Springboard

We Make Sales Happen

  • Home
  • Meet Springboard
  • What We Do
  • Business Development Services
  • Contact
  • Blog

How Fast can you Close Deals?

May 15, 2013 by Karin Schwartz

When I’m asked a question like this I immediately start to wonder if this prospect is the right fit.  Why are they asking this question?  I get it, you’re looking for Return on Investment, I understand completely, you’re putting out money and you want to know the value of what you’ll receive in return and here’s the answer…I don’t know yet.

Let’s face it sales can be a bit of a crap shoot.  Anyone who guarantees you increases in sales/revenue at “x”% is without question lying.  A couple things we need to consider:

 

  • What’s your currently sales cycle?  Why is it that long?  Are there challenges that contribute to the length of the cycle or is it just that long?
  • Who is your potential buyer?  And why?  How do you connect with the potential buyer currently?
  • Do you have a presentation or marketing materials?
  • How do you price?
  • Who’s your competition?  What do they do really well?  What’s unique about you?

Many of these questions may seem silly but here’s why I ask:  We can typically shorten the time it takes to get to a decision maker but the sales cycle is the sales cycle.  You should not expect any major changes to the amount of time it takes someone to close a deal just because you’ve hired an outsourcing firm.  That being said it’s not uncommon for us to close deals in half the time it takes you but for others it may take longer.  It depends on the complexity of the deal, the process necessary to get the deal complete (RFP, multiple decision makers, large vs small deal, etc).  We find that many of our clients don’t have a strong grasp of their target market or they target someone they want to be a client but will never be one.  We find that many of our clients have little marketing materials that are usable while others have too much and it can become confusing for the prospect.  We don’t rely on marketing material but it can be a good conversation starter so it’s certainly helpful if done right.

When we ask you about your competition there’s nothing that drives me more insane then hearing you say “Well, our people are smarter and our service is better.”  As if your competition would actually say, even if it were true, that they hire below average staff and their service stinks.  This is the equivalent of telling your prospect “blahblahblahblahblah”.  What makes you unique, if you don’t know, it’s time to figure it out or you can forget competing – you’re essentially making yourself a commodity and now it’s all about price.

Pricing.  Oh pricing, it can be the devil in this relationship.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a prospect into a decision maker for a deal that would double the revenue of their company only for them to price the project so far out of the realm of possibility that the prospect is literally in shock.  They loved you, you came highly recommended, they felt you could deliver and make them shine like the rock star they are and you blew it with cocky aggressive pricing and then you blamed me for losing the deal.  Here’s the deal, when it comes to closing with outsourced business development, it’s a partnership.  You rely on us to ensure you have a qualified lead, a decision maker with a budget and a strong connection either personally or professionally.  We rely on you to showcase your value, deliver high quality and always on time, and to price competitively.  We can go to bat for you if you’re within reason but if you’re off the mark, there’s nothing we can do to help.  In fact we’ve probably damaged that relationship by bringing you in the door.

So how fast can we close deals?  I don’t know, it’s different for every client.  Some happen within the first 2 months while others can take a year or two.  If you’re not viewing business development as an investment in your company’s future then perhaps it’s not right for you at this time.  If you’re counting every dollar and every minute that goes by you’re not seeing the forest through the trees.  Business development is about building the relationships that are going to change your business and when was the last time you built a long lasting, happy client relationship over night?

Filed Under: Business Development, Federal Government Sales, Outsourced Business Development, Outsourced Lead Generation Services, Sales Outsourcing, Springboard Difference Tagged With: Baltimore, business development, business development challenges, closing a deal, Outsourced Business Development, outsourced sales solutions, Outsourcing, potential client, professional business development firm, sales pitch, Springboard, Springboard Business Development, Washington DC

Highest and Best Use of Your Time

December 16, 2011 by Karin Schwartz

As a business owner, you are pulled in several different directions at once. You are forced to divide your attention between marketing, sales, business growth, customer service, and much more. And there is simply not enough time in the day to give each area of your business the time it deserves. As a result, your business suffers.

You cannot afford to do anything halfheartedly in the corporate world. So what is the solution? What is the best use of your time? Well, unfortunately there is no one answer. Every sector of your business is equally as important as the next.

However, one of the best ways to lessen your business burden is to outsource your sales to a professional business development firm. This cost-effective solution will allow you to re-focus your attention to other pressing matters and will also allow you to better grow your business.

