American Express Selects Launch Sales and Marketing’s CEO to Take Part in Online Forum

American Express has selected Brandt Page, CEO at Launch Sales and Marketing LLC, to contribute to the global financial services leader’s OPEN Forum Pulse along with other preferred business leaders to offer advice to small businesses.  American Express created its OPEN Forum Pulse Twitter platform as an aggregate source of sound business information for small business owners.  Additionally, OPEN hopes to facilitate conversations between business owners to stimulate growth.  Mr. Page and Launch will offer sales and marketing tips to OPEN’s users and followers.

According to their site, the American Express OPEN platform “was designed for small business owners to search and learn from insightful, business-related tweets and share ideas with others.”

“It is an honor to be part of this group,” stated Brandt Page.  “Along with setting qualified appointments for our clients, Launch has been offering sales advice on Twitter to its almost 3,000 followers over the past year.  To be able to extend the impact of those tweets to small businesses who utilize American Express and its OPEN Forum Pulse is excellent.  It helps Launch with its core focus and mission of helping companies fill their sales pipelines.”

Twitter is becoming a great source of information for businesses and individuals alike. Launch utilizes Twitter to communicate sales tips and sales help to their followers on a daily basis. Launch Tips have included: keys to success for selling on the phone, how to network and create relationships, how to close more sales and schedule more qualified appointments, lead generation and qualification, as well as how to be a better entrepreneur.

More information on the OPEN Forum Pulse at http://pulse.openforum.com.  Twitter users can follow Launch at http://twitter.com/LaunchSales and Brandt Page at http://twitter.com/brandtpage .

The Five Lethal Mistakes of Sales Professionals and How To Solve Them

Launch Sales and Marketing has published its first research paper!

Entitled “The Five Lethal Mistakes of Sales Professionals and How To Solve Them,” the FREE paper focuses on helping your sales teams achieve the following:

• How to beat your competitors to your prospects
• How to tap markets that are not looking for you
• How to dramatically increase the probability of qualifying a prospect
• How to increase the quality and quantity of your leads
• How to leverage your own resources to increase your sales revenue.

In order to receive your FREE copy, click on the following image:

Launch Sales and Marketing in Utah CEO Magazine

Utah CEO Magazine wrote an article spotlighting Launch Sales and Marketing, LLC.

This month’s cover article is on the Utah Student 25, where Launch placed sixth last month.  Both Launch’s president, Brandt Page, and the company were covered in detail in the magazine.

John Richards, the founder of the Utah Student 25, said he hoped the venture will “help the investment community see who the real business leaders of the future are.”

Here is what they Utah CEO wrote about Launch.

#6: Launch Sales and Marketing LLC
Founder: Brandt Page
Major: Communications
School: Brigham Young University
Founded: January 2009
Website: launchsalesandmarketing.com
Launch Sales and Marketing fills client sales pipelines with qualified appointments. Its sales professionals make 150 calls a day to businesses, creating 20-40 new sales opportunities each month for clients. Founder Brandt Page’s previous entrepreneurial effort took fourth and third place in the Entrepreneur of the Year awards at BYU in consecutive years and also landed in the top 10 for the Utah Entrepreneurial Challenge.

For the complete article, go to The Utah Student 25

Launch Sales and Marketing Announces Experienced Strategic Hires

Check out our latest press release:

Salt Lake City, UT, United States, 11/24/2009 – Launch Sales and Marketing hires new team members to create added value as an outsourced business-to-business outbound phone sales force for emerging and established businesses.

In response to rapid growth, Launch Sales and Marketing has hired a number of seasoned professionals to meet their clients’ needs. Launch cold calls targeted businesses and schedules qualified appointments for their clients who are looking to grow sales in the midst of current economic turmoil. Contrary to hiring youthful, minimum-wage employees like most outbound call centers, Launch leverages the experience (10-20 years) of its new hires to put them in peer-to-peer conversations with C-level executives over the phone.

Today, Launch has announced the recent addition of David B. Goates to its team. Dave is a skilled business strategist who is a principal owner of local financial consulting firm Omega Financial Group, LLC. He has been extensively involved in the organization and management of many successful startups, turnarounds, and sales professionals.

