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Sales: The Critical Piece

Sales - The Critical Piece To Your Successful Future

 

Sales: The Critical Piece To Your Organization’s Successful Future

What drives your business?

Technology, finance, marketing?

These are all good things, but what it actually comes down to is sales.

I’m not saying that your other departments aren’t important, they are. They all contribute to the business, but sales is critical to the immediate and future lifeline of an organization.

Sales revenue is what allows you to succeed as an organization. You can have the best technology, the best services, and the coolest marketing campaigns, but if no one buys your product, you don’t have a business.

Sales in the door is what allows you to invest in advancing your services, providing marketing dollars, and keeping the wolves away.

Aside from new revenue, a customer’s first call (if they have an issue) is often to their sales rep, and I can’t think of a more important time than now to keep your current customers happy. A happy customer is a repeat customer and it’s often down to your sales rep to prevent them from going to the competition.

On that note, whether you like it or not, a lot of customers buy your products because they like the sales rep. If the rep is gone, the client will often follow.

When times are tough (hello Covid!) companies start cutting back and putting hires on hold.

It makes sense in these uncertain times to save as much revenue as possible for a rainy day (and it’s been pouring for months now). But, the one department that can help get you through this is sales; and the job postings I’ve been seeing certainly reflect this belief.

While a good number of companies have cut at least a portion of their sales staff, there are companies looking to expand their teams, which is great news for those sales reps that have been laid off.

As opposed to thinking of cutting back your sales team or putting all sales hires on hold, perhaps now is the time to be bold and look to the future.

While this may not be the year to expect record figures, if you’re fortunate enough to have the type of products or services that companies simply cannot do without, maybe now is the time to go for it and position yourself ahead of the competition when things go back to “normal”.

Here’s a great article from Harvard Business Review that explains how to re-focus your sales teams efforts now and when things go back to “normal”.

To be fair, there are some industries that simply may not survive no matter how many sales people they retain or hire. Fortunately, that’s not the case for all industries.

So, if you’re a company who are feeling the pressure to cut costs and hold off on hiring, really take the time to consider the impact a smaller sales team will have on your bottom line both now and in the future.

Sales are the critical piece to your successful future.

But how do you know you’re hiring the right person?  After all, every dollar spent is now more critical than ever. The answer is simple – contact a professional to help bring in the perfect candidate.

Rostie & Associates are those professionals.

At Rostie & Associates we invest time in understanding your organizations’ functions, your strategies for business success, your cultural environment, how to sell your organization to the candidate market, and associated success stories that differentiate your value proposition from competitors in the marketplace.

We provide a professional recruitment solution to a wide range of organizations in the United States, Canada and Internationally. Our clients range from the largest and most established firms to entrepreneurs on the cutting edge of technology.

Simply put, we’re dedicated to creating a perfect match between organizations and candidates.

Check out some of our hottest jobs!

If you’re an organization who is planning for a successful future by adding to your sales team, contact Rostie & Associates today.

We look forward to providing you the best sales representatives on the market!

 

Hiring: The Landscape Has Changed, But the Song Remains the Same

Well it’s officially official—the world has turned upside down.

What was white a month ago is now black, square, round, inside, outside, well, you get my drift.  This is (for the foreseeable future) the new normal.

In terms of Recruitment/Hiring/ Interviewing, one is left to wonder about the vast impact on this whole process.

Let’s look at the “interview process”.

“The interview process is also changing, going from in-person to video platforms like Zoom. Face-to-face interviews don’t exist anymore, and everybody’s fine with video interviews,” says Arran Stewart, co founder and chief visionary officer for the automated job-matching site Job.com.

So you’ve ACED your Video interview! Congrats!

As much as our work habits have changed, the employer must also adapt the terms of employment offered to new employees. In addition to standard salary and benefits, they should consider adding additional provisions relevant to our current situation.

Offer a paid subscription to a new wellness app, or complimentary meal/grocery delivery services; these offerings not only make a person feel valued; they are a constant reminder that they are part of a team and a company that cares for them.

This is critical at this time as they don’t have the luxury of natural team-building that comes when people come into the office daily. These little gems when they first join the team let new employees know they are valued and appreciated and improve employee attraction and retention metrics.

You must also keep the social aspect of work alive by arranging things like virtual lunches or happy hour, where food is on the company (it’s difficult to coordinate timely delivery so allow employees to claim back on expenses). This builds a break into the workday and gives people a chance to decompress, socialize and break the monotony and isolation inherent to working at home.

You should insist that your workers take part in this to make sure they feel included and most of all, keep a routine.

Although the landscape of the interview process has vastly changed, and the added benefits that employers should consider when acquiring a new client now differ, the fact remains, hiring new top talent is going no where.

For more information about the services offered at Rostie & Associates, feel free to visit our website www.rostie.com or call us toll-free 1-800-647-0780.