  1. Outsourcing costs less than hiring an in-house sales team: Outsourcing provides you with the rare opportunity to cut spending while also increasing profit.
  2. Increase sales: Not only are outsourced sales forces trained to do nothing but sell, sell, sell, but most outsourcing services operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So even when your company is closed for the day, the weekend, or a holiday, your business will still be reachable.
  3. Focus on core business activities: Without having to worry about every little detail of your business, you are free to focus on your core business activities.

So stop spreading yourself thin and start running your business smarter and more efficiently by outsourcing your sales to a professional sales outsourcing firm, like Springboard Business Development.

If you have any questions, contact Springboard Business Development by calling 410-832-7560 or click here today!

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Springboard offers outsourced sales solutions for businesses in the professional services arena. It’s simple, while you focus on delivery, we bring our sales expertise and connections to focus on your business development challenges.

Our approach to business development makes it easy to find new clients without the concerns of sales team turn-over, lack of sales expertise and payroll.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Filed Under: Business Development, Maryland Business Development, Outsourced Business Development, Sales Outsourcing, Tips for Maximizing Your Time Tagged With: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 7 days a week, Baltimore, business growth, business owner, cost-effective solution, customer service, cut spending, Focus on core business activities, give each area of your business the time it deserves, grow your business, Highest and Best Use of Your Time, in-house sales team, Increase sales, increasing profit, lessen your business burden, marketing, Maryland, outsource your sales, outsourced sales forces, outsourced sales solutions, Outsourcing, outsourcing services, Outsourcing your sales, professional business development firm, professional sales outsourcing firm, sales, sales expertise, sales team, sell, Springboard Business Development, start running your business smarter and more efficiently, stop spreading yourself thin, What is the best use of your time

Why Outsourcing Your Sales is a Good Idea

October 28, 2011 by Karin Schwartz

As your business continues to get bigger, your time gets split between more and more tasks: marketing, management, customer relations, finances, and sales. But the more time you spend on the day-to-day activities of your business, the less time you have to expand and grow your company. What can you do? You can’t be everywhere at once.

The only solution is to hand over control of one aspect of your business to someone you can trust. The easiest and most cost-effective way to do this is through outsourcing. The benefits of outsourcing your sales to a third party vendor include:

•     Save Money: Outsourcing your sales to an entire dedicated sales team is much cheaper than hiring your own, in-house sales force.

•     No Training: You will not have to waste company time (and more money) training a new sales team.

•     Grow Your Business: Outsourcing sales allows management to focus on core business activites.

Outsourcing is becoming a common practice for many businesses as more and more companies are realizing the benefits of utilizing the skills of others to help their business venture succeed. So let Springboard take care of your sales while you focus on growing your business.

If you have any questions about outsourcing, contact Springboard by calling 410-832-7560 or click here today!

At Springboard we offer outsourced sales solutions for businesses in the professional services arena. It’s simple, while you focus on delivery, we bring our sales expertise and connections to focus on your business development challenges.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

Is Outsourcing your Sales Force a Good Idea?

Why to Outsource Your Sales Team

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: benefits of outsourcing your sales to a third party vendor, business venture, common practice, cost-effective, customer relations, day-to-day activities of your business, dedicated sales team, expand and grow your company, finances, focus on growing your business, grow your business, in-house sales force, Is Outsourcing your Sales Force a Good Idea?, management, marketing, No Training, outsourced sales solutions for businesses, Outsourcing, Outsourcing sales, Outsourcing your sales, questions about outsourcing, sales, sales expertise, save money, Springboard, training a new sales team, waste company time, Why to Outsource Your Sales Team

Why Outsourcing Works

September 16, 2011 by Karin Schwartz

Outsourcing works for one reason and one reason only; it saves companies money. But how does outsourcing help save companies money? Well, there is no one answer. There are, in fact, many answers to that one questions. They include:

Outsourcing costs less than dedicated, in-house employees: This is the #1 reason outsourcing works. It allows companies to cut back spending without cutting back on productivity. And in today’s down economy, this is a huge plus for companies struggling to get by.

Outsourcing allows you to have experts or specialists at your disposal: Instead of hiring, training, and housing an employee at your office, you can outsource your needs to an entire company of experts for less than the cost of employing a single worker in-house.

Outsourcing allows you to lower infrastructure investments: Cutting edge IT systems, state-of-the-art customer service call centers and technical helpdesks require huge investments by companies. By outsourcing these functions to external vendors, companies can keep their investments in these areas very low.

Outsourcing allows you to work around the clock: Do you want to make money while you sleep? No, you are not dreaming; outsourcing services often operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So even when your company is closed for the day, the weekend, or a holiday, your business will still be reachable.

