In 2006, a major education assessment company wanted to increase sales of student assessment and skill improvement products designed for the higher education market. Some products were newly introduced or had been revised significantly in the past year. The company recognized the need for an increased sales effort that would reach more schools and increase use of their established and newer products.
For this project, MMS Education assembled an experienced inside sales team that combined an understanding of the fundamental issues of assessment with the ability to sell in the challenging college market. The skilled team presented online demos of assessment products, fielded sampling and scoring questions and met the extensive assessment information needs of the customers in order to close sales.
The MMS inside sales team had complete responsibility for sales in designated accounts not targeted by the client’s outside field staff. They also supported the field staff in key accounts to facilitate presentations and locate promising opportunities. This effort enabled the field staff to make better use of their time as they traveled within their territories.
The inside sales team at MMS also became expert users of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System supplied by the client. Online access to the CRM system enabled the inside team at MMS Education to communicate seamlessly with the client’s outside field force and with the company’s operations offices.
In 2007, the MMS inside sales team surpassed 100% of its sales goals for the client and increased market penetration by adding a significant number of new customers.