How to get non-sales people to bring in leads
It was 8pm at night and as we boarded the plane at La Guardia Airport in New York, Maikayla (#24yrold), our 24 year old President of US Operations, started a conversation about the things we are not doing as a business to get clients.
Marketing Eye Atlanta has gone from startup to multi-million dollar company in over a year of operations. The company provides SMB's with an ability to have a qualified outsourced marketing department for an investment that any business that has opened their doors can afford.
The goal post has changed from the original business plan of 1,000 clients over 5 years. Our sales targets have been moved by 2 years and now the entire team is in a spin working out how they will achieve this goal in 3 years.
It's an ambitious task, but one that is doable and if something is too easy, then it won't be as rewarding. Stretching ourselves and pushing limits, dreaming big and opening doors, is something that will keep everyone in the game.
Maikayla's thoughts:
Marketing Eye Atlanta has gone from startup to multi-million dollar company in over a year of operations. The company provides SMB's with an ability to have a qualified outsourced marketing department for an investment that any business that has opened their doors can afford.
The goal post has changed from the original business plan of 1,000 clients over 5 years. Our sales targets have been moved by 2 years and now the entire team is in a spin working out how they will achieve this goal in 3 years.
It's an ambitious task, but one that is doable and if something is too easy, then it won't be as rewarding. Stretching ourselves and pushing limits, dreaming big and opening doors, is something that will keep everyone in the game.
Maikayla's thoughts:
- Untapped market of startup and early stage businesses are falling to the wayside as our typical client has revenues of $2 million plus - yet we can easily provide services at a reduced cost to this target audience.
- We are not presenting what we do to the people who influence SMB's - namely Accounting and Legal firms.
- Employees all need to take initiative and bring in clients - not just the people who are hired to do so.
- We have the best brand in the market, with the highest level of service and delivery - and everyone should know about it. We need to do PR.
The reason we have not done much PR in the US operations is because as a founder and business owner, I wanted to wait for Maikayla (#24yrold) to settle in to the role and as I travel so much, it should not just be about me. Our brand has evolved and its about the new kids on the block.
"How do I get everyone to think like me and go out there and bring in new clients," said #24yrold.
My answer: Empower them to reach their full potential and give them incentive to grow the business.
Don't get me wrong - our business in Atlanta is exceeding all expectations, but the fire in #24yrold's belly and my own ambitions are pushing us to another level and no matter what we do, we want more. This hunger, which I have never experienced before, supercedes and sales or marketing forecasts.
Today, #24yrold had a chat to me and said, "you know that thing I was talking to you about last night?".
I said, "yes."
#24yrold said, "Alphonso did it today without me even asking or having that motivational conversation I was going to have with them."
Quietly chuffed that her team was on board, #24yrold is kicking goals, delivering and creating a culture of proactive, dynamic young people who together make a formidable team.
Alphonso is incredibly bright. Possibly the smartest person we have ever employed. He dresses each day for success, and is a wordsmith - ensuring that all of our clients communications are on-point.
It's great to see the team working together, making decisions as a group rather than as individuals and picking up the slack for their fellow employees.
When was the last time you had a non-sales person bring in a hot lead?
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comments ( 7 )
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Dave Warawa - PROSALESGUY
12 Apr 2014Great article Mellissah! When employees believe in the value of what their company offers and realize that new business keeps the company healthy, they feel empowered to want to help bring in leads.
ReplyVal Workman
25 Mar 2014When the financial success of a business depends on sales, everybody is working on commission, or a percentage of sales. Even the salaried an hourly folks. But they may not realize it. So if everybody is gonna eat, everybody's gotta be selling. Or at least a part of the sales process. If folks are only working for a paycheck, they may not know that sales is where that money comes from.
ReplyThose involved in providing the products and services sold need to realize that their work affects future sales.
Jessica McGrath
18 Mar 2014"delivering and creating a culture of proactive, dynamic young people who together make a formidable team." This says it all. You are "leading" well.
ReplyWithout a leader delivering and empowering others, staff members won't feel part of a real team, they won't feel responsibility towards the business. They'll miss out on that real buzz when talking about what they do with friends and others, and therefore unknowingly, won't be helping the business to grow by bringing in new leads.
Geoff Miller
15 Mar 2014It is common practice for businesses to reach new customers through incentivized referrals from existing customers. A variation of that approach can be used to encourage non-sales employees to engage their own business network connections to reach potential new clients. The trick is to be very clear about what outcomes constitute a real referral and exactly what has to happen for that incentive to be rewarded. What is the bar-- contact name that leads to making a presentation? ... "finders fee" commission on value of an actual contract?... Making sure everyone knows that the incentive is tied to a specific outcome is very important and can avoid misunderstandings and hard feelings.
ReplyMichael Scrnaton
13 Mar 2014@Melissa - You hit the nail on the head with the word empower. If you have a culture where employees feel empowered, they will love what they do and feel like a part of the team and part of the company's success. If you don't, as in you sit them in a cubicle and expect them to do X process in a set and specific way, you can't expect them to feel like "an important member of the business" because you are sending them the message from the get-go that they are "a replaceable cog in the machine" a "resource" instead of a human whose involvement in the company is important.
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