{"id":43974,"date":"2020-10-01T15:32:25","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T15:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=43974"},"modified":"2026-01-23T23:06:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T07:06:49","slug":"inside-sales-vs-outside-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to succeed in sales, you have to learn to adapt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From emerging technologies to new methodologies, salespeople are (rightfully) always on the hunt for new ways to close deals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don&#8217;t have to look much further than extraordinary situations like COVID-19 as an example of reps shifting their strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic has brought to light some big-picture questions. For example, is it possible to succeed solely via virtual sales? How much do <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">face-to-face interactions<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> really matter to customers?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enter the debate of inside sales versus outside sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we\u2019ll look at:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#difference\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The differences between inside and outside sales<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#in\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside sales: benefits, drawbacks, and making it work<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#out\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside sales: benefits, drawbacks, and making it work<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#app\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When is inside sales appropriate vs outside sales?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\">Up your sales game and close more deals with this free cold outreach playbook. \u260e\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"http:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/ebook\/cold_calling_scripts_playbook.pdf\" data-id=\"69da579f83d90\" id=\"69da579f83d90\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69da579f83d90.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83d\ude80 Get them now<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">Need fresh ideas for how to connect with prospects while setting up your deals for success? Download this sales playbook now! <\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01477\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69da579f83d90.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Happy selling!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"difference\"><\/a><br \/>\nInside sales vs outside sales: What\u2019s the difference?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To kick things off, let\u2019s break down what \u201cinside\u201d and \u201coutside\u201d actually mean in the context of sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Inside sales<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> represent remote sales in which salespeople never actually meet in person with leads and prospects. Such salespeople rely on a combination of cold calling, emails, and digital meetings to nurture leads and close deals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of a modern sales team that\u2019s hitting the phones and spending the bulk of their day plugged into sales software: that\u2019s inside sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the flip side, <\/span>outside sales <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">represent in-person sales. These salespeople go out \u201cinto the field\u201d to meet prospects and negotiate deals face-to-face. Whereas inside salespeople will spend most (if not all) of their time in-house, travel and one-on-one meetings represent a significant chunk of an outside rep\u2019s schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>Inside sales<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>Outside sales<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responsible for remotely nurturing and closing leads through digital calls, emails, and video meetings (all while working either in an office setting or at home)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintains a relatively consistent schedule and quota from month to month<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales cycle is typically shorter thanks to the speed and scalability of digital sales tools<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responsible for closing deals in person and making face time with sales targets<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule varies based on the number of in-person meetings and travel time required<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Requires a longer sales cycle due to time involved with scheduling, preparing for, and traveling to in-person meetings<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startups and smaller teams typically do most (if not all) of their sales \u201cinside.\u201d This is especially true for software as a service (SaaS) companies that are tech-savvy and can easily demonstrate their product(s) virtually to leads and prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although outside sales may seem old-school to some, meeting and closing in-person is still essential to certain industries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re dealing with massive contracts, big-spending clients (think: banks and financial institutions) or an expensive, physical product (think: building materials and suppliers, energy solutions). You\u2019d be hard-pressed to find people willing to commit to six or seven-figure deals without meeting face-to-face.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"in\"><\/a><br \/>\nInside sales: Benefits, drawbacks, and making it work<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the showdown between inside vs. outside sales, determining which is \u201cbetter\u201d depends on factors including your product, team size, and budget. We\u2019ll tackle the ins and outs of inside sales first.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the benefits of inside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First thing\u2019s first: remote sales is much, much faster to scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, modern <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> makes it easier than ever to put the process of messaging and following up with leads on autopilot. Coupled with a communications platform (like RingCentral) that makes it a cinch to move from emails and live chat to phone calls and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/virtual-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video meetings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, inside sales is naturally speedier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, remote salespeople have the advantage to both prospect and reach out to leads faster. This translates into higher sales quotas and the opportunity to get your product in front of more people. Many successful inside sales teams structure their workflow with specialized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artisan.co\/blog\/sdr-vs-bdr\">SDR and BDR roles<\/a> to maximize efficiency at each stage of the sales funnel.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With inside sales, there are also fewer question marks around what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t in terms of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your sales strategy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Digital communication leaves a sort of \u201croadmap\u201d of what it takes to close any given deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, sales software such as a CRM can keep track of your most successful salespeople and outreach methods. Meanwhile, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/analytics-portal\/overview.