The introduction of an experienced professional Sales & Marketing Non-Executive Director (NED) can have a huge positive impact on a business’s fortunes.The truth is that a Sales & Marketing NED’s role is not driven by a simple job description, they come into their own in times of major change or business challenge. Examples might include:
- developing marketing and sales strategies for start-ups
- advising on growth strategies and development for established companies
- using the NED’s own network of contacts to find new business, new suppliers, even new recruits
- establishing clear goals and objectives for a business and its owners.
In all the above examples, the objectivity and impartiality of a good Non-Executive Director will be critical to reaching a successful outcome,
In larger established organisations, this role will be much more focused on developing and adding to existing sales & marketing resources to help achieve the company’s corporate objectives. In addition they will be bound by ‘corporate compliance’, and will have just the same fiduciary duties as any other Director.
Whilst this is also mostly true for smaller and start-up companies, a good NED can offer much more by way of additional insight and experience, practical business judgement and other professional skills that may be in short supply elsewhere in the business.
In both these scenarios VSL has had many years of experience and successful track record. This is in large part due to the experience and talent of Andy Dickens (CEO of VSL) who has been involved in many established companies and startups in Europe specifically in the role of Marketing & Sales NED. But through VSL he can offer so much more value added services.
What makes VSL different?
As CEO of VSL, Andy can call on the resources and services that VSL excels in:
Andy’s ability to integrate and implement one or more of these services within his brief to develop and grow a marketing & sales strategy has proved invaluable, as many of our clients will testify. One reason why this has been so successful is the fact that Andy’s combined knowledge of sales & marketing coupled with his experience of delivering the above services in the most effective way given any scenario.
Just to have the VSL resource and team as an valued added service underlying the role the NED has really benefited so many clients. This is especially true of start ups, where these services can be just be turned on and off as required or as budgetary constraints dictate. A good effective telemarketing campaign will more than pay for itself, especially where the human resources and experience are not available.
For larger organisations the benefit of having these services on tap, can allow Andy to refocus a sales team attention on closing deals as opposed to chasing deals and providing the foundations of a broader and more integrated sales & marketing strategy, by creating a sustainable and growing sales pipeline.
Summary
So if you are a company thinking about appointing a Sales & Marketing Non-Executive Director, then please consider the above factors as well as the core skills which Andy will deliver as his role as a NED.
- insight, support, objective oversight, and integrity
- essential board structures, discipline and often business experience that may far outweigh that of the company
- ability to support the development of the top team and in particular to support tough decisions which may need to be made within the business
- wider vision and help with the direction of the business to pursue its growth plans.
- ability to work as a team player
Want to know more, or have an informal chat about your NED needs? Then please email us at sales@virtual-sales.com or call us on +44 (0)1403 788480.