About the Guest Vikas is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of expertise across diverse functions in the marketing landscape. He holds an MBA, Lean Six Sigma Certification, and a BA in Economics, which has fueled his passion for data-driven and process-oriented strategies. Currently based in Toronto, Canada, Vikas balances his professional life with his role as a father of two. Beyond the business world, Vikas has a deep interest in spirituality, travel, and tea. He is a certified tea sommelier and a travel advisor in the state of Ontario. Connect with Vikas Kalra Key Takeaways Vikas’s primary objective is to manage a healthy pipeline of prospects and nurture existing ones. Diverse digital marketing functions and integrated approaches have shaped Equisoft’s growth. Face-to-face interactions are crucial for building trust in long sales cycle markets. Trust is essential in the insurance sector for major digital transformation projects. Events play a significant role in breaking through the noise and connecting with prospects. ABM strategy relies on data integrity, CRM management, and sales-marketing collaboration. Sales and marketing enablement ensures synergy for successful ABM execution. Successful marketing involves balancing digital efforts, event participation, and effective CRM usage. Strong data utilization and meaningful interactions underscore successful marketing endeavors. Quote “Action is key. Action is critical. CRM plays a big role in that.” – Vikas Kalra “Growth is hidden in tweaking your existing processes, starting somewhere subtle, not in completely restructuring your processes.”– Vikas Kalra Highlights from the Episode Could you please provide some insight on your background and some of your current areas of focus as a marketing leader at Equisoft? Vikas began his career with paid search, managing large accounts, and gaining a strong foundation in marketing. He transitioned into various digital marketing functions, including email, paid social, and organic social. Over the last five years, he’s become an integrated marketer handling both digital and offline aspects. At Equisoft, Vikas focuses on growing the company’s pipeline, ensuring a strong presence in various markets, nurturing prospects, and managing a talented team. What is the current go-to-market strategy for Equisoft, especially considering you sell to different enterprises and offer numerous products and services? At Equisoft, the go-to-market strategy involves creating solution statements, assessing product attributes, and analyzing competitors through SWOT analysis. Given the long sales cycle and the need to build trust, the strategy revolves around face-to-face interactions to establish meaningful relationships. Events play a significant role in this strategy, as they provide opportunities to connect with prospects and build trust through industry expertise. How is Equisoft shifting towards emphasizing face-to-face interactions and events for growth, especially considering the digital landscape and economic challenges? Could you elaborate on that? Vikas elaborated that their primary audience comprises decision-makers in companies who are typically overwhelmed with their responsibilities, causing them to overlook unsolicited messages and cold outreach attempts. He emphasized the role of events in establishing more meaningful relationships and connections beyond traditional outreach methods. He particularly highlighted the value of industry events within the insurance sector, which not only provide educational opportunities but also networking prospects – something that resonates with their target audience. Vikas underscored the effectiveness of their thought leadership content in capturing attention, and he shared that events play a pivotal role in their account-based marketing strategy, facilitating substantial and productive conversations with potential clients. How do events contribute to your success in engaging with challenging buying personas, and what’s your CRM-driven ABM strategy to effectively target and nurture these accounts given the industry’s complexities? Vikas detailed their successful approach, which centers around a CRM-empowered ABM strategy. The marketing team’s meticulous efforts ensure their CRM is meticulously maintained, enabling accurate documentation of accounts, contacts, and interactions. This informed CRM acts as the foundation of their ABM strategy, aiding in identifying and understanding target accounts based on thorough market research. By recording even the smallest interactions, they allow for comprehensive review and action. Key channels include the inside sales team, who adeptly manage the CRM and establish trust and email outreach. Moreover, their strong digital marketing infrastructure disseminates high-quality content, ensuring widespread awareness. Is there a book, blog, newsletter, website, or video that you would recommend to our listeners? Books: Measure What Matters by John Doerr Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Play Podcast Episode Podcast ABM/ABX Getting Started With ABM: Tips on Planning and Execution Sunny Side Up
Play Podcast Episode Podcast Smarter GTM The Evolution and Rise of Lending as a Service Sunny Side Up
