CIO Bulletin

Sales Xceleration— We are more than a consulting company; we become a part of your team, working to build a sustainable sales program that drives revenue

Leadership is integral to building successful outsourced sales models. As a business owner, you’ll require a team of sales leaders whom you can trust, primarily if you operate in multiple locations. When your leadership is weak, your sales quotas take a hit.

As a business owner, you routinely observe changes in your strategy and how things work. Amidst these changes, how do you keep your sales team, on track? It would help if you switched lanes at the right time to channel their efforts and scale your company. Here’s where outsourcing sales leadership plays a crucial role.

Outsourcing sales leadership was earlier frowned upon because of the loss of accountability and fear of oversight, But an increasing number of businesses aren’t sure how to balance their thirst for growth and the lack expertise to create and execute a sales strategy that delivers results.

There are many levers a sales leader or organization may pull to gain scale, accelerate revenue, drive cost savings, or augment sales team structures. A viable and proven option is handing over some or all of your sales efforts to outsourced sales professionals.

Sales Xceleration is the leader at providing outsourced sales leadership. The pioneer in outsourced sales leadership, they build a path to more sales. Sales Xceleration’s local consultants help clients build a sales engine and create record-breaking growth for their business. They develop sales plans, find the best customers, and grow sales.

The following excerpts are from a conversation with Mark Thacker, CEO and Co-Founder of Sales Xceleration, and Chad Meyer, Co-Founder of Sales Xceleration

Q. Every company has its own story of success. What is yours?

While “fractional” consulting existed for some professionals, in 2011, it was a novel concept in the sales industry. Thankfully, that did not stop us from being the pioneers in this business and creating a path for experienced sales management professionals to become Outsourced Sales Leaders.

Turning Sales Xceleration from concept into reality required tremendous time, effort, and determination, which was succes- sfully carried by Mark Thacker & Chad Meyer. Having led successful sales organizations for many years, we were confident other Sales VPs were also struggling with corporate bureaucracy and overwhelming travel requirements. We also knew a ready and substantial market of small to mid-sized businesses were for these sales leaders’ skills, wisdom, and guidance. Creating Sales Xceleration meant connecting these two groups. In the end, that’s exactly what we achieved.

Sales Xceleration has grown into an organization recognized as a preeminent Outsourced Sales Leadership Company through constant innovation, exemplary market leadership, and a service-focused mentality.

Q. Planning for good sales and finding customers is the root of any business. How does Sales Xceleration help companies to build the path to more sales?

A proper sales process is the answer to hitting and surpassing sales goals. Not only should the sales process be well-defined and documented, but it should also align with your customer’s buying journey.

Unfortunately, we have found that 92% of companies do not follow a sales process. To create record-breaking sales, you must:

Have a documented sales process that is followed by the entire team
Identify your best customers, and understand how they like to buy
Hold your team accountable for defined sales metrics

This is where our Outsourced VPs of Sales begin. Our service offering can do all or a portion of creating, building, and executing an organization’s sales plan. And our advisors can even run the sales team/department while helping to look for the right candidate for the long term.

Q. What, according to you, is key to good sales?

It’s no surprise that sales have rapidly changed over the last few years. In the not-so-distant past, it was the norm for salespeople to reach out to potential buyers without knowing anything about them. Today, a simple search provides sales teams with the information they need to make a first impression and build relationships. But that’s not enough.

The key to good sales lies in mapping that found knowledge to the right tools, like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and sales dashboards. These tools will aid in truly developing your sales organization by:

Gaining a better understanding of your sales pipeline
Improving the allocation of sales resources to areas of opportunity
Defining your prospect lead scoring to shorten your sales cycle and maximize ROI
Documenting client needs or wants to create a custom sales experience

That said, the most important thing a good salesperson can do is listen. And respond to a prospect/client’s needs and share how you solve those needs.

Q. What goals and objectives does the company have to achieve long-term success?

Sales Xceleration is poised to continue its national and international expansion by focusing on growing our Advisor community. Our shared vision for changing the lives of our sales leaders and the business owners they serve will remain our top priority. With hard work, commitment, and transparency in the service of others, we will undoubtedly find continued success. We also need to maintain our entrepreneurial vision to ensure we are constantly evolving to meet our Advisors’ and their Clients’ needs.

Q. What are your core values, mission, and vision?

Integrity, character, and ethics, lived out in service to others

Tell the truth: be open, honest, and direct even when it’s hard
Do the right thing: be principled and have high morals
Commit to excellence dedicated, hardworking, and pride in the outcome
Be a good human: respectful, professional, and keep your word
Have a servant’s heart: desire to serve first

Helping organizations streamline their sales processes with outsourced sales leadership

Mark Thacker is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sales Xceleration. He has spent 30+years leading sales organizations, is a bestselling author of Hope Realized and Beyond The Mountaintop and is a leader of his church.

Chad Meyer is the Co-Founder of Sales Xceleration. He has spent his entire career helping sales organizations realize their revenue potential, is dedicated to volunteering in his community, and is very involved in his church.