The Bridge Group

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Q1 Labs is a leading network security management company that integrates previously disparate enterprise network and security functions into one solution. As a start-up, the company was growing, with Vice President of Marketing Tom Turner’s marketing group successfully generating an increasingly large volume of inquiries. However, the quantity of inquires that turned into qualified sales opportunities was falling short of Tom’s expectations. Consequently, he decided to build a lead development group that was responsible for converting the inquiries into qualified leads for the outside sales force.

Here Tom describes how The Bridge Group played an integral role in this initiative and how they helped his new teams become successful.

The Age Old Issue: Quality versus Quantity

As Vice President of Marketing at Q1Labs, one of my responsibilities is to fill the pipeline for our Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) with as many qualified leads and opportunities as my team can deliver.

After a year of trying different tactics, I became increasingly frustrated with the fact that while we were generating volumes of inquiries, there wasn’t a correlating quantity of qualified opportunities showing up in the pipeline. It became apparent that many of the inquiries we generated were not getting the attention or follow up they required.

SUCCESSFUL INSIDE SALES
IN ACTION

One proof of concept for consulting companies is when they actually use the principles and methodologies they advocate.

That’s what Trish Bertuzzi, president of The Bridge Group, did when she cold-called the executives at Q1 Labs.

Her calling techniques were so effective that Q1 Labs hired her inside sales consulting firm to help them build a new lead development group.

The reasons for this were quite simple. Our RSMs are challenged with a complex sales cycle that is very time consuming, leaving them little time to focus on the process of converting inquiries into opportunities. In addition, there are many other security start-ups out there like Q1 Labs who are presumably targeting the same prospects we are. The fact that someone has expressed interest in our products doesn’t mean that they’re going to be easy to reach when we follow-up with them.

I decided it was time to create a best practice inside sales group whose charter was lead qualification. I don’t have a background in inside sales, so I started looking for a consulting organization that could guide me through the development of this new group. Because of the messages I had received from Trish in the past, I knew that her company had the experience and knowledge necessary to develop such a group, so I invited them in to find out more about their methodology and expertise.

In our initial meeting, I quickly recognized that The Bridge Group had the know-how and expertise to help me through each phase of building this group, from hiring, to creating processes, to training and coaching. Because of this meeting and the process they used to get my attention, I was confident that they were the right company to assist me in this initiative.

A Manual for Success: The Right Tools and Processes

During the engagement, The Bridge Group shared with us the industry’s best practices for inside sales. One of their most valuable deliverables was a custom Q1 Labs Inside Sales and Prospecting Manual that documents literally everything a lead development rep would need to know in order to do their job well. The Manual outlines very succinctly all the key tools and processes, including:

  • An Ideal Customer Profile
  • A Call Methodology, including how to plan and how to leave and/or send effective voice and email messages
  • A Qualification process, with probing and qualifying questions
  • A Sales Strategy, with a lead rating and distribution process
  • An Analysis of the Competition, with information on how to differentiate our solution.

Conversion Rates Increase As a Result of Asking The Right Questions

Because of the processes and tools in the Manual The Bridge Group provided, the reps are now doing a great job of reaching prospects on the phone and qualifying them. I’m seeing an improvement in the quality of messages that we leave for customers and, more importantly, in the conversion rates in the number of calls they make and in the number of opportunities that they are finding.

We don’t have a dedicated manager for the team yet so Laurie Page, The Bridge Group consultant, has been providing coaching throughout the engagement and she continues to do so now. As a professional development resource, she is filling the role of an external set of eyes and ears that can help identify areas that still need additional focus.

We’re seeing a great contribution to our pipeline from the lead development reps and I think as their skills improve, the quality of the pipeline will continue to improve. Their efforts are already reducing the sales cycles for RSMs.

A Highly Recommended Skill Set

Like most marketing executives, I am a busy person, with a lot of responsibility. When I wanted to build this lead development group, I needed to get the team up and running as efficiently and as quickly as possible. The Bridge Group was able to help me do that. Their experience and success in this market was evident and I valued their advice and input throughout the process. Plus, they were very easy to work with, which was an added bonus.

I’ve already referred The Bridge Group to another colleague in the security industry and will continue to recommend them. The Bridge Group consultants have the right experience and their methods work. I know because that’s how they found me. Through the art of practicing what they preach, they got my attention – and they delivered on their promise.