Recently, he created and managed a sales group originating annuity product for securitization in a CDO. His management and training expertise will be relied on by Launch as it continues to grow. Goates holds a B.S. in Business Management and Finance from the University of Utah. Author of a contemporary blog, The Goates Notes, he offers commentary on politics and religion. His philosophy: “When you’re done changing, you’re done!”

He volunteers with his wife, Patsy, as the Chair for the Professional Placement Program of the LDS Employment Resource Center in Salt Lake City, helping others find work in a record unemployment market.

“Launch is an emerging company with a vision, and its CEO, Brandt Page, is destined to accomplish great things. He is a business innovator and dynamic leader with the passion to be a thought leader in reinvigorating the lost art of the sales cold call,” said Goates. “He’s the rare blend of creative vision and tactical know-how in an increasingly techno-savvy world.”

In a recent presentation to the Utah Technology Council, Brandt observed, “Our clients have learned they can leverage Launch to cold call and fill their sales pipelines with qualified appointments. Launch’s model is to use a select group of highly trained sales professionals who build on principles of integrity, hard work and a positive attitude mixed with entrepreneurship and innovation. These skilled professionals make 150 calls a day, creating 20 – 40 new sales opportunities each month for their clients.”

In today’s economy, Page and Launch seem to have discovered an innovative application for an old idea. “Cold calling is how many businesses are prospering right now,” concluded Page.

Signs of new economic growth are now appearing in Utah and elsewhere. While many companies are downsizing or standing pat, others are pursuing new opportunities. Launch hopes to be one more business that will lead the way out of the doldrums.

About Launch Sales and Marketing, LLC
Launch Sales and Marketing, LLC (launchsalesandmarketing.com) provides high quality, scalable, and expert outsourced sales and marketing for businesses. The primary focus is business-to-business inside sales for technology products and services companies. Launch is an essential component of a business-to-business sales solution. Whether you are an established firm or a start-up that wants to grow faster, fill your sales pipeline, leverage sales efficiencies, or add sales revenue, Launch is the answer.

“Appointment Setters are the Bargain of the Century”: Telephony World

Telephony World published the following article on their site.

While we do not agree entirely with all of the ideas detailed in the article, the authors make some powerful arguments on why appointment setting is vital in today’s environment.

The article is below:

Appointment Setting During a Recession: Keep Calling Even If Nobody’s Buying?

Appointment setting services can and should drive sales of their clients’ products and services. But what about when mostly nobody is buying? Should the appointment setters stop calling until business spending picks up?

Those are great questions for business decision-makers to be asking, because business spending has been extremely challenging of late. Research firm The Gartner Group predicted in March of 2009 that business spending on IT products may decline by 3.8 percent during 2009. Small business optimism, meanwhile, has plunged to truly sad depths.

In such a harsh business spending climate, can appointment setters still be worth their fee?

Appointment Setters the Bargain of the Century–If an Upturn Is Around the Corner

Appointment setting services provide a powerful, low-cost way to build an initial relationship with prospects who may someday turn into clients. Ironically, a dire recession may be the best time of all to make appointment setting phone calls.

After all, not so many people are calling during a tough economic time. The phone is not ringing nearly as often as it does during boom times. Companies that do continue appointment setting campaigns may find increased receptivity from less busy business owners.

Additionally, these quiet times are historically only preludes to the next business spending upturn. The NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Report, issued in April of 2009, noted that capital spending and inventory levels are at or near record lows–and have remained at those lows for record spans. Can this drought continue for much longer?

If and when all this “pent-up demand” comes online, it is natural to expect that companies that have built relationships during bad times will be well-positioned to sell when in fact prospects do start buying.

Appointment Setting Pay Must Stay Connected to Appointment Setting Performance

However, the above “yes” must be viewed through the prism of conservative business practices. That is to say, companies that choose to use appointment setting services must not overspend on appointment setting services. More than that, it must be verifiable that appointment setting is worth the cost.

