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MarketBridge

How to EnterCompany: MarketBridge
Company Description: MarketBridge is a leading global provider of technology-enabled sales and marketing solutions and services for Fortune 1000 companies, delivering client results based on an empirical approach to designing, building, and managing programs.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year

Nomination Title: MarketBridge's World Elite Training and Coaching Program for Saks Fifth Avenue/MasterCard

Tell the story about your organization's sales training and/or coaching program since the beginning of July 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

MasterCard partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue in 2006 to launch the Saks Fifth
Avenue World Elite MasterCard, complete with features and benefits designed
for the upper-affluent consumer market segment, in all Saks Fifth Avenue
Stores nationwide.

MarketBridge was engaged to build a sales training and coaching program for
this co-brand card which would primarily help drive new cardmember
acquisitions, but also solve key issues that arose during initial product roll-
out. [SENTENCE REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION]

We developed a flexible training & coaching model that allowed for modified
versions of our program to fit the unique needs of regions, individual Stores,
departments, and Store Associates. The first coverage model type, “Territory
Support” included regularly scheduled visits from an Account Executive to
train, coach and incent the Store management and employees.
Next, “Accelerator Support” involved a 1-2 day credit event that included
training, strategic credit planning, one-on-one sales coaching and incentives,
like vacations for top performers. Finally, the third coverage model is “Air
Cover Support”, which did not feature any regular Account Executive visits,
but rather on-going support through distance learning and mailed materials.

Through our in-Store visits, we conducted fun and interactive training
classes, during which we teach the Associates about credit, help them to
overcome objectives, , and increase their desire to promote the co-brand to
their customers. Post-training, regardless of module used, additional
training tools and reinforcement materials such as takeaways, quick tips, fun
facts and games, help ensure that learning is affected, information retained
and, most of all, behavior changed.

In the first 3 fiscal months of 2011 (Saks Fifth Avenue fiscal year runs from
February - January), we improved credit performance year-over-year, while
reenergizing Associates and increasing program participation.

[THREE PARAGRAPHS REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION]

In an industry clouded by the current economic downturn, these results were
substantial. Furthermore, from a qualitative perspective, overall program
feedback from Store Associates and management alike was exceedingly
positive.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

[SUPPORTING FILES REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION]

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated sales organization:

Becky Johns (rjohns@market-bridge.com) is an Account Director for MarketBridge. In her current role, she
works with clients to improve marketing and sales productivity by developing
and executing integrated marketing programs and models.

Courtney Milliken (cmilliken@market-bridge.com) is a Program Manager with MarketBridge. Most prominently,
she has managed the creation of a comprehensive retirement information
solution for renowned insurance provider.