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">call-tracking analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> built into tools like RingCentral or other cold <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/cold-calling-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calling software<\/a> can clue you in on how much your reps are calling, how long their conversations are, and even which phrases help you convert:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43975\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/sales-calls-analytics-in-ringcentral.png\" alt=\"sales calls analytics in ringcentral\" width=\"928\" height=\"540\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, inside sales aren\u2019t restricted by travel or the geography of your customers in more traditional <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-territory-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales territory plans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Meeting with international clients can be done online, eliminating the need for pricey travel bookings. This not only opens you up to potential customers anywhere and everywhere, but also means that the \u201ccost\u201d of your meetings are little more than your reps\u2019 time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the downsides of inside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s be honest: it\u2019s much, much easier to ghost someone digitally than it is in person. Letting a suspected <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-call-planning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales call<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> go to voicemail or ignoring a cold email simply requires inaction on your leads\u2019 part. Without being <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/face-to-face-interactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">face-to-face<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, people can simply say \u201cno\u201d or go cold without much of an explanation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So while inside sales can cover more ground, remote reps may also deal with more tire-kickers and convert fewer customers based on sheer volume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, building initial relationships with clients can be difficult via email or text alone. Although calls and video meetings can certainly do the job, some clients with an older-school mentality might see a lack of in-person meetings as a deal-breaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the most important tools for inside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not a stretch to say that much of a remote rep\u2019s success depends on their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-sales-apps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There\u2019s a variety of must-have tools for inside sales that we\u2019ve highlighted below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A communications platform<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bear in mind that every prospect has a different preference in terms of how they communicate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email. SMS. Video meetings and phone calls. You name it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important for inside sales professionals to have a reliable outbound communications platform at their fingertips. Tools like RingCentral allow you to meet with leads and customers at a moment\u2019s notice, including initiating instant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calls<\/a> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-demo-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales demos<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation\" title=\"Blended Outbound Cloud Contact Center | RingCentral Engage Voice\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bAaEj0aBBPA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools like phone access and video meetings are crucial for remote reps. According to recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-experience-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer experience statistics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 50% of consumers still want to talk to an actual flesh-and-blood person <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prior<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to making a major purchase. Just because you\u2019re behind a screen doesn\u2019t mean you can just rely on emails. And even though <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/the-best-video-conferencing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video conferencing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is exploding in popularity, sales reps will still (at least in the foreseeable future) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/find-best-phone-service-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need a phone<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond communicating with customers, sales teams need to talk to each other too. From having weekly sales <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meetings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to updating each other on deals in a group messaging thread, a good communication platform is crucial for encouraging teamwork.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation\" title=\"RingCentral app for Desktop: Message. Video. Phone.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EbIAZJd9rCU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A CRM<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CRM (customer relationship management) tools represent the central hub of your business relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, a CRM can keep track of your complete prospecting histories including phone calls, emails, and personal notes. In-depth analytics allow both yourself and sales managers to see the status of your deals and overall team performance, cluing you in on where your sales team can improve. Below is an example of the analytics and sales <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-kpis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">KPIs<\/a> that can be found in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/pipedrive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pipedrive<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/pipedrive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-43976\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pipedrive-sales-analytics-1024x657.gif\" alt=\"pipedrive sales analytics\" width=\"1024\" height=\"657\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, your CRM should integrate with your communications platform so you can track your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/customer-relations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer relationships<\/span><\/a> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dial your prospects in the same place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, RingCentral integrates with Pipedrive, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/zoho-crm-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoho CRM<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and many other CRMs to automatically log <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inbound-calling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">incoming calls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and make outgoing ones:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/zoho-crm-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-40151\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zoho-1024x515.png\" alt=\"zoho sales crm\" width=\"1024\" height=\"515\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s another example of RingCentral\u2019s integration with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/salpo-crm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salpo CRM<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, showcasing which stage each deal is in and giving reps a one-stop-shop to run down their to-do lists and contact lead:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/salpo-crm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-43977\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/salpo-crm-1024x576.png\" alt=\"salpo crm\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales enablement tools<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s well-documented that much of an inside rep\u2019s time is dedicated to activities<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that go beyond actively selling.