But how can appointment setting efficacy be determined if traditional measures of success such as increased sales are not reliable because of negative macro-economic spending trends? This is a huge challenge for both the appointment setting client and the appointment setting service itself: how to know when an appointment setting campaign is working when sales are not going up right now.

One way to approach this thorny matter is to connect appointment setting pay to factors other than increased sales. The particular metric used may depend upon the needs of the client. For instance, one client may measure success by number of prospects contacted per day. Another client may focus more on contacting only the most qualified leads.

Whatever metrics are decided upon, the upshot is the same–other metrics should be employed when increased sales is not telling the whole story.

http://www.telephonyworld.com/basics/article/appointment-setting-during-a-recession-keep-calling-even-if-nobodys-buying/

Launch Sales and Marketing Named #6 Among Utah Student 25

Rising quickly to the top, Launch Sales and Marketing LLC is ranked 6th by The Utah Student 25 Awards that recognize the achievements of today’s top student entrepreneurs, the businesses they have created, and their economic impact.

Utah Student 25 last week announced 2009 winners to an audience of more than 300 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah Student 25 announced Launch Sales and Marketing as the 6th ranked top student founded business in the State of Utah.

“As the founder of Marketstar Corporation and managing director of Mercato Partners, I understand how targeted lists, lead qualification, and appointment setting are essential to sales growth.” States Alan Hall – Managing Director of Mercato Partners. “For emerging businesses, outsourcing these sales functions can really help accelerate growth. Launch Sales and Marketing is the right sales partner to accomplish these mission critical activities and it would be wise to utilize their services.”

Launch is known for filling the sales pipelines of their clients with qualified appointments and leads. Launch is able to find targeted lead lists that provide an essential piece of the sales process to make 100-150 calls per day per sales professional to create 20-60 scheduled appointments per month for their clients.

“I have watched hundreds of businesses struggle with finding, qualifying and meeting with new customers.” Said Joe Grover, Director of Junto Partners. “Launch Sales and Marketing brings the expertise, process and tenacity to get this job done efficiently and professionally. These guys are cold calling pros and using Launch to augment an internal sales team just makes sense. ”

2009 Utah Student 25 finalist companies employ more than 100 workers and collectively produce $3.9 million in annual revenue. The Utah Student 25 selects businesses based on revenue growth and profitability.

Launch Sales and Marketing’s CEO Invited to Present at Utah Technology Council

Brandt Page, CEO of Launch Sales and Marketing will present tips for selling on the phone at the Utah Technology Council on October 28.

From Utah Technology Council’s web site:

Join us to learn the Secrets of Success for Selling on the Phone with CEO of Launch Sales and Marketing LLC – Brandt Page. His company and expertise is focused on creating sales over the phone. From the initial cold call, to qualifying a lead, to scheduling an appointment and closing the deal. Come prepared to take notes that will help your sales team succeed.

We will discuss:
• How to prepare for a cold call (Scripting and Methodology)
• How to successfully schedule an appointment with a decision maker
• How to get appointments to stick
• Techniques on closing over the phone

Brandt Page has had the opportunity to speak multiple times about “How to succeed on the phone” to many entrepreneurial groups and has been mentored by some of Utah’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors, Alan Hall and Greg Warnock of Mercato Partners.

http://utahpulse.com/event/utc-sales-p2p-forum-0

Launch Sales and Marketing’s Twitter Account Receives Accolades

Launch has been recognized as one of the “40+ Sales Experts You Should Follow On Twitter” by “The Sales Operations Blog”

According to the blog’s author, “There are a good number of Sales Experts worth following on Twitter. They produce interesting, relevant, sales related Tweet content on a regular basis which I frequently RT. And their content is not self- serving. They may have occasional links to their own blogs or webinars, but they are not blatantly selling their products or services. Instead they are helping to serve the sales community as a whole.”

