Startup Secret: Outsource Sales for 20x the Growth at a Fraction of the Cost
Every company needs a robust sales and marketing engine to propel growth.
Building one with internal resources can be risky, especially when cash is tight during a startup or early investment phase – or anytime, for that matter.
Recruiting top talent is a substantial financial commitment, and the results are never guaranteed. For example, companies may spend $20,000 on travel to visit or bring job candidates to the office for face-to-face meetings to fill executive sales and marketing positions in the $200,000 range.
If you don’t already have a robust sales pipeline, the cost and time of creating and filling executive positions could strain cash flow. Uncertainty in the cyclical transportation and supply chain industries creates another risk. What will you do with new employees if your sales pipeline dries up in six months or a year from now?
Another issue worth considering is the amount of work to close deals. A study by Selling Power magazine found that 80% of meetings with prospective customers happen after seven to ten touchpoints. Sales and marketing employees often get enveloped with internal meetings and administrative tasks, limiting their time moving prospects through the sales cycle.
Fortunately, there is a more affordable and effective option than hiring sales and marketing executives. Better yet, the results are guaranteed. This blog will showcase the rapid ROI of a strategic sales growth program. Companies using this unique outsourced sales and marketing service reach decision-makers in the transportation, logistics, and supply chain industries to close more deals at a fraction of the cost.
A Flexible Sales Approach
Business and sales development representatives (BDRs and SDRs) are frequently used to describe such a program. This oversimplifies the value of some programs that offer a sales solution expertly crafted and tailored for individual business needs.
For example, you may have 200 contacts that you want to qualify and warm up before handing them to an internal sales team. In this instance, you could sign on with a BDR service for a month. Another option is to outsource your entire sales and marketing process to close as many deals as possible from an expanded list of qualified contacts.
When putting together the details of such a program, you should work with a company that can reach your prospects through multiple channels: YouTube, LinkedIn, direct mail, email, phone calls, or inviting them to in-person events and personal visits by representatives.
Companies offering all these options don’t fit the traditional BDR or SDR mold. That’s why Andy Hedrick, CEO and founder of Green Path Tech, describes his company’s service as “sales implementation.”
Suppliers in the transportation and supply chain industries that use Green Path Tech do so after comparing the costs of building or expanding their internal sales and marketing teams. They want to grow their headcount eventually but want a less expensive and more practical option for now.
Green Path Tech can offer a fractional sales and marketing executive based in the United States who will provide better results than a full-time employee for a fraction of the cost. As another example, the arrangement could include one part-time sales rep and marketing person or four sales representatives to target a list of 5,000 contacts in 90 days.
“Our minimum program guarantees at least 100 warm and down-funnel responses in six months,” Hedrick says. “But we can do a lot more if they want to.”
For companies that also want marketing support, Green Path Tech can manage and grow its clients’ outreach on YouTube, LinkedIn, and other media channels by sharing timely and relevant content. Compared to hiring internal sales and marketing staff, Hedrick says that Green Path Tech delivers 10 to 35 times the ROI for 60% to 80% less cost.
Fueling Rapid Growth
CyberFuels is one of many companies that have benefited from Green Path Tech’s sales implementation program. The company received a fractional Chief Revenue Officer, Industrial Engineering support, over 80 years of combined marketing experience, and four seasoned sales representatives with a monthly marketing agenda.
Green Path Tech partnered with Virago Marketing to implement press releases picked up by transportation magazines, further edifying the results and adding more sales pipeline.
Additionally, Green Path Tech launched a YouTube channel and LinkedIn page to promote content to a guaranteed number of targeted followers. The company also guaranteed at least three pilot projects with measured results and deliverables, including media views, case studies from the pilot programs with customers, and more.
Field results from the pilot tests showed an average 26.73% MPG gain across various big rig engines for fleets using CyberFuels’ 6-in-1 green fuel technology. Green Path Tech implemented the testing with proof of results across multiple fleets.
Hedrick estimates the customer would have to invest about $800,000 yearly in staffing to get the same experience and support for generating those results.
Making the Most of Content
Hedrick notes that the most successful sales and marketing campaigns Green Path Tech runs for customers are those with the best content. Case studies, testimonials, whitepapers, podcasts, and other channels that show proof of results are essential to gaining credibility with decision-makers and propelling growth. “Still, you can’t get that proof unless you have someone out there selling, implementing, and documenting measured results,” he said.
Hedrick also stresses the importance of an action-oriented website to accompany proof of results. Website visitors should be directed to request a demo, schedule a consultation, etc.
Additionally, companies need an accurate contact database to maximize sales and marketing efforts. The contacts from databases not specific to an industry, like transportation, are often outdated and irrelevant.
For instance, you may want a list of decision makers at fleets of a specific size, only to get a list in which half the contacts are brokers, consultants, and technology providers.
Green Path Tech has a continuously updated contact database, TruckingTowerLeads.com, which ensures that all information about private and for-hire trucking fleets is accurate, Hedrick says. The company also does custom research for clients who may want a more tailored list, such as prospects who use ELD telematics systems from certain providers.
Growth Without Limits
Outsourcing sales and marketing efforts through a “sales implementation” program like Green Path Tech offers a more affordable approach with guaranteed results and a high ROI.
Better yet, companies can grow their sales pipeline and revenue without the high upfront costs and risks of hiring or expanding internal teams by combining sales implementation with a full-funnel campaign strategy, engaging content, and earned media coverage from Virago Marketing.
Are you ready to accelerate sales? Schedule a call with Virago Marketing or Green Path Tech to get started.
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Sales and marketing go hand in hand. That’s why partnering with a marketing firm that also has sales and revenue growth expertise makes good sense. And that’s Virago Marketing. Give us a call to grow your pipeline and your bottom line.
