyone’s on the same page
when they are brought together
as a team. Likewise, each new
hire should understand what is
expected of them in order to
reach these goals. No one should
go into the job (or any job for that
matter) without having a good
understanding of the company’s
expectations and goals.
Hiring.
You need people who are “go-
getters” by nature. They need an
outgoing spirit and a healthy
amount of self confidence.
Personality types and comments
of all kinds will be encountered
within this job. Therefore, people
should have that grit to accept a
“ding” and carry on forward. Look
for those who have a healthy self
worth, are easy to talk to, and can
relate with others. If someone
has these qualities, most
everything else can be trained
and develop further.

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

4.
Important tools for your inside sales
business.

Let’s chat about some tools! To get any job done properly, whether
you work in construction building homes or skyscrapers, or if you work
in IT or computer programming, we all need to use the right tools in
order to get the job done as efficiently as possible. 

CRM.
One of the main tools that is universally used in every
department of every company is a CRM system. Tasks,
contact information, email track records, marketing
campaign stats, etc., these features lie within various
CRM’s such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive, and
much more. All this information is visible, allowing all
employees to stay connected and up-to-date on the
happenings within your startup regardless of their
location. 
Productivity Assistants.
Next, let’s chat about productivity assistants. You’re
working for a startup and you’re super busy! To help you
stay on task and complete what you need in a timely
fashion, you can utilize tools such as Timely or Todoist.
They help keep you on track and show you how much
time different tasks take, helping you to plan and
schedule your day more efficiently. Other tools may
include Ciara, our digital assistant that helps SDRs
conduct phone conversations and collect the necessary
information in a timely manner. 
Product Demo Tools.
For demo calls or video conferences, Zoom is an
excellent tool that connects you with your
customer from anywhere in the world. Other
common tools include Google Hangouts,
GoToMeeting, or ScreenHero. Regardless of the
tool you choose, being able to connect with your
customers/users from anywhere in the world is
essential to the further development of your
startup!

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

5.
3 tips on getting started in inside sales.

“If people like you, Tip 1.

they’ll listen to you,
Use playbooks! Reaching out to new prospects is intimidating and
but if they trust you,
incredibly challenging. You won’t start out as a pro. However, the
they’ll do business
person on the other end doesn’t need to know that. ;-)
with you.”
The right playbook can help you conduct yourself and respond to
- Zig Ziglar.
customer questions and objections like a champ. If the playbook
includes the necessary info and is easy to follow, all you need to do
is transfer the information in a professional and polite manner. As a
result, playbooks can also decrease the on-boarding time of new
sales reps, making this very useful for startups who are working with
students and interns while striving to grow at a fast rate. Lose the
stress of trying to learn every in and out of each new product or
feature, each possible customer question or objection. Utilize every
resource you have and go from there.

Tip 2.
Listen to your customer. Failing to listen to the customer is a major
problem many SDR’s make, especially new hires.

Many inside sales reps know that once the customer answers the
phone, they have to follow a type of script and give the customer
their sales pitch. They repeat the process over and over. Well, every
person is different and therefore should be handled and spoken to
in a different way, regardless of what the sales pitch might be. Now,
in order to determine how to converse with the customer, you need
to listen to them. Hear their story, complaints, pains etc. Once they
feel that you actually care about their problem/pain and want to fix
it as well, then and only then will you earn their trust. This is all done
through active listening. This article by Hubspot clearly describes
the action(s) of active listening: 

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

1. Truly listen to the prospect.


2. Feed back the content and feeling of the prospect’s words.


3. Confirm you heard the prospect correctly.


4. Ask a relevant follow up question to further clarify your understanding of

their situation.


Active listening requires interaction and feedback - like a normal conversation! This should
be included within any script or playbook an inside sales rep uses. Remember to leave room
to listen and let the conversation flow naturally!

Tip 3.
Last but not least - NEVER GIVE UP! It is easy to get discouraged when you receive unfriendly
remarks and/or get turned down. Keep in mind, certain people are more approachable than
others.

Prospecting and researching can only do so much. There is nothing that replaces actual contact
with an individual (especially direct verbal communication). You may discover that some people
are less friendly or approachable than others. Sales in this regard is baptism by fire. It’s getting
on the phone and/or the computer and reaching out to strangers in an attempt to provide them
with a solution to their problem. Some will be willing to listen, some happy to hear about your
product, and others will turn you away regardless of how experienced, professional, and
friendly you conduct yourself. When this occurs, do not take it personally! Do not let someone
steal your energy and motivation! Keep your head held high and continue on your search for
the next prospect. The regular daily effort is how you will slowly build your success. Take note of
this quote from world famous American Author Robert Colliers...

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated

day-in and day-out.”
- Robert Collier.

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

6.
Conclusion.
START SELLING TODAY.

“I have never So, are you ready to jump 100% into the world of inside sales and
turn your startup into a high growth money-making machine?
worked a day in my
life without selling.
Hopefully you found this guide helpful. We understand the
If I believe in
importance of sales in growing your startup and building revenue.
something ,I sell it,
We also understand how challenging this job can be (especially for
and I sell it hard.” new SDRs)! That is why we have created a digital assistant to help all
those at the tip of the spear in business development. Ciara
- Estée Lauder.
provides best practice playbooks within a digitalized program that
tracks the progress of the conversation and automatically saves all
notes taken during a call.

Our goal is to help other businesses reach their goals through

perfect sales calls. By providing SDRs with an assistant containing all
necessary information, our goal is to relieve the stress of sales calls
and increase your prospect conversion rate. Here at Ciara, your
success is our satisfaction! 

Sign up now for FREE. And sell more. With Ciara.

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.
 Inside Sales Guide for Startups

Sources.
Cost effect of Inside Sales on companies.
https://hbr.org/2013/07/the-growing-power-of-inside-sa

Active listening.
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/active-listening-guide

Objection Handling.
https://info.getciara.com/objectionhandling

Why Sales Reps Should Use Scripts.

https://blog.close.com/use-a-sales-script

K Factor - Startup Growth.

https://medium.com/@adjblog/basic-overview-of-k-factor-in-viral-growth-
models-for-your-startup-2ee641b04bfb

Creating an inside sales team.

https://www.engagedprospect.com/blog/building-a-high-performing-
inside-sales-team

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© 2019 Ciara Group Inc.