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At ML, our mission is to create an environment that attracts the best and the brightest sales and marketing professionals dedicated to helping our clients achieve predictable growth. Heidi Hacker, Senior Sales Development Specialist, is a shining example of "the best and the brightest." She recently teed up a meeting for Dyan Klein, our VP of Business Development. During the meeting, our client shared how professionally Heidi engaged with him. She was adept at assessing his current situation and was cool, collected, and professionally persistent in helping him understand why he would find speaking with Dyan valuable. Says Dyan, “It was one of the greatest compliments I've heard voiced about an ML employee this year.” Thanks, Heidi, for representing ML so well! #b2Bsales #expertsyoucantrust #strategicoutboundsales #seasonedsalesprofessionals
Everything we do for our clients stems from one place – STRATEGY! So we are thrilled to announce that Michelle Haarde has been elevated to Senior Vice President at ML and will take the helm to lead our Account Strategy team. Michelle will oversee the strategic direction of all accounts supported by a skilled group of Client Services and Data Managers. ML’s CEO, Lara Stewart Triozzi, says, “Michelle started with ML in 2012. In that time, she has proven to have the right combination of sales and service expertise to lead clients with a consultative approach. This is a great fit for Michelle to help the team drive performance and ultimately help our clients grow. Congratulations!” Learn more about Michelle.
Sharon Kulawiak is a Sales Development and Market Research Specialist with ML. She started her career in 1994 and is comfortable, confident, and successful in engaging the C-suite and other senior executives. One lesson Sharon has learned for quickly getting their attention is to start the conversation with a question. Here’s an example: “I’m curious. When was the last time you thoroughly assessed your systems?” It sounds simple, but it works. Thanks, Sharon for another great sales tip.
Meet ML's Senior Sales Content Manager, Stephen Kirkpatrick. Stephen collaborates with our clients’ marketing teams to understand their value proposition and repurpose their existing marketing assets into compelling sales messaging. His talent helps the ML team convert prospects into sales opportunities. Stephen says, "I help businesses generate revenue through persuasive storytelling. I apply my writing skills to break down complex thoughts and ideas into simple language designed to engage and encourage activity between clients and their prospects." In recognition of the outstanding value Stephen has provided in just two years with ML, he has been promoted to a more senior position. He will continue to oversee the outbound messaging for each client but will take on a bigger role in the execution of the messaging, including incorporating new technologies like AI. Stephen says, “What we say and where we say it is crucial to the success of our client programs.” Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion, Stephen!
Here's a helpful sales tip from Jennifer Aldinger: "Do you keep notes about past engagements with your contacts? Referencing previous conversations (either one you or another team member had) is a great door opener. For example, I grabbed a busy executive's attention recently because I could say, 'When we talked last, you were working on a major project and asked me to check back at this time.' Everyone at ML logs their notes in HubSpot, so it's incredibly easy to see an entire history of an account and each contact."
Please join us in congratulating Leslie LaChapelle on her promotion to Project Manager! Leslie will continue to provide client account support, but in recognition of her superb attention to detail, Leslie will now lead quality control efforts within HubSpot. Mary White, ML’s COO, says, “Leslie has been with ML for almost eight years and has really grown into an outstanding Operations team member. We are confident she will continue to help us improve our sales support processes and integrate technology improvements for sales and operations alignment. Congratulations, Leslie – so well deserved!” Learn more about Leslie.
Happy 10th ML-iversary, Teresa S. Block! How do we explain how amazing Teresa is and the value she brings to the ML team and our clients? When Teresa joined ML ten years ago, she immediately elevated the role of Market Research Specialist. Teresa showed us how contacting a prospect in the earliest stages of building the lead funnel improved our ability to turn leads into sales opportunities. In May of 2022, when Teresa was promoted to Manager of the Market Research Specialist team, she established a benchmark for the impact that role has across every one of our lead development programs. As a result, our team can bring more value to a client’s view of their total addressable market. Ten years into her tenure with ML, we consider Teresa one of our secret weapons in mastering the evolving techniques for account based selling.
Happy 20th ML-iversary to Stephanie Kargel, ML’s Director of Employee Success. Stephanie is a top-performing sales and recruiting professional. As the first Specialist we hired in 2003, her depth of experience helped set ML on a path to success. Our CEO, Lara Stewart Triozzi, describes Stephanie as the original prototype for the model she wanted to build at ML. Lara explains, “Attracting a professional of Stephanie’s caliber who was looking for an alternative to commuting, traveling, and long office hours made me realize we could build our Sales Specialist team around others like Stephanie who wanted to leverage their skills in a more flexible environment. So, we developed our culture to attract highly experienced individuals like her. As a result, our seasoned professionals in the Sales Development role are now a key differentiator for us.” For 20 years Stephanie has contributed to our growth and success. Thank you, Stephanie, for everything you do and HAPPY ML-iversary!! #b2Bsales #expertsyoucantrust #strategicoutboundsales
No matter how good a product or service is, there is always room for improvement. So if your prospect is using a competitive offering they are happy with, ask, “In a perfect world, is there anything about it you would like to see improved?” Even if the answer doesn’t lead to a sales opportunity, the competitive intel you collect can impact your product roadmap and improve future sales programs. Thanks, Terri-Lynne Anderson, for another great sales tip. #b2Bsales #expertsyoucantrust #strategicoutboundsales #salesbestpractice
Here's another great sales tip from Heidi Hacker. "What’s the best way to respond to the objection, 'The timing isn’t right; check back later in the year'? While you don’t want to waste anyone’s time (including your own), asking for an introductory call sooner is a great way to prequalify if there is a fit. I usually say something like 'Wouldn’t it be beneficial to schedule a brief call now so that when the timing is right we can move forward faster?' This tactic has been very successful for me.
