Center for Sustainable Journalism
Problem:
The CSJ had been tasked with demonstrating sustainability after having taken over two failed magazines. The CSJ had shown an incredible ability to acquire grants but needed to set up a sales team that would generate revenues from both subscription and ad sales.
Solution:
George came to the CSJ, learned their product and the nuances of working in a 501c-3 (non-profit) environment, and set up a sales system that capitalized on the CSJ’s association with Kennesaw State University. First, George hired a competent sales manager and then altered the position of subscription sales from full time to part time. George set up recruitment via the Department of Professional Sales at the Coles College of Business where interns were interviewed for two different positions that grew from one another. The subscription sales positions focused on learning the fundamentals of sales conversations, paid their own direct costs via individual revenue generation and simultaneously received internship credit for their work at the CSJ. The CSJ received a farm league of salesmen from whom they could recruit part time advertising salesmen who took on a higher caliber of sales, generated substantially more money and acted as profit centers that funded not only their direct costs but all variable and fixed costs associated with production. Then, George developed the full time ad sales positions which all led to sales manager positions over-seeing the part time subscription sales reps and the part time advertising sales reps.
Testimonials:
Leonard Witt, Director CSJ: “We have had consultants prior to George who came in, learned about our company and did nothing. George, on the other hand, put together both a subscription and advertising sales strategy that we implemented immediately. What he did was brilliant. He levered our connections with Kennesaw State University, advised us to promote our advertising sales rep to sales manager and trained him in all the facets of sales management, including helping new recruits to increase their productivity. However, the biggest accomplishment came when we used the MESA written subscription sales strategy to map out our long term sustainability, which in turn helped us secure a $200,000 investment grant from a national foundation. I wholeheartedly recommend MESA for any company that needs help with sales or marketing.”
Mitchell Charvin, Sales Manager: While I’ve always been very confident regarding my sales ability, I had never been offered the position of sales manager before and knew that there were some facets of the position with which I just wasn’t familiar. MESA Consulting recommended that I be provided the opportunity. Then, in a way that was very positive and supportive, George taught me sales training, recruiting, financial analysis, financial compensation mix, and the day to day activities in which Sales managers engage. Today, I can take all that I learned and command a higher income than ever before. I am very grateful to everyone at MESA who helped me get where I am today.
Brandon Chapman: I had the great pleasure of having Mr. Bass as my professor in my senior year for Marketing 4450. While there he recruited me as a professional sales student to work at the CSJ. The sales training I received from Mr. Bass was second to none. I’ve used everything he taught me to not only help secure full time job offers at the CSJ but also offers from other corporations as well. He worked with my direct supervisor as well regarding sales training and then sat with the both of us while my supervisor helped teach the finer points of selling.