Outsourcing allows you to manage your business better: Without having to worry about every little detail of your business, you are free to focus on your core business activities. So while you outsource your IT needs to a specialist, you can work on growing your company instead of worrying about system backups, database crashes, etc.

Outsourcing is an inexpensive but nevertheless effective method of improving your business. And trust us, outsourcing is not a fad; it is here to stay!

If you have any questions about outsourcing, contact Springboard by calling 410-832-7560 or click here today!

At Springboard we offer outsourced sales solutions for businesses in the professional services arena. It’s simple, while you focus on delivery, we bring our sales expertise and connections to focus on your business development challenges.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

Why Outsourcing Works VirtualPersonalAssistant.com

Why Outsource Work? Outsource2India.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 7 days a week, business development, call centers, core business activities, customer service, cut back spending, database crashes, down economy, employee, employing, experts, growing your company, improving your business, inexpensive, IT systems, lower infrastructure investments, make money while you sleep, manage your business better, outsource, outsource your IT needs, outsourced, outsourced sales, outsourced sales solutions, Outsourcing, outsourcing works, productivity, professional services, sales expertise, sales solutions, save companies money, solutions, specialists, Springboard, state-of-the-art, system backups, technical helpdesks, Why Outsourcing Works, work around the clock

Using Your Time Wisely

August 19, 2011 by Karin Schwartz

Running your own company is no easy task. You have to address every aspect of your business with the utmost diligence and, let’s face it, you just do not have the time to give everything the attention it deserves. So where do you cut corners? Can you afford to cut corners?

There has to be a better solution.

There is. Outsourcing.

What if your business could outsource business development to a team of professionals at a fraction of the cost? That’s where Springboard comes in. At Springboard we offer outsourced sales solutions for businesses in the professional services arena. It’s simple, while you focus on delivery, we bring our sales expertise and connections to focus on your business development challenges. Springboard focuses in the four critical areas of business development:

Exposure

•     Networking

•     Speaking Opportunities

•     Social Media – research, connect with and directly interact with potential prospects, join and become active in relevant groups, post pertinent articles/white papers to help you be seen as an expert

Partnerships

•     Identify potential markets for partners

•     Research who’s who in the marketplace

•     Connect with and Directly interact with potential partners

•     Make introductions to client once identified and qualified

Prospecting

•     Lead Generation

•     Lead Qualification

•     Understanding of Prospect Needs

•     Introduction to Client as the expert to handle the identified need

Communication

•     Managing the communication before, during and after the proposal

•      Asking the questions you can’t ask

•      Ensuring we’re on the same page as we move through the buying process

When done right, outsourcing will both help your company grow and save money. This article from About.com outlines the top 4 advantages to outsourcing your business development needs.

  1. Focus on Core Activities: Every aspect of your business requires great attention to detail. Outsourcing those activities in which you simply do not have the resources to address properly, will allow you to re-focus your time without sacrificing quality or service.
  2. Save Money: Perhaps you do not have the money to hire another, much needed employee. Instead of ignoring some aspect of your business or hiring an employee that you cannot afford, outsource your extra needs to a well-qualified company. Outsourcing will often cost less than hiring a full-time employee, meaning you are getting the attention to detail you need, but at a fraction of the cost.
  3. Flexibility: Instead of hiring seasonal workers/employee during your busy season, outsource your additional work.
  4. Continuity & Risk Management: Outsourcing will provide a level of continuity to the company while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the company.

If you have any questions about outsourcing, contact Springboard by calling 410-832-7560 or click here today!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: advantages to outsourcing, advantages to outsourcing your business development needs, attention to detail, better solution, business, business development, business development challenges, client, Communication, company, connections, Continuity, Core Activities, Exposure, Flexibility, fraction of the cost, help your company grow, Lead Generation, Lead Qualification, level of continuity, marketplace, Networking, outsource, outsource business development, outsourced sales, outsourced sales solutions, outsourced sales solutions for businesses, Outsourcing, outsourcing your business development needs, partners, Partnerships, potential markets, potential partners, potential prospects, professional services, professionals, Prospect Needs, Prospecting, reducing the risk, research, Risk Management, Running your own company, sales, sales expertise, sales solutions, sales solutions for businesses, save money, Social Media, solution, solutions for businesses, Speaking Opportunities, Springboard, team of professionals, Using Your Time Wisely, well-qualified company

Grow Now: 443-413-5826


Discover the Springboard difference contact us today for more information about how we can take your business or organization to the next level.

Follow Springboard on Facebook

Springboard : Baltimore-based Business Development
©Copyright 2007-2015 Springboard Business Development. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

Copyright © 2023 · Enterprise Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • Linkedin
  • rss
  • email
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT