Company: Sales Partnerships, Inc., Broomfield, CO
Company Description: Sales Partnerships, Inc. is the premier direct sales outsourcing company in the world, offering branded representation that delivers rapid revenue lift for the most influential B2B firms in the world. Whether it's brand activation, customer acquisition, or retention, SPI is the leader in providing scalable and proven solutions to the Fortune 500.
Nomination Category: Solution Provider Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Outsourcing Provider of the Year
 Nomination Title: Sales Partnerships' 25th Year as a Sales Outsourcing Leader
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated organization, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below.
Our nomination is a written submission including attachments.
Sales Partnerships’ nomination for Sales Outsourcing Provider of the Year highlights work done representing clients over the past year in telecommunications and finance. The two industries detailed represent where we competed directly with client internal sales teams, external client sales channels, client competitors, and client competitor external sales channels. This broad environment provides a good opportunity to contrast our performance to other industry options.
Sales Partnerships is a domestic field sales outsourcing specialist. Unlike the call center model, SPI focuses on handling deals cradle to grave with an emphasis on direct revenue creation (as opposed to lead generation which is best classified as business development outsourcing.) Our teams are recruited for and dedicated to individual clients based on client program requirements. Because Sales Outsourcing means dedicated cradle-to-grave (origination through close) sales under the brand of an individual client, SPI’s work is also differentiated from value added resellers in that each of our teams focus just on that clients’ products and services closing deals on the clients’ paper with the client owning the customer relationship long term.
With this preface, thank you for considering us for this award and thank you for your time in judging us.
- Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 199 words used.
2022 marked Sales Partnerships' 25th year. We are a 9-time prior Stevie winner in the Sales Outsourcing Provider category and 8-time overall winner in the top Field Sales Categories. We represent the brands of some of the largest and most respected companies in the world ranging from Google to Dow Chemical to work in finance and healthcare. Our core focus is field based b2b and b2c direct sales.
Our hallmark is using and inventing systems and processes that optimize all the important areas impacting sales: recruiting, diversity, technology, training, management, analytics, and strategy. These drive the dedicated teams we build and manage for each client.
We have become recognized as a leader and innovator in our space with coverage in Selling Power, Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, Inc. Magazine, and CNNMoney. Over 25 years, we have generated more than $10B in gross profits for our clients while setting industry gold standards for brand protection (less than 0.0004% customer complaint rates compared to between 1% and 3% industry standard rates for external channels.) We have operated in every significant MSA in the United States as well as in select markets globally - adjusting field footprint based on client needs.
- Outline the organization's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
SPI re-entered the field after Covid closures and rapidly build up successful field sales teams in both telecommunications and financial services. We had to build teams to reach hundreds of thousands of customers face to face. This had to be done during the most challenging field sales recruiting environment since the 1940’s. At the same time, speed to market was critical – we had to be fully staffed quickly and ramp to target quotas at least as fast as pre-Covid.
Telecommunications Sales
Representing Ting Internet, we were asked to go into two strategically important markets (Greater Raleigh and South Denver) and increase market share from 5% to more than 30%. This was to be done against the industry’s largest ISPs: Centurylink, Xfinity, AT&T/Spectrum, and Verizon.
Head-to-head, we outperformed competing channels by more than 50% and grew our client from 5% market share to 55% (and below the target cost of acquisition.)
Finance Sales
We achieved 105% of annual merchant activation/revenue goals despite not being approved to launch until after Q1 (still using 12-month 2022 targets.) This was the highest result of any channel in North America. By comparison, through the hundreds of internal sales teams that client fields – the average team missed goal by more than 30% in the understandably difficult environment. Only 15% of sales teams came within 20% of target overall.
Importantly, we did it while leveraging a creative strategy working rejection lists where 60% of our target merchants had recently rejected the client multiple times.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 117 words used.
The following attachments and links are included to support our nomination:
● Case study detailing the field work performed for the nomination for telecommunications
● Case study detailing the field work performed for the nomination for financial services sales
● “SPI Gives” summary document describing the volunteering efforts referenced in the nomination (helped both with retention and deepening community engagement)
● Documentation on SPI’s Territory Management Suite referenced in the nomination
● Documentation on SPI’s Flipped Classroom training model
● Documentation on SPI’s Diversity and Inclusion Work
● Link to the SPI homepage for more information about our organization
Thank you again for your time and consideration for Sales Partnerships for the Top Sales Outsourcing Provider award.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Head-to-head against competing channels we out-performed our peers by 50% in telecommunications and by more than 30% in finance. We did it while keeping a 90%+ 12-month+ customer retention rate (compared with 70%/85% industry average) and with a 0.0004% complaint rate (with zero complaints unresolved to the customer’s satisfaction) (compared to industry average complaint rates of 3% and 2%.)
Key SPI Differentiators
Recruiting
SPI’s AI-based recruiting model allowing us to go to market in less than 60 days compared to industry averages closer to 120 days. As markets were re-opening after Covid lock-downs, speed to market was critical.
Training
We leveraged our flipped classroom model to speed ramp time for new hires. We not only hit pre-Covid ramp times, we improved them by 20%.
Technology
Our integrated territory management solution improved rep contact rate with prospects by more than 20% compared to other commercial solutions.
Field Management
Data identifying trends and likely challenges gathered from AI-based field tools better equipped our managers to deliver better field training results. This is combined with leveraging creative street level problem solving (see case studies.)
Diversity
79.7% of all field sales representatives are white(2021 Department of Labor stats.) SPI benefits from our DE&I work to have our teams better mirror the areas they work. At 52% white representatives, that makes SPI an almost exact mirror of the US populace and twice as diverse as the industry averages. The more diverse workforce engages better with their territories and delivers better overall results.
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