Launch is currently up to 2,669 followers.  You can follow us on Twitter at LaunchSales

For the complete article, click here: http://bit.ly/6U94de

Advisory Panel to Launch Sales and Marketing, LLC

Advisory Panel to Launch Sales and Marketing, LLC Billy Nerenberg SVP, General Manager Justice – Digital Bridge Billy is responsible for all DigitalBridge sales and marketing activities, which include product marketing, demand creation, branding, and corporate communications. Mr. Nerenberg is also responsible for coordinating the sales and sales management activities across the company’s subsidiaries and for developing the expertise, discipline, and bench strength necessary to support these activities. He is a seasoned veteran of the high-tech industry, having previously held positions with Microsoft, Intel, and Symantec. Mr. Nerenberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University and a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Oregon. He has extensive executive training from both Intel and Microsoft’s leadership programs including coursework at the Oregon Institute of Technology and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.   Craig Earnshaw Founder – LifeLink Corporation Craig is a partner at Utah Angels, and an angel investor at Park City Angels. Craig is a 1977 graduate of BYU in Computer Science. Received his CLU (1981) and ChFC (1983) professional designations. In 1978 founded LifeLink Corporation to provide advanced sales life insurance proposal systems to financial professionals. Sold the company 2004 and currently works as an investment consultant. Also served as a mission president to the Porto Alegre South Mission.   Jeff Brunken President – The MGIS Companies, Inc. Jeff joined the insurance industry in 1984. After working for St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company as an underwriter for healthcare professional liability, he joined MGIS in 1989. While at MGIS, he has expanded the company’s abilities to provide professional liability products and services. With a clear corporate vision, Jeff ensures that The MGIS Companies, Inc. works strategically to provide value to clients and distribution and insurer partners. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Brigham Young University and holds the designations of Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) and Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).   Jim Brinton Executive Director, Business Development – Certification Management Services Jim Brinton has spent his career coaching, teaching, and selling in the industries of higher education, IT training, personal development, and testing and assessments (i.e., knowledge based examinations). His lifelong passion is building cooperative organizations, including business units and teams that are success and achievement driven. In athletic, academic, and business settings, Jim passionately shares his knowledge and excitement for team success, and preparing them for great performances and results. Jim has Bachelor of Science (Athletic Training) and Master of Science (Analysis of Human Motion) degrees from Brigham Young University. He has coached competitive volleyball on the collegiate (NCAA Division 1 and 2, and NIRSA) and high school levels, and coached a collegiate men’s volleyball team to a national championship. As he has for the last 30 years, Jim continues to compete as a volleyball player at national and local levels for the past 30 years.   Paul L. Yates Vice President, Controller – Bonneville International Corporation Paul currently is VP & Controller at Bonneville International Corporation. Before coming to Bonneville, he worked at public accounting firms PriceWaterhouse, Houston, TX, and Arthur Andersen, Salt Lake City, UT. He has a Master of Accountancy degree from BYU and is a CPA. Advisement through the Junto Partners program Alan Hall Managing Director – Mercato Partners A prominent civic leader, Hall is a member of the Board of Trustees for Weber State University, Chairman of UITA (Utah Information Technology Association), a trustee of the Intermountain Healthcare Foundation, a member of Wells Fargo Bank’s Northern Utah Advisory Board of Directors, a trustee of World Trade Center Utah, and the past Chairman of the Board of the Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Hall is the Chairman of the Hall Foundation, Utah Co-Chair for Mitt Romney for President, Founder and Chairman of Grow Utah Ventures, and was awarded the 2008 Entreprenuer of the Year award by the Mountain West Capital Network.

Greg Warnock Managing Director – Mercato Partners Greg is a master entrepreneur and venture capitalist, was a founding managing director at vSpring Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm with over $300M under management. He has conceived, founded, operated and sold several companies of his own and was the founder of Precision Data Link, which he sold to Profit Recovery Group (PRGX) in 1998. Greg was principal in more than 20 M&A transactions prior to his work in venture capital. He is one of the region’s most active Angel investors and a committed mentor of entrepreneurs. Greg recently completed work on his Ph.D. in Venture Finance and Entrepreneurship at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. In June of 2006, Greg was honored with the Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award at the Ernst & Young Special 20th Anniversary Gala Event.