The tools you choose to use to enhance your sales and marketing programs have to also help you improve your overall customer experience and customer buying journey. In this chat with SalesTechStar, Scott Norwalk, SVP Growth & Strategic Partnerships at Centerfield Corporation shares a few quick thoughts on selling more proactively with the right technology and sales plans in today’s remote world.
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Can you tell us a little about yourself Scott?
What are the top sales or customer-facing takeaways you’d share from the top of your mind with new sales reps entering the marketplace?
I have more than 13 years of experience in online marketing, sales, and business development. In my current dual role at Centerfield as both Senior Vice President of Growth & Strategic Partnerships and General Manager of our New York office, I manage P&L for multiple divisions, incubate revenue-generating products, and oversee a team of business development professionals. My core responsibility is to expand Centerfield’s growing network of relationships with Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders.
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If you’re starting a new sales role, or considering one, make sure your company has an excellent product or service. Talk to customers if you have to before taking the position. We’re fortunate to have great products and happy customers at Centerfield. Beyond that, sales reps need to approach their markets with tenacity and enthusiasm. If I had to share a takeaway for someone entering the marketplace, it’s know your data, know your customers’ goals, and be enthusiastic in convincing them that you know more than anyone else and that you can achieve their goals better than anyone else.
There’s more to sales than just selling in today’s remote selling world where customers want better conversations and experiences. What are the top customer growth strategies that you swear by that can help enhance the digital experience for today’s customer?
Today’s customer journey is constantly evolving. We have found that the more options provided to a consumer, the higher engagement and conversion rate—not to mention far better customer satisfaction overall. We are also seeing that real-time communication is becoming a preferred channel for today’s customer. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a record interest in live chat. This channel easily converts consumer product questions into calls or e-commerce sales.
The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a greater need for sales, marketing and customer facing teams to be more creative in how they build and retain customer relationships. What are your secrets to selling more successfully in a remote world?
Engage your customer through multiple experiences. Call them, text them when appropriate, email them when appropriate. And especially in today’s world, push them to connect on a video platform, and make sure that they are repeatedly reminded of the value that you bring.
How can smaller/mid-sized businesses use other strategies like stronger partner channels to build business growth or ensure stability during this time?
Being aware that there are a number of different service providers that all help your customer achieve their goals and making sure to build relationships with those providers is crucial. Centerfield doesn’t have a traditional channel strategy, but we do share vendors with many of our clients and we understand the importance of advocates as key referral partners.
We’d love to hear a little about how you and your team adjusted or pivoted to meet changing needs in the new normal?
We pride ourselves on our responsiveness, thoroughness, and tenacity. Our partners demand and expect great things from us, and we are determined to deliver great service, products and results.
What are some of the biggest takeaways sales, customer success, marketing teams should grab from this experience of working and living through a global pandemic?
What it comes down to is your clients’ expectations of you do not change. At the end of the day, your clients still expect the highest level of service from you. And no matter what, that has to shine through especially in times like these. Remain focused at achieving those goals. Those that do will be even more appreciated and successful.
Your parting thoughts, on the States of Sales and Marketing in Tech in 2021.
The tools that are used by our clients will become more automated, which will make that relationship with the sales side essential. The quality of customer service will continue to be key to growth. People are buying technology, becoming more autonomous, and the products will involve less user interaction. Your role will become much more important in sales.
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Scott Norwalk is the SVP of Growth & Strategic Partnerships at Centerfield Corporation