How Much Does It Cost to Outsource Sales? (2025 Pricing Guide)

It's the most common—and important—question we get from every CEO and sales leader considering outsourcing: "How much is this going to cost me?"

The honest answer is "it depends," but I'm not going to leave you hanging with that frustrating response. Instead, I'll give you a transparent breakdown of exactly what influences outsourced sales pricing, what you can expect to pay, and how to evaluate whether it's worth the investment.

If you're still mapping out the initial steps, you may want to start with our complete guide on how to outsource sales in Singapore.

The Short Answer: Typical Price Ranges for Outsourced Sales

Let's cut straight to what you want to know. Most B2B companies pay between $2,500 to $15,000+ per month for outsourced sales services. Yes, that's a wide range—and there's a good reason for that.

This range depends heavily on two critical factors: the pricing model your agency uses and the scope of work you need. A simple lead generation service will sit at the lower end, while a comprehensive sales development program with multiple SDRs, advanced tech stack, and ongoing optimization will command premium pricing.

The key isn't finding the cheapest option—it's finding the option that delivers the best return on investment for your specific situation.

The 3 Main Outsourced Sales Pricing Models Explained

The three primary pricing models for outsourced sales—Retainer, Performance, and Hybrid—each offer different benefits and risk profiles.

Understanding pricing models is crucial because they fundamentally change how you'll budget and measure success. Here's how each one works in practice:

Model 1: The Monthly Retainer (Fixed Fee)

This is the simplest model to understand. You pay a fixed monthly fee regardless of results—typically ranging from $3,000 to $12,000+ per month depending on the scope.

How it works: You're essentially renting a dedicated sales team. The agency provides SDRs, tools, processes, and management for a predictable monthly cost.

Pros:

• Predictable budgeting

• Agency is incentivized to provide consistent service

• Often includes comprehensive reporting and optimization

Cons:

• You pay regardless of performance

• Can be expensive if results don't materialize quickly

• Less directly tied to business outcomes

Typical costs: $2,500-$8,000 per month for one dedicated SDR with full support infrastructure.

Model 2: Pay-Per-Performance (Commission-Based)

This model ties your costs directly to results. You typically pay nothing upfront, but the agency takes a percentage of closed deals or charges per qualified appointment/meeting.

How it works: Common structures include 15-25% commission on closed deals, or $200-$500 per qualified meeting booked.

Pros:

• Zero upfront investment

• Complete alignment with your success

• Only pay when you see results

Cons:

• Can be expensive long-term if conversion rates are high

• Agencies may cherry-pick easier targets

• Less control over process and quality

• Higher total cost per deal over time

Typical costs: 15-20% commission on closed deals, or $300-$600 per qualified appointment.

Model 3: The Hybrid Model (Retainer + Performance)

This combines a smaller monthly retainer with performance-based bonuses.

How it works: You pay a reduced monthly fee (typically 40-60% of a full retainer) plus performance bonuses for hitting specific metrics.

Why it works: The base retainer covers the agency's costs and ensures they can invest in your success, while performance bonuses keep them motivated for results.

Typical costs: $2,500-$5,000 monthly retainer plus $150-$300 per qualified appointment or 5-10% commission on closed deals.

5 Key Factors That Influence Your Final Cost

Regardless of the pricing model, these factors will significantly impact what you'll pay:

1. Scope of Work

Are you looking for just lead generation, or do you need the full sales development lifecycle? A basic email outreach campaign costs far less than a comprehensive program including cold calling, LinkedIn outreach, content creation, and CRM management. The more comprehensive the scope, the higher the investment.

2. Target Market

Selling to Fortune 500 companies requires different expertise, tools, and time investment than targeting small businesses. Enterprise sales cycles are longer, require more touchpoints, and demand higher-level strategic thinking—all of which increases costs.

3. Industry Complexity

Some industries are simply harder to crack than others. Healthcare, financial services, and government sectors often require specialized knowledge, compliance considerations, and longer relationship-building periods. Agencies charge premium rates for specialized industry expertise.

4. Team Size

One SDR costs less than three. But here's what many companies miss: sometimes you need multiple SDRs to reach your goals effectively. A single SDR might generate 20-30 qualified appointments per month, so if you need 60+, you'll need a larger team.

5. Agency's Reputation & Expertise

Top-tier agencies with proven track records charge more than newer or less established firms. But they also typically deliver better results faster. The cheapest option often becomes the most expensive when you factor in opportunity costs and time to results.

In-House vs. Outsourcing: A Quick Cost Comparison

When comparing costs, it's crucial to account for the "hidden" expenses of an in-house hire versus the all-inclusive nature of an agency partnership.

Let's look at the true cost of hiring an in-house SDR versus outsourcing to an agency:

Cost Component	In-House SDR	Outsourced SDR
Base Salary	$45,000-$65,000	$0
Benefits & Taxes	$15,000-$20,000	$0
Tools & Technology	$3,000-$5,000	Included
Training & Onboarding	$5,000-$10,000	Included
Management Time	$10,000-$15,000	Included
Recruiting Costs	$5,000-$15,000	$0
Total Annual Cost	$83,000-$130,000	$30,000-$96,000

When you factor in the speed to market and specialized expertise, the ROI becomes even clearer.

For example, one of our clients achieved a 6.25x ROI with, 133 warm leads and $219,000 in revenue generated.

But here's the real kicker: the in-house SDR takes 3-6 months to become productive, while a good agency can start delivering results within 2-4 weeks.

How The Scalelab Approaches Pricing

At The Scalelab, we work on a transparent monthly retainer model because it ensures consistent, high-quality service while keeping costs predictable for our clients. We've found that this approach allows us to invest properly in your success without the short-term thinking that can come with pure performance models.

Our starting investment is $2,500 per month, which includes a dedicated cold caller and a GTM engineer who specializes in building hyper-targeted lists with intent data. This isn't just lead generation—it's strategic market penetration with two specialized professionals focused on your success.

We structure our engagements as 6-month contracts with the first month dedicated to onboarding. During this crucial first month, we dive deep into your ideal customer profile, refine messaging, set up systems, and ensure everything is optimized before we start generating appointments. This onboarding period is included in your contract, not an additional cost.

We price based on three core factors:

• Complexity of your ideal customer profile: Enterprise targets require more research and touchpoints

• Volume requirements: Higher appointment targets may require additional team members

• Integration depth: Full CRM integration and custom reporting capabilities

Most importantly, we focus on cost per qualified opportunity rather than cost per month. Our goal is to generate a consistent pipeline that far exceeds your monthly investment, creating a clear ROI that justifies the engagement.

Conclusion: It's an Investment, Not a Cost

The right outsourced sales partner isn't the cheapest option—it's the one that delivers the best return on investment. A $3,000/month agency that generates $10,000 in monthly pipeline is far more valuable than a $1,500/month service that generates $2,000 in pipeline.

When evaluating outsourced sales costs, ask yourself:

• What's the cost of not having a consistent pipeline?

• How much is a delayed go-to-market strategy costing you?

• What's the opportunity cost of building this capability in-house?

The companies that succeed with outsourced sales view it as an investment in growth, not a cost center. They focus on ROI metrics, not just monthly fees.

Ready to get a custom quote based on your specific goals? Schedule a free, no-pressure pricing consultation with our team today.

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