We’ve been a little quiet over the last few months—but with good reason!
I teamed up with another local executive in January to launch Crux KC’s sister company, Crux-Xcelerate, providing fractional chief sales officer (CSO) services to emerging and small businesses seeking sales leadership, strategy and execution.
The vision for Crux-Xcelerate was born from Crux, the first “un-agency,” which merges executive level marketing and business strategy to provide a simple, smart and affordable marketing solution for clients. I knew when I launched Crux that there had to be a better way to serve the marketing needs of SMB B2B companies, and I’m confident our successful model can be replicated for sales.
Why sales?
90% of startups fail, according to Forbes. The largest roadblock these companies face is cash flow, and the best way to combat this is with strong sales and marketing.
Sales and marketing are both based on relationships – connections with funding sources, relationships with your audience, and establishing rapport with potential clients. I’ve seen first-hand how brilliant inventors and entrepreneurs can know the ins and outs of their product while still struggling to establish the right message for their product or build the relationships necessary to grow their business.
The Crux-Xcelerate team is uniquely equipped to make the right connections for clients at the right level to ensure their success—whether to build a pipeline, position a startup for funding, help a company hire and train internal sales teams, or simply serving as the sales closer.
Startups and SMBs will now have the option to bundle their sales and marketing investments through this venture, reaping the rewards of both experienced sales and marketing leaderships – and the entire Crux team to execute – at a fraction of the cost, instantly doubling the value.
An integrated approach
Just as a marketing approach should be integrated, sales and marketing are more powerful when integrated from the start. As Harvard Business Review reports:
“The joint challenge today for CMOs and heads of sales (or CSOs – Chief Sales Officers) is how they can work together to discover insights that matter, design the right offers and customer experiences based on those insights, and then deliver them effectively to the right people across multiple channels to drive growth.”
This is exactly what we’re looking to achieve with Crux-Xcelerate: eliminating the silos that inhibit emerging and small businesses from growing sales and revenue.
The new model has already attracted the attention of local venture capital firms looking for startups that are taking the necessary steps and making smart investments toward future success. Crux-Xcelerate minimizes the risk for founders, angel investors and VCs by ensuring these companies are both financially viable and successful.
Sometimes moving forward requires a little speed. I’m excited to embark on this venture and help smart business leaders put the pedal down.
Melea McRae is helping area businesses chart a successful path at Kansas City’s first “un-agency.” Are you ready to Xcelerate your sales, marketing and revenue? Connect with Melea on LinkedIn or share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.
