Selling Partnerships, Not Just Services

As I participated in my first sales team meeting at BCom, I noticed that the group spoke a bit of a different language — specifically using the word “partner” repeatedly. I listened to our sales team discuss partnerships we currently have and others they were interested in pursuing. They emphasized fostering relationships with the clients we work with instead of treating them like accounts on a spreadsheet or income statement. That mindset was new to me, and it has been the focal point of my internship thus far. 

Our clients are essentially split up into three groups — campaigns, companies, and causes — and as a sales intern, I get to work with all three. My main objectives are prospecting future clients and assisting the sales team in any way to expedite the process and ensure that it’s running as smooth as possible. Aiding in the sales process includes anything from conducting research for information pertinent to our sales team to making the initial connection with a potential client via email or phone call. What I’ve learned is that both of these tasks are crucial in kindling a strong, successful working relationship with our clients from the very beginning. 

Prior to my time at BCom, I had a preconceived notion that sales was all about making the most money. While obviously making money is important, I was taught to prioritize something else first — solving people’s problems. While prospecting for clients, it’s my job to look for issues in marketing schemes and determine if our services could help. The second thing I look for is whether the campaign, company, or cause aligns with our deeply-rooted values — being bold, authentic, and all in, all the time. This ensures we are partnering with real people and companies helping them to accomplish real and impactful goals. 

A team that believes in and has the desire to foster strong relationships with those they’re partnered with appears to be quite the effective combination -- a winning combination.

Working with people that share our same values of integrity and dedication, sparks a strong belief in our clients and their goals. Through my internship, BCom is exposing me to a unique environment where the team truly takes pride in and invests themselves into every project they work on. The most significant proponent of this is demonstrated through our commitment to getting to know each and every one of our clients. This connection strengthens the services BCom provides by allowing us to customize each marketing plan not just to the client’s needs, but to their personality as well. I may have only spent just under two months in the digital marketing sector, but a team that believes in and has the desire to foster strong relationships with those they’re partnered with appears to be quite the effective combination — a winning combination. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my brief time here, it’s that this team likes to win.

BCom has a special culture, and I feel blessed to be a part of it, even if it is just for the summer. I’ve already learned so much during my time here, especially while working with the sales team. It has been awesome to be immersed in a company culture that prioritizes valued relationships with clients and see the work that goes into that every day. These first six weeks have absolutely flown by. And as great as the first half of this summer has been, I expect the latter half here at BCom to be even better. I look forward to engrossing myself further into the sales process and BCom’s unique culture, continuing to gain as much experience as possible.