<sup>1<\/sup> This includes <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-prospecting\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prospecting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, qualifying leads, and other account-related tasks:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43979\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/sales-rep-activities.png\" alt=\"sales rep activities\" width=\"652\" height=\"296\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As such, there are tons of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-enablement-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales enablement tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> out there to help reps speed up the process of doing deals virtually. This includes meeting schedulers, automated tools that qualify leads, and contract generators, like Simul:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43978\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/simul-sales-tool.png\" alt=\"simul sales tool\" width=\"1024\" height=\"622\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A robust, reliable software stack is key to inside sales, allowing reps to seamlessly move from each stage of a deal while keeping customers engaged every step of the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\ud83d\udd79\ufe0f<\/span> Get a hands-on look at how RingCentral works by booking a product tour:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><button data-href=\"#leadform-popup\" class=\"js-open-popup-activator btn primary\" >Choose a time<\/button><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What skills matter most for inside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being \u201cgood\u201d at inside sales doesn\u2019t happen by accident. Below are some essential skills and qualities of reps working in-house.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An understanding of sales technology<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can\u2019t stress this enough. Remote salespeople need to be tech-savvy, plain and simple. A working knowledge of modern sales tools and CRMs is pretty much non-negotiable for today\u2019s reps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, understanding <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/workflow-automation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">workflow automation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means that a rep can create repeatable processes to prospect and qualify leads. If an inside salesperson is spending all their time cold-emailing and researching sales targets \u201cby hand,\u201d they\u2019ll never hit their quotas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mastery of sales techniques and methodologies<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of quotas, reps have to talk to tons of people on a day-to-day basis. When you\u2019re juggling leads from different stages in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-funnel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">funnel<\/a>, mastery of sales <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-techniques\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">techniques<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is crucial to always know what to do next.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication skills are a must-have for any sales related role. The better your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-techniques\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the more effectively you can sell.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only do salespeople need to be willing to engage in cold conversations and push prospects to close, but they also need to be able to communicate regularly with their managers and fellow reps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"out\"><\/a><br \/>\nOutside sales: Benefits, drawbacks, and making it work<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to note that inside sales vs outside sales isn\u2019t necessarily a matter of either-or.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are plenty of fully remote sales teams out there, but many teams also have at least <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sect of their sales force that can meet in person.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the benefits of outside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we mentioned earlier, meeting face-to-face is often a requirement for big-ticket clients and industries that center around expensive products or services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willingness to meet clients in person also highlights your commitment to customers and confidence in your product. Likewise, if someone is interested to the point of meeting together, then they\u2019re probably not a tire-kicker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Case in point, a recent business travel report notes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that over a quarter of corporate sales would be lost if not for in-person meetings.<sup>2<\/sup> And of course, meeting in-person makes it easier to form a more personal connection with your sales targets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the downsides to outside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No surprise here: outside sales are both resource-intensive and time-consuming versus closing deals from the comfort of your computer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you\u2019re responsible for regional sales in your own backyard, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-territory-mapping-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">territory mapping<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is essential to making the most of your schedule. When dealing with more extensive travel that requires accommodations and last-minute bookings, you\u2019re going to have to pay for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, outside sales reps are obviously limited in terms of how many people they can close on any given day. Speaking of which, in-person meetings also present a larger risk versus reward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine spending weeks upon weeks preparing and arranging an in-person meeting that falls apart at the last minute. Disappointing, but it definitely happens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantifying your sales strategy is also a challenge for outside sales reps. As opposed to software that tracks your wins and losses, figuring out where an in-person conversation went wrong can be harder to pin down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And finally, for traveling sales reps who are on the road often, it can be hard to stay aligned with the team back at headquarters. When you\u2019re a lone wolf in the field, you can miss out on company updates and just the feeling of being part of the team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do outside sales teams use different tools than inside sales teams?