A privately held professional service company developed a server based solution to optimize delivery for their existing professional services clients. The solution was so well adopted they developed a SaaS solution to service a broader market.
Selling a 20K to 40K annual license with 30K start up fee to Mid-Level Management in SMB market. Sales cycle was 120 to 1 year once engaged (annual budget cycle).
Company needed an outsource sales and marketing solution to generate new qualified leads for closer. Executives had deep industry domain expertise and wanted to acquire sales and marketing strategy expertise and build the sales funnel prior to hiring and outside rep. In addition company wanted to build awareness in core market vertical first and over time expand solution to additional verticals.
Challenges:
- Company was self-funded and wanted to run lean
- Buyers were not aware this type of solution existed in the market
- SEO and Inbound marketing tactics would be of limited use because no one was searching for the solution
- Executives had sale expertise but had no interest, experience or desire to manage a lead generation team
- Company was starting from scratch with no database to target
- SEO and Inbound marketing was of limited value because
- Mid-level management
- Sale required selling different value props to the end user, management and C-suite for final budget approval
Initial 6 Month Outsource Sales and Marketing Solution:
Sales and Marketing Strategy, Target Market Research, Content Strategy, Content Production Marketing Automation and Sales Automation, B2B Lead Gen Campaign, Outsource Sales and Marketing Execution
- Gabriel Sales implemented our agile sales acceleration workshop to develop a comprehensive integrated sales and marketing strategy.
- Researched multiple verticals to determine size, viability and ease of reach using SEO, social media, email marketing and cold calling
- Documented buyer persona and buyers journey for 2 specific verticals and 2 decision maker levels.
- Implemented Pardot as Marketing Automation Tool, SF.com and integrated Digital Demand Center™
- Conducted onsite content workshop to develop content for new lead generation and to automate the early buyer education process including video demos, head shot FAQs, blogs, checklists and webcasts
- Executed eMail marketing campaigns to build awareness and target specific markets
- Staffed blended marketing team to manage ongoing email nurturing and marketing automation campaigns.
- Scored leads
- Staffed outsource sales reps to leverage the marketing automation platforms to set appointment for senior reps.
Initial Results:
- Executed and outbound awareness campaign to 50,000 buyers and influencers and generated initial database of 5000 decision makers in key verticals
- Outsource sales reps Generated 14 Sales qualified opportunities transitioned to company closer
- Proved lead scoring and automation was a viable way to develop buyers
Ongoing Engagement:
- Company hired in house marketer to enage score leads and to create an ongoing flow of content to use in engine.
- Gabriel Sales trained in use of the tool
- Gabriel Sales continues to add 5000 fresh leads into the engine an a semi quarterly basis with additional email marketing awareness campaigns
- Gabriel sales continues to manage the blocking an tackling of automation system and outbound email marketing
- Gabriel Sales manages social media content distribution and tightly controlled PPC and retargeting campaign
Ongoing Results
- Engine continue to generate 2-4 new qualified opportunities
- Engine continues to develop 100 sale ready early stage leads month ready for initial engagement
- Engine itself sustains enough lead flow for enterprise sales rep
