Are you considering adding (or replacing) an outsourced sales development or appointment-setting partner to boost your 2025 revenue? Many companies postpone starting their evaluation and onboarding until January; however, doing so may leave you playing catch-up throughout the first quarter. By acting now, you can set the stage for a successful and profitable year ahead.
Let’s explore why waiting until the new year can slow you down and what you can do now, in the fourth quarter, to hit the ground running in 2025.
The Downside of Waiting until January
Most organizations enter the new year with ambitious sales and marketing targets. It’s easy to underestimate the time necessary to make changes when evaluating and onboarding a new vendor. If you start this process in January, you could spend the majority of the first quarter in evaluation and planning mode, leaving little time for actual production. This delay could potentially impact your revenue targets for the year.
Here’s a typical timeline to onboard a new sales and lead development representative vendor:
- Vendor Evaluation & Selection: 2-3 weeks to research and select the right partner.
- Contracts & Purchase Orders: 1-3 weeks to finalize contracts, address procurement requirements and open purchase orders.
- Onboarding & Training: 3-4 weeks for vendor’s development process and training.
The process could take 6-10 weeks, assuming everything runs smoothly. Starting this in January means you might not fully kick off your new sales development strategy until the end of Q1.
Why You Should Start Now
Rather than losing valuable time in early 2025, consider starting the evaluation and vendor onboarding process now. By doing so, you could:
– Complete the vendor evaluation phase
– Finalize contracts and procurement onboarding when workloads might be lighter
– Ensure your lead or sales development team has been onboarded and trained by the start of the new year, so you’re ready to hit the ground running on January 2nd.
This proactive strategy allows you to launch your lead development initiatives at the start of Q1 rather than scrambling to catch up later.
Boosting Your Results
Replacing or adding a vendor can significantly enhance the quality of your leads and appointments, increase conversion metrics, and take your sales development efforts to the next level. The earlier you begin, the sooner you’ll see the benefits of increased efficiency and better results, setting the stage for a successful year ahead.
By getting ahead of the curve, your business will be primed to see solid and measurable results right from the start of the new year. Don’t wait until January—act now and ensure your lead strategy is ready to deliver from day one! You’ll be prepared to hit the ground running with a fully integrated vendor working to produce results and impact your revenue.
Let’s discuss how we can help you refine your lead and sales development strategy. Contact us today to map out your path to success! We’re here to support you in making the most of your 2025 sales development efforts.