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many outside reps should already be familiar with the very same tools as remote reps. This includes CRMs, communications platforms, and sales enablement software. All of the above are crucial to nurturing and navigating relationships prior to actually meeting in person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, one especially important tool for outside sales reps is a communication platform or app to stay in sync with the rest of the sales team and company. Whether it\u2019s video conferencing or team messaging or even phone calls, meeting regularly with the rest of the team is essential to make sure you\u2019re on the same page, even when you\u2019re a few cities or even a few states away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/cross-company.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cross Company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> notes that they\u2019ve had success using RingCentral as a \u201cunifying\u201d app to connect reps both at the office and out in the field:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s great that our outside reps can take a work call or join an audio conference while they\u2019re away from the office,\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">notes Nicholas Laws, IT Support Specialist at Cross Company<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely improving our productivity.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s be clear: we\u2019re not saying in-field reps aren\u2019t luddites. Not by a long shot. But this does speak to a certain expertise required to be successful at outside sales while balancing both in-person and digital relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What skills matter most for outside sales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside sales reps are more or less required to master the same skills as remote reps, although there are some key qualities that separate the two.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quick thinking and active listening<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a remote rep receives an email or voicemail, they have the advantage of being able to organize their thoughts and respond thoughtfully.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But when you receive a sales objection in person, you have to come up with a response right then and there. Doing so requires you to be quick on your feet. Additionally, active listening is essential for outside reps to guide conversations and read between the lines of what their sales <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/sales-targets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">targets<\/a> are actually saying.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interpersonal skills<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reality check: not everyone is cut out for outside sales. You need to be a so-called \u201cpeople person\u201d (or at least be perceived as one).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a magnetic, outgoing personality and enjoying being around people goes a long way toward closing a deal in person. While introverts can certainly be good remote salespeople, outside reps thrive when they\u2019re out of the office.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organization and punctuality<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whereas on-the-fly rescheduling is typical for remote meetings, flaking out on an in-person meeting could have massive consequences. This includes travel costs and lost contracts alike. Outside sales reps need to be highly organized in terms of how they spend their time and cover their respective territories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For reference, here\u2019s an actual job description for an outside rep that emphasizes punctuality and even \u201cemergency\u201d situations to meet in person<sup>3<\/sup>:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43980\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/outside-sales-rep-activities.png\" alt=\"outside sales rep activities\" width=\"639\" height=\"363\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"app\"><\/a><br \/>\nWhen is inside sales appropriate versus outside sales (and vice-versa)?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there is no \u201cright\u201d sales approach per se, some businesses and industries are better suited for either inside or outside sales. Here\u2019s a quick rundown, for reference:<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>Inside sales is best for&#8230;<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>Outside sales is best for&#8230;<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smaller teams with no budget or bandwidth for a face-to-face sales force<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses selling products that don\u2019t require in-person demonstrations or in-person contracts like SaaS products<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies working remotely, who can essentially hire, train, and initiate inside sales from anywhere<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larger companies with an established remote sales presence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses selling in-person services or products in higher-touch industries that require multiple face-to-face meetings (think: legal, energy, insurance, construction, real estate)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies with predictable, sizeable revenue (given that outside salespeople typically earn more money and deal with bigger-ticket targets)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do inside sales and outside sales have in common?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside sales and outside sales aren\u2019t totally apples and oranges. The reality? Successful reps in both fields share many of the same skills that we\u2019ve highlighted below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both rely heavily on technology to close deals<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For remote reps, you\u2019re going to be glued to your CRM and communications platform for most of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, even reps responsible for closing deals in person are going to use the same technologies to communicate. Beyond internal communication, it\u2019s safe to assume that you\u2019ll be going through quite a few calls, emails, and texts prior to meeting someone in person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Either way, technology allows you to keep track of your relationships and communicate with customers on their terms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both require thoughtful decision-making<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As noted earlier, outside reps have to think on the fly in order to close deals. Inside reps have more flexibility in terms of time, but also have more prospects and leads to focus on day to day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, which leads are your top priorities? Who should you reach out to next? What opportunities are on the table? Being decisive is key to moving deals forward in-person or otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both are responsible for building customer relationships<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While inside salespeople likely talk to a higher volume of customers, outside reps are more likely to \u201cget to know\u201d customers on an individual level. As such, both types of reps are tasked with learning and communicating customer needs and pain points.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it possible to move from inside sales to outside sales?