As a Market Research Manager, Teresa Block leads the MRS team in making the critical first touchpoints of our Strategic Outbound approach. She's pleasant and persistent -- an expert collaborator and data junkie who isn't afraid to ask high-level decision makers the hard-hitting questions.
She's giving us a glimpse into her growth at MarketLauncher over the past seven years and how she keeps the MRS team driven.
How has your role at MarketLauncher changed over the years?
I lead a team of seasoned Market Research Specialists (MRS). We kick off call campaigns for our clients by conducting the first stage of outreach to help identify who the decision makers are at target companies. Our ultimate goal is to provide solid leads and valuable information that the sales development specialists can leverage in their connections.
The MRS team gets the conversation started by emphasizing how our clients stand out above their competitors and why it would be valuable to set up a meeting with them. We “dig through the weeds” so to speak -- leaving polished voice messages, getting past gatekeepers, figuring out tricks to get through many company’s lengthy automated phone systems, or calling multiple phone numbers to find the right decision maker.
So many things have changed since I first started at ML in 2013. We have grown so much and have a very strong and experienced team who is always willing to make improvements to our processes. We also have top-notch leadership and fantastic technology. Never before have we had so many tools at our disposal to make a bigger impact for our clients and their prospects.
What’s involved in leading our market research team? How do you keep them motivated?
Leading the team takes dedication to keep track of progress every day. It also takes communication and collaboration. If something is clearly working for one MRS, I like to be sure the entire team knows about it. We can’t succeed if we keep to ourselves. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t use Microsoft Teams to collaborate on accounts.
Bouncing strategies off one another has proven to help tremendously with another goal of MarketLauncher’s -- to continually streamline and enhance processes. Since we work remotely, it’s important that we are all aware of how to do things more efficiently – whether it’s using HubSpot shortcuts, research techniques, conversation starters, gatekeeper tips, and so much more. We’re doing THOUSANDS of calls each month, so you can imagine how important it is that we uncover and share best practices.
How have your conversations with decision makers changed the past few months since the outbreak of the pandemic?
We have seen a large increase in the number of conversations we’re having with decision makers across all industries and levels, from managers on up to the C-suite. Many of them are more readily available because they’re working remotely or just aren’t traveling as much as they did before the pandemic. Whether they're ready to make a buying decision or not, they have more time for conversations about how they’re currently doing things and are willing to learn about other options to improve efficiencies.
Buyers realize they need to ramp things up fast in order to come out on top during and after the pandemic. Having such conversations while they have the time to listen puts them in a great position to take action and build a thriving business.
What energizes you at work?
I have always been one to go above and beyond what is expected. That’s just my nature. My father instilled that in me at a young age. I like to challenge myself to be creative in my outreach, dig as deep as I can in all aspects of my job, and share ideas with the team so they can continue to be their best.
Seeing the unique and phenomenal level of data and analytics that ML is able to extract energizes me to move forward. I’ve been in sales and marketing 20+ years, and ML knows their stuff like no other. We know the key data that will drive sales for our clients. When we can see performance metrics and take the bull by the horns to make shifts and course correct quickly, our clients are happier and more profitable.
How do you like to start and end your day?
I like to drink a strong cup of coffee right away in the morning while reviewing performance metrics from the previous day. I keep my eye on the data pretty much daily so that if we need to pivot in a certain area, we can do that immediately without losing ground.
Before I shut down for the day, I do a quick review of Zoho (a platform we use to share progress and real-time conversations with clients). It helps me to be sure I don’t miss any updates from team members or clients.
Outside of work, how are you staying busy during quarantine?
It truly has been nice to have my teenagers around the house more this summer, so I’ve loved spending time with them and my husband. I value my role as their mom so much. It’s the primary reason I chose to work in a virtual environment. Juggling all that is involved in sending two of my kids off to college while working close to full-time would not have been possible if I didn’t work for ML. Now, I am deep into helping my youngest choose his college of choice for fall of 2021, so I’ve spent a lot of time on that during quarantine too.
I’ve also taken up some DIY projects, planted flowers and prepared the patio and yard for summer, read some good books, laughed with friends over FaceTime and Snapchat, tried new recipes, and watched my fair share of movies.
