At Mazzella Companies, the Sales team is broken up into two distinct groups that work both separately and together to bring in revenue and build relationships with new and existing customers. To better clarify the differences between the two groups, we sat down with members from both teams to discuss the top four differentiators between the two roles and how they’re working together to instill confidence and comfort in every interaction.
From their day-to-day activities, to how their leads are generated, how they build relationships, and the number of decision makers involved in a typical transaction, this article will highlight those top differences for individuals considering a career in sales or seeking to optimize their sales strategies based on the specific challenges and opportunities associated with each role.
1. Day to Day Activities
While both the Inside Sales and Outside Sales roles share the common goal of driving revenue and building customer relationships, their day-to-day work experiences can differ significantly. Understanding the contrasting dynamics of these roles is crucial for sales professionals seeking to excel in either domain.
Mary Pleasant, Project Manager and liaison between the two groups says that one of the most significant differences between the two positions is the travel involved in being in an Outside Sales role, with an Inside Sales role contrastingly lacking travel and, therefore, the external exposure to the field., “I think that the two different jobs require different skill sets because the two roles are very different. Our Inside Salespeople will be doing more desk work, handling customer challenges from their computers, while the Outside Salespeople need to be out in the field and have the energy to be on the move.”
Matt Burk, Insides Sales Manager, shared his day-to-day saying, “A lot of my day is spent working on quotes and orders, but we’re also maintaining and growing margins, and working with our shop and inbound requests, whether it’s customer phone calls, emails, or leads. Not only at our Cleveland headquarters, but at our other locations as well. Making sure they have the materials to make what’s needed for the customer and deciding the best logistical shipping schedule and maintaining the speed of the order.”
Matt shared that even though he doesn’t travel for work often, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t take the time to understand the regions he’s working in, “what their lingo is, what they like, what they use. In the Great Lakes region there are a lot of steel and automotive companies using our product while down in the Gulf Coast region you get into oil and gas. So, it’s important to grow what you know about the regional industries.”
On the flip side, Nate Fisher, Account Manager in Outside Sales, shared that much of his time is spent traveling, which he enjoys. “I love being able to go to the customers, walk into their facility, see what they’ve got, understand some of their needs, and maybe even be able to identify some needs that they didn’t even realize they needed and provide solutions for them.”
Ronnie Cook, another Account Manager in Outside Sales, echoed Nate’s love for facility visits because he says it gives him a better understanding of what customers are using. “I’ve been in this business for 15 years because I really like to see how things are made in order to understand the product and its application. I love getting out and seeing the needs, coming up with solutions, helping people out.”
Ronnie went on to explain how those visits lead to long-term customer relationship building too, explaining how he has a customer he visits on a monthly basis, taking note of inventory stock needs. “Because I’m trusted with that, I can come up with minimums and maximums on what they have. If I go in there and they only have four of something they typically like to have 10 of, I’ll make a list and send them a quote. Then they don’t have to worry about running out of those products and so work doesn’t stop.”
Whether an Account Manager is visiting a customer in the field, or an Inside Sales Specialist is fielding phone calls and emails from customers, both use the Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) system at Mazzella Companies as a part of their process. With an opportunity captured in the system, every step in the sales process can be tracked though a six-step sales process, which helps teammates not only track opportunities, but losses as well, so that the team can build future strategies to improve their success rates.
Related: Day in the Life of an Account Manager at Mazzella Companies
2. How Leads Are Generated
The processes of lead generation are shaped by the unique dynamics of both the Inside and Outside Sales teams. While both teams share the common objective of driving growth and securing viable leads, their methodologies diverge.
Matt shared that leads for an Insides Sales team member can come in from a couple different avenues and are often through various digital channels. “They sometimes come in from an Outside Salesperson or it could come in from our website. Customers are always welcome to go to our website, fill in their contact information and needs. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you could put something as simple as ‘Please someone just reach out’.”
Ronnie shared that in Outside Sales, customer leads are usually a mix of repeat customers, but he still enjoys the thrill of approaching new customers. “Sometimes if I have a 2-3hour drive to get out to a customer or two in a certain area, if I’m not in a rush to come back, then I’ll set my GPS to avoid highways and I’ve come across some great leads. Doing that randomly, you’re bound to run across someone who is out in the middle of nowhere which can mean that no one else is calling them. So, if you’re the person who stops in and shows them some love then it’s typically a good way to get going with them.”