We look forward to finding your your next hire!

Entrepreneurial State of Mind

 

Entrepreneur mind

Being an entrepreneur is an innate trait that some are born with and some aren’t. It’s a mind set that many with this gift can’t seem to escape. They see the world as a large opportunity and continuously seek ways to seize the moment.

The world has seen its fair share of entrepreneurs who have succeeded and others who have not. It truly is a high risk, high reward life style.

Companies such as: Microsoft, Apple, Virgin, Tesla & Amazon all began as an idea on a piece of paper, by larger than life personalities that once started out in their parent’s basement. After countless trials and tribulations, these individuals were able to successfully penetrate a market and become king pins of their respective industries.

However, this success certainly didn’t come overnight. It’s a known fact that even these successful would-be billionaires were once on the verge of being homeless, surviving on the standard college diet of ramen noodles and living out of the back seats of their vehicles. It was only their entrepreneurial instinct that kept them pushing through these hard times and as luck would have it, their hard work and determination paid off.

Then, you have the other side of the coin.

In the early 2010’s, the world became obsessed with the reality TV concept of seeing entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors on shows like Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank.

These shows gave the everyday viewer a chance to see what entrepreneurs were coming up with, prior to their multi-million dollar success. Some shined through, while most failed to develop a concept that could wow not only the investors, but the audience who were watching the show. In some cases, the feedback went as far as telling these individuals to “stop putting money into this and walk away while you still can” or “this is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of”.

One thing to be taken from the countless seasons of good ideas and bad ideas is that the mindset of the participants never veered from their end goal of being a successful entrepreneur, regardless of the feedback they received.

Whether you possess this way of thinking or not, it’s important to remember that each person has a place in the world to be successful.

Most importantly, any good Entrepreneur needs the proper space for their ideas to develop and grow. That’s why The Rostie Group provides Offices of all sizes so you and your new growing team have a place to make your dreams come true!

WANY’s Annual Educational Conference in NYC: The British are Coming!

WANY’s (Workspace Association of New York @workspaceany Educational Conference and Celebration was dedicated to establishing greater collaboration within the industry globally, with a focus on cross-Atlantic cooperation.  It was also dedicated to the industry’s groundbreaking thought-leaders.  The Rostie Group was pleased to attend WANY’s Educational Conference in New York City, representing Toronto’s Waterfront Workspace community.

Cynthia with WTC Sign

The first stop was a full tour of 4 WTC (World Trade Center) @4WTC with Mathieu Schepard, Director of Sales for Silver Suite Sales Offices @SilverSuites.  We toured their latest centre, which is a clear leader within the industry.  Mathieu also gave us the unique opportunity to see one of the few outdoor terraces in 4 WTC building, offering an incredible view of both downtown Manhattan, and One World Trade Center (formerly the Freedom Tower).

4 WTC Terrace with Mathieu

The main event on Friday, June 17th took place at  Silver Suites Executive Workspace, on the 10th floor of 7 WTC. Thank you to all the exhibitors and sponsors who helped to make the conference both more exciting and more informative.

vendors combined

We would like to congratulate Layton Dodson @officequarter for his appointment on the WANY Board.  Additionally,  a huge thank you to Angela Olivo from Select Office Suites @SelectOffices, BC@50 Chair.

The Rostie Group established strategic ties to other leaders in the industry both in New York, across the US, and in Britain.  We participated in an exchange of information about new trends, innovations, and about the evolution of the workspace industry as a whole.

Below is Martin Senn, from our channel partner, Davinci, accepting an award recognizing their invaluable contributions to the industry from David Alberto, Angela Olivo, and David Kinnaird.

Our Channel Partner Davinci - Martin Sean being given an award for years of service by David Alberto, Angela Olivio & David Kinnaird

Dara McQuillian, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer from Silverstein Properties @SilvProp (below) gave an extremely informative presentation.  He spoke about green energy buildings and the new 2 WTC that will begin construction immediately.    If you happened to turn around at this point in the presentation, you would have seen top environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio @LeoDiCaprio checking in on the developments.

2 WTC collage

We congratulate our colleague Jennifer Brooke, BCA Executive Director @thebca  (pictured left with Angela Olivo and Lori Spiess @VoffiCenters) for her dedicated service to the industry as well as being a great host to our President, Cynthia Rostie, in the UK.

Jennifer, Angela & Lori Speis

After the conference, David Kinnaird @kinnairdd from essensys @essensysJEFF hosted a celebratory dinner for all of the conference participants.  Pictured below are a few of the party-goers.

