Recently we delved into the data and insights found in our recent customer satisfaction survey, examining why clients opt for the VST Group as an “extension to their sales and marketing team”. With our survey results consistently returned four recurring key words: certainty, momentum, trust, and flexibility.
Today, our article will take a look at ‘flexibility’ within business and why it’s particularly important for businesses who provide outsourced services, whether that’s for outsourced venue booking, sales and marketing or lead generation.
Why flexibility is important to our clients
So, what does business and service flexibility truly entail, and why is it a recurring priority in our client surveys? Below we’ve listed some real-life examples and tangible effects, looking at how VST’s flexibility in service offering has benefitted their businesses:
1. Adjusting Activity Levels:
“Being able to ‘ramp up and down’ with VST has allowed me to cover the 9-month maternity leave of one of our sales people.” Sales Director Events Industry
2. Managing Staffing Costs:
“Having a resource that we can flex up and down as required has really helped solve the problem we have around seasonal peaks and troughs. You’re really helping us flatten out our year without us having to hire a permanent headcount.” Marketing Director, National Haulage Firm
3. Growing with Your Business:
“I really liked the fact that I could come to you and dip my toe in the lead generation water and then as my confidence grew I could turn your hours up gradually. It was also great knowing I can reduce them too if I couldn’t handle any more leads.” MD, Video Production Company
4. Strategic Partnering:
“Having a UK sales team of 32 Business Development Managers (BDMs), the challenge is always helping them be as productive as possible. Quite frankly we don’t want to see them in the office, we want them in front of customers and prospects. This service has been fantastic for us as we have been able to turn regions up and down as they have needed an injection of meetings, the BDM’s now love VST!” Commercial Director, Waste Management.
These testimonials show the diverse ways in which clients can leverage our outsourced marketing and sales services, emphasising the vital role of flexibility in these agreements.
The key to forming flexible business partnerships
Taking the above real life benefits into account, what is the secret to nurturing a successful, flexible, and mutually beneficial business partnership?
VST have found trust between both parties to be fundamental. Additionally, maintaining a consistent volume of work is crucial for several reasons:
- Sustained Engagement
- Sustained Engagement: Remaining well-versed in your business’ products or services, guaranteeing a knowledgeable and effective outsourced team.
Building solid outsourced relationships
Building a strong, enduring relationship with an outsourced partner takes time and effort. Switching the service off and on can disrupt this continuity, as the original team may be reassigned to other projects, causing potential delays when you want to restart. In essence, with outsourced sales and marketing services, it’s about “adjusting the tap” rather than “shutting it off completely.”
In closing, VST’s advice is to keep the work flowing, even if it’s at a minimum, to maintain experience and knowledge. This way, you won’t have to start from scratch each time, ensuring a more seamless and productive partnership.
We hope you found this article valuable, and we are eager to hear about your experiences with flexible partnerships and how you optimise these relationships. Feel free to reach out to us or connect with us on social media; we’d love to hear your thoughts surrounding the ‘outsourced support’ topic.
