Having worked for many years as a Sales Director / Head of Sales / VP of Sales for software companies, I feel I have a good grasp of the challenges we face in this role.   Time is a commodity which was always scarce with constant pressure to deliver results either for quarterly announcements to the markets, ahead of fund raises or to stay on a funding pathways. 

Hiring new sales reps is in itself a lengthy process to try to find the right fit and then can bring a 6-12 month wait for productivity.  Furthermore in some markets they need guarantees on commission to even join the business.  Both expensive and not aligned to time pressures.

My reflection on the outsource model we provide here at G2M is that the team can land, get up to speed, build pipeline and close business far quicker.  We have experienced sales practitioners, templates for driving out the information we need to be successful, networks to support opening discussions across Financial Services businesses and a systematic approach for qualifying interest and identifying opportunities quickly. 

I think more than that, there is accountability and alignment on goals.  Yes we have a monthly retainer but we are driven by finding new business for our customers and the shared revenues this brings. 

It is not in our interests to let a campaign drift and not yield results.  I always maintain that we know how to sell, so if the results are not coming, there is an issue with either the message, the target market, the buyers or in fact the product.  The feedback loop from our sales practitioners is critical in ensuring objections are fed back and we work together to quickly course correct any assumptions made in the campaign planning phase.

We are not afraid to challenge our customers and unlike a permanent employee we do not concern ourselves with politics or promotions.  We will constantly push for any necessary course corrections to ensure we are all setup for success. If after 6 months we haven’t landed a deal or at least have a developed pipeline with late stage opportunities we will be the first to question if it is worth taking the project further.