Group Dinner WANY NYC 2016

Spencer & Richard

Spencer Anderson and Richard Fernandes

Cynthia Rostie attended the conference with Richard Fernandes, CEO and Founder of The Staffing Exchange @mycareerbroker.  Richard is partnering with The Rostie Group to launch the first #Coworking #SalesHub.  Our #SalesHub is scheduled to open in August 2016 and is the first of its kind.  Also in attendance was  Spencer Anderson, member of the Rostie team.  Spencer currently attends McGill University and is a summer  intern with our partner Roger’s Communications.

The Rostie Group #SalesHub

RostieGroup SalesHub

Stay in touch for news on the upcoming Launch Party and Member Registration for The Rostie Group #SalesHub

https://www.instagram.com/toworkspace_meetingrooms/

Thank you again to Ray Lindenberg @RayLindenberg at Winning Workspaces Hospitality Group for all of your efforts on bringing us out of Toronto to see New York’s new financial district.

The WANY Educational Conference allowed workspaces from around the world  the opportunity to collaborate on  innovative technologies, flexible design, green buildings and how to boost service to the next level.  Our industry is booming, and growing at an unprecedented rate, offering serviced space to all industries.  The Rostie Group invites you to share in the innovation, creative entrepreneurship and partnerships that flourish in shared work environments like nowhere else.

Learn more about The Rostie Group community here.

Check out our creative work community events in our monthly newsletter.

Get the latest news on all our membership perks and workspaces available.

If you want your team to get the most from their future workspace, stop by for a tour at WaterPark Place, 20 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, Ontario.   See where your team will be most successful- The Rostie Group, in Toronto’s SouthCore.   Toronto’s Waterfront Workspaces & Meeting Rooms.

Growing Your Business From Home

A virtual office is:

All the benefits of a physical office, without having to physically be there! (When you do get lonely though, you are welcome to join us in our coworking space if you need some social interaction and a change of scenery…and coffee!)

co-working (1)

A virtual office is great for:

  • Work from home individuals who would like to maintain a professional appearance and have their administrative duties handled professionally.
  • Small businesses that want to save costs on office space.
  • Medium and large businesses looking to expand into a new market.
  • Business individuals who need to meet clients in a professional environment on a semi-regular basis.
  • Businesses that conduct interviews on an irregular schedule.
  • Independent workers (freelancers, lawyers, and family-run businesses) that want to save time and cut employee costs.
  • When permanent space for all staff doesn’t make sense, but a central address and location for client meetings is needed and will ensure your business runs effectively.

20151110200500-home-office-desk-mac-designer-monitor-studio-modern-technology-workspace-work-business-style

Virtual tenants can have all their phone calls answered by on-site receptionists, and mail forwarded to anywhere in the world, from our high profile downtown location. Whether your company is located locally, nationally, or abroad, The Rostie Group’s Virtual Office solution can help you build a truly “borderless” business.

Virtual-Offices

Come visit us to meet your ‘virtual assistant’. We have real people who you will come to know very well, handling all of your mail, greeting your clients on the phone in your company name or in person.

Cut overhead costs by only coming into the office when you need to meet a client who just arrived via Porter airline, for videoconferencing, or having a team meeting. The quaint Baltic, Caspian and Lake Joe rooms boast beautiful views of downtown Toronto.

Baltic - Bright and Daytime

At The Rostie Group it is all-inclusive. You receive a discounted rate for meeting rooms, the ability to use coworking space and invitations to all networking events, lunch ‘n’ learns and training sessions. Plus when you are ready to move into a physical office, your transition will be seamless! Your business can grow within The Rostie Group community, from virtual office to coworking to long-term office resident, your business will thrive and grow without having to change your business address!

We love our work community and are involved in local events taking place along the Waterfront all year long! Don’t miss the Spectacle of Lights beginning on November 28th! #itsbetterbythewater

Ultimately the best reason for having a virtual office – at the very least a mailing address –  is that it enables you to focus on developing your business, sales and client base –  avoiding the stress of day-to-day operations .

Check out all of the flexible packages available here. We can custom build a package to suit your business needs! Want 10 hours of coworking with a mailing address and live receptionist? We can build a membership just for you! Need a meeting room every week for 4 hours, plus a Bay St. address for all your packages to be delivered to? We do that!

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Check out some more of the benefits of having a virtual office here,

then share this with your friends, so they can establish the image they need for their business to grow!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2016!

The Rostie Group wishes you the best start to the New Year

happy new yeaar

Start 2016 off right for your business and take advantage of our professional virtual office and reception services. Every business, no matter what stage it is at can benefit from a corporate address, friendly phone answering and exceptional meeting room space.

https://www.rostiegroup.com/virtual-office-packages

When you find your business is growing, you are hiring more employees and looking for more space, we’ve got you covered! Transition into a full-time coworking space, small private office space or maybe even a team room. The possibilities are endless – and customizable.

http://www.torontomeetings.com/cowork.htm

Start 2016 off right and give your business what it needs to succeed!