Qualtrics (A)

Qualtrics was an online survey research platform and since the beginning, the company had relied entirely on an inside sales model—sales done remotely without face-to-face contact with clients. The low-cost inside sales model, along with an emphasis on a strong sales culture, had helped Qualtrics to grow rapidly. However, it needed to prepare for the next phase of its growth. The company decided to diversify its product portfolio and target different types of customers (enterprise clients). In accordance with this change, it recognized the need to revise the inside-sales-only model by adding a field sales component to better serve these customers.
Many organizations often go through a turning point in their strategy to explore ways for growth. The case series outlines the best practices of scaling an inside sales model and the challenges involved in changing an organization’s sales management and strategy to initiate future growth.
The main teaching themes of the case are as follows:
• Examine the best practices/challenges of scaling an inside sales model
• Ways in which to properly use the inside sales channel
• Understand the changing role of a salesperson
• How to analyze the sales process (funnel)
• How an organization changes its sales management/strategy in accordance with a change in its overall firm strategy