Nate shared that brand recognition is always a huge help in generating new leads for him. “The name ‘Mazzella’ is synonymous with rigging in our market and so it’s not uncommon for us to receive calls from people that know Mazzella Companies has the answer to their problem in that department. At the same time, there is a lot of relationship building and networking component to bringing sales and finding leads. You have to understand the people out in the community that are working with our equipment and being able to make sure you’re in touch with them, so you’re top of mind when they need something.”
3. How They Establish and Build Relationships
Building strong and lasting customer relationships lies at the heart of Mazzella Companies’ sales strategy. However, the methods employed by either team to cultivate these relationships differ significantly. The Inside Sales team at Mazzella Companies relies heavily on digital tools, virtual communication, and personalized outreach to connect with customers remotely. Conversely, the Outside Sales team members embrace face-to-face interactions, forging connections through in-person meetings and on-site visits.
Matt shared that while he and his team don’t often get face time in with their customers, they do use the technology available to them to connect. “You can definitely establish a relationship with a customer, whether it’s our internal or external customers, without being in person. It’s a lot of emails and phone calls but also Zoom or Teams meetings for a more face-to-face experience. Sometimes it’s good to put a face to the name, especially when you’re working with a customer for a couple of months or maybe even years. Having that virtual face time helps us connect, even if it’s not just about work. It could be about what they did on the weekend.”
Nate shared that at his core he is someone who loves to help people and loves to see them succeed, which he believes help him connect with his customers. “I love to bring something out to a customer, especially on a construction site where they’re building a building, and Mazzella Companies’ products are getting used to help put up that building. When I see the success afterwards of that building or a product inside a manufacturing facility – I just love that. Helping that person and seeing their success is what really drove me to sales. I also do really like to deal with people, and I’ve made incredible friends I see outside of the workday that are our customers to this day.”
Ronnie’s approach to building relationships with his customers is centered around asking questions. “When I network I ask a lot of questions, try to build relationships with my customers and contacts. I have a customer that is a crane rental company that I have a good relationship with and so I feel comfortable enough with the General Manager there to ask, ‘where are you working right now? Who’s the general contractor on that? Who’s buying the rigging for that project?’. I also enjoy doing company events to network, golf outings and the like. I like to start up conversations. I’m very much a people person, so I like to understand who they are, what they’re interested in. Starting up a conversation like that can help you connect on a personal level.”
Ultimately, one of the most critical relationships Inside Sales and Outside Sales can make with each other. Matt shared, “Communicating with our Outside Sales partners and customers directly and on a real-time basis has a big impact on our success rates. If you’re interacting and communicating, then the customer is going to be willing to talk with you on a regular basis because they need answers, and when we give them what they need, we can establish trust with them.”
Nate went on to mirror that sentiment saying that their teamwork helps him in his Outside Sales role, “Inside Salespeople can get a lot of great information to help me go out there. They give me information so I can prepare for an onsite visit. There are so many customers out there and sometimes it can be tough to see everybody as often as I feel we need to. That’s what makes our Insides Salespeople such an asset to me.”
4. How Many Decision Makers They Work With
The Outside Salespeople at Mazzella Companies often interact with decision-makers due to being physically present in the field and conducting business face-to-face. That exposure can be a distinct advantage, but it also comes with its own challenges, which means that Outside Salespeople need to tailor and hone their sales pitches on a more personal level.
Ronnie always keeps his purpose top of mind, “I try to make it very clear that I’m not there to sell them products they don’t need. I’m only here to help make the experience easier for them and provide them with a product they genuinely need, at a good and fair price. I always ask them to give us a chance to earn their trust and business because when they need, say, a lifting beam, they’ll know they can call us and get that off their plate.”
Nate shared that while sometimes there are smaller transactions in his pipeline with one or two decision makers, there can sometimes be many more which raises the stakes. “When you are selling a whole crane system or maybe a bridge crane to a customer, that can involve a lot of decision makers inside an organization. I’ve been a part of a crane sale where I’ve had 10 people in front of me trying to understand and make sure that this crane is going to work with everything that they need inside their facility.”
Keeping the Country Moving
While there are differences between the Inside and Outside Sales teams, each team feels uniquely connected to Mazzella Companies’ culture and product, recognizing that the products they’re selling are keeping the country moving from the clothes on someone’s back that were manufactured in a facility with Mazzella Companies slings and ropes to the roads and bridges constructed with cranes.
