In the fast-paced ICT industry, having a business development team that fully understands customer’s needs is essential to ensure growth and success. During the latest Infocus feature we talk to Sarah Keeling, Business Development Manager for Inform Billing, to understand the ins and outs of the role and what makes it so rewarding.
Preparing thoroughly for account reviews and demos to ensure all follow-ups are managed efficiently, Sarah plays a key role combining sales and account management, saying, “I support the Business Development Director in handling and identifying new business opportunities, along with managing a set of existing accounts to generate revenue, improve profitability, identify customer needs and explore cross-selling opportunities to help the business grow.”
Inform Biling’s new account management programme has been established for eleven months and is built around a cross-functional team from across the business. The programme ensures the team have structured pre- and post-account reviews for knowledge sharing and feedback. All supported by a holistic CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that allows full visibility of every interaction from first enquiry to the present-day, including support tickets, contracts and all product information.
A typical day for Sarah involves meticulous planning and preparing for meetings, reviewing pending tasks, making and receiving calls and being flexible to pick up inbound enquires, are all part of the daily routine.
Sarah continues: “What I enjoy most about this role, is balancing between my account management clients and talking to prospects and new clients as they start their journey with Inform Billing. Getting to know the prospects and their unique requirements is incredibly rewarding.”
Earlier in the year the Inform Billing Sales and Account Management team was honoured for its exceptional sales strategies, effective customer relationship management and strong account management practices at the Channel Champions Awards.
The Channel Champions Awards are known for celebrating excellence and innovation in the technology and communications industry. Winning the Channel Champions Award for Vendor Sales and Account Management Team was a significant achievement.
Sarah commented: “We were up against some fierce competition and big names within the industry and were delighted that we were able to stand out. I am proud that our customer focussed approach and expertise was recognised.”
Recalling a time that she has gone above and beyond for a client, Sarah says: “Working with one of our clients, who was new to our billing platform, I was able to identify some key processes that could be automated and supported them through two separate billing months. We were both really pleased, as this reduced their bill run time from two and a half days to less than two hours! And brought their bill run forward by nine days!”
With a focus on maintaining momentum, Inform Billing also expanded their sales team in 2023. Investing significant resource in effectively managing opportunities and proactively guiding prospects to sign-up has reaped rewards, with an impressive upturn in new customer wins.
Sarah has been with Inform Billing for eight years, saying: “I have performed in a variety of roles, all of which I have enjoyed. Coming from a corporate company to a smaller one has allowed me to be recognised for my contributions, making it a fulfilling journey.”
Ellie Allseybrook, Business Development Director at Inform Billing commented: “Sarah is one of our key team members at Inform Billing. Her commitment to growth, adaptability to change and ability to seamlessly manage accounts are key ingredients in making Inform Billing a thriving business.”
Find out more about Sarah and Inform Billing.
Sarah Keeling, with Matt Bodsworth, Head of Operations at the Channel Champions Awards 2023 winning, Vendor Sales and Account Management Team and Vendor Technical Support and Engineering Team.