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The short answer? Absolutely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the wake of COVID-19, we\u2019re obviously seeing more and more outside reps adapt to inside sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But even so, it\u2019s not as if a remote rep is totally incapable of meeting with a lead or prospect in person. Although it might require a bit of extra preparation, you might consider doing so if you have a prospective customer that\u2019s local.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And for outside reps looking to transition to inside sales, they may need to spend some time acclimating themselves to the latest sales technology. If someone has the skills to sell in the field, it\u2019s likely that they can make the transition rather smoothly (granted they\u2019re equipped with the right tools).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside sales vs outside sales: Which is best for your team?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no one-size-fits-all approach to sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of which approach is \u201cbest,\u201d it\u2019s important that all sales reps are empowered to keep in touch with their prospects, leads, and customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By getting on board with a platform like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you can better equip your inside and outside reps to be just a call (or meeting) away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><sup>1<\/sup>pipedrive.com\/en\/blog\/state-of-sales<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><sup>2<\/sup>oxfordeconomics.com\/Media\/Default\/Industry%20verticals\/Tourism\/US%20Travel%20Association-%20ROI%20on%20US%20Business%20Travel.pdf<\/span><\/p>\n<p><sup>3<\/sup>LinkedIn job posting: linkedin.com\/jobs\/view\/2000059349<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to succeed in sales, you have to learn to adapt. From emerging technologies to new methodologies, salespeople are (rightfully) always on the hunt for new ways to close deals. You don&#8217;t have to look much further than extraordinary situations like COVID-19 as an example of reps shifting their strategies. The pandemic has &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":43730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901,43336],"tags":[380],"class_list":["post-43974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","category-sales","tag-sales"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RingCentral Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"930\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"RingCentral Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"RingCentral Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"RingCentral Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358\"},\"headline\":\"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\"},\"wordCount\":3214,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png\",\"keywords\":[\"sales\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business &amp; leadership\",\"Sales\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\",\"name\":\"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances | RingCentral Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png\",\"width\":930,\"height\":700,\"caption\":\"inside vs outside sales\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RingCentral Blog\",\"description\":\"Intelligent Communications\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"RingCentral\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":309,\"caption\":\"RingCentral\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ringcentral\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ringcentral\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ringcentral\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358\",\"name\":\"RingCentral Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"RingCentral Team\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\"],\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances | RingCentral Blog","description":"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances","og_description":"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/","og_site_name":"RingCentral Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral","article_published_time":"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":930,"height":700,"url":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"RingCentral Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ringcentral","twitter_site":"@ringcentral","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"RingCentral Team","Est. reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/"},"author":{"name":"RingCentral Team","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358"},"headline":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances","datePublished":"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/"},"wordCount":3214,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","keywords":["sales"],"articleSection":["Business &amp; leadership","Sales"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/","name":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances | RingCentral Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","datePublished":"2020-10-01T15:32:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-24T07:06:49+00:00","description":"Inside vs outside sales: there are nuances to each + certain things to look out for to help your sales team. Learn more in this guide.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#primaryimage","url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","contentUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","width":930,"height":700,"caption":"inside vs outside sales"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"\/us\/en\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/","name":"RingCentral Blog","description":"Intelligent Communications","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization","name":"RingCentral","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png","contentUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png","width":2048,"height":309,"caption":"RingCentral"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral","https:\/\/x.com\/ringcentral","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ringcentral\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ringcentral"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358","name":"RingCentral Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"RingCentral Team"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com"],"url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/"}]}},"rc_img_url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-2-2.png","rcblog_by_author":"<a href=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/amp\" data-dl-events-click=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"link\"><span class=\"image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\" alt=\"\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" layout=\"fixed\"><\/img><\/span><span class=\"by-author-name\">RingCentral Team<\/span><\/a>","rc_author_full_name":"RingCentral Team","rc_author_avatar":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ringcentral-logo-new.png","rc_author_link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/amp","rc_post_categories":"<a href=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/category\/trending\/business-leadership\/amp\">Business &amp; leadership<\/a><a href=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/category\/roles\/sales\/amp\">, Sales<\/a>","amp_link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/inside-sales-vs-outside-sales\/amp","excerpt_title":"Inside sales vs outside sales: Understanding the nuances","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}