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Overhauling the sales, onboarding and upsell processes for a digital ad platform increased deals won six-fold.

It’s a tough business running a Digital Ads Platforms. Whether you’re such as search engine, social media company, and the owner of a community platform, you’re facing some of the toughest competition in the world to attract some of the most streetwise clients in the world. 

Success comes down to being able to generate quality leads, effectively onboard clients, and provide ongoing support that drives customer satisfaction and retention.  

TMJ has emerged as a game-changer in the Japanese market, partnering with multiple major global internet brands to revolutionize their digital ads platform operations. Let’s take a look. 

Comprehensive Services Across the Customer Lifecycle 

TMJ's holistic approach covers the entire customer journey from initial contact to long-term support. Our services encompass lead generation, appointment setting, inbound sales, onboarding support, and ongoing assistance for high-value customers. This end-to-end strategy ensures clients receive consistent, high-quality support at every stage of their relationship with our client. 

Overcoming Challenges with Innovative Solutions 

Top of Funnel Optimization 

One of TMJ's initial challenges was a significant disconnect between the Lead Prospecting and New Business Acquisition teams. This misalignment led to conflicts over lead quality and prioritization, with the sales team doubting the effectiveness of the leads provided. To address this issue, TMJ implemented a series of strategic solutions. 

Firstly, we started regular remote and bi-weekly face-to-face meetings with the internal sales team to ensure alignment on goals and expectations. Additionally, we developed shared documentation to facilitate real-time updates and align activities between the Prospecting and Acquisitions teams. Clear criteria for high performers were established, aligning with the client's expectations to ensure quality and efficiency in training new staff. 

Perhaps most importantly, we implemented a rigorous lead qualification process, including Budget, Authority, Needs, and Timeline (BANT) requirements. This ensured that leads met the client's standards and were more likely to convert. 

The results of these efforts were remarkable. Previously underperforming, the Top of Funnel team became one of the highest-performing teams globally. The proportion of deals originating from leads found by the Prospecting Team increased dramatically, rising from a mere 10% to an impressive 60-70%. 

Inbound Acquisitions Enhancement 

The Inbound Acquisitions team faced its own set of challenges, primarily in consistently converting inquiries into sales. To overcome this, we developed innovative strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of the Japanese market. 

We created a metric to track key 'ah-ha' moments in conversations that lead to conversions. Training and incentives were then based on achieving these moments, focusing the team's efforts on the most critical points of customer engagement. Furthermore, we identified specific keywords and triggers to help identify best-fit prospects, tailoring these to the unique traits of the Japanese market. 

As a result of these initiatives, the Inbound Acquisitions team consistently maintained high-performance levels, significantly improving the quality of client interactions and focusing on critical engagement points that drive conversions. 

Effective Onboarding 

Onboarding new clients is probably the most critical step in the whole operation. After going to such lengths to find new advertisers and sign them up, we don’t want to lose them quickly if they run into roadblocks or don’t get the immediate results they’re after.  

TMJ's solution was to offer up to 90 days of free consulting to new customers. This approach ensured that clients utilized the platform's advertising tools effectively from the outset. 

We also differentiated support levels based on client potential, with one team focusing specifically on higher-spending customers. This tailored approach led to better customer onboarding experiences, increased customer satisfaction, and a higher conversion rate of new accounts into active advertisers. 

Upsell Optimization 

Post-onboarding, the Upsell teams faced the challenge of maintaining customer connections in a market that highly values stable relationships. Previously, high customer turnover each quarter posed a significant obstacle to delivering consistent, high-quality support. 

To address this, TMJ offered in-depth consulting and optimization services, tailoring support to each customer's unique needs. Given the agency-heavy nature of the Japanese market, we provided specialized support for these high-value customers. 

Our Upsell teams have maintained high levels of customer satisfaction by ensuring that customers received consistent, high-quality support tailored to their specific needs and goals, and as a result decreased advertiser churn. 

Strategic Engagement and Market Understanding 

TMJ's success is deeply rooted in our comprehensive understanding of the Japanese market. We recognize the importance of the SMB sector, which comprises an astounding 99.8% of the entire B2B market in Japan. With 3.8 million SMBs in Japan – classified as having fewer than 1,000 employees and under $1 billion in revenue – TMJ has honed its skills in winning over these clients while effectively managing agency relationships. 

Understanding and adapting to seasonality is also crucial in the Japanese market. TMJ plans campaigns months in advance to align with cultural and seasonal trends, ensuring timely and relevant engagements. Additionally, we recognize the importance of securing budgets well before the fiscal year begins in April, which is essential for successful campaign planning. 

Impressive Outcomes Across All Business Units 

TMJ has transformed performance across all the client’s business units through strategic improvements and close collaboration with the client. Once struggling, the Top of Funnel Team is now one of the top performers globally. The Inbound Acquisitions Team has enhanced its operations by identifying key engagement points, leading to higher conversion rates. 

The Onboarding Teams have successfully onboarded new clients with tailored consulting services, resulting in better client retention and satisfaction. Meanwhile, the Upsell Optimization Teams have effectively managed client relationships, particularly in the agency-heavy Japanese market, by providing deep, ongoing support leading to reduced churn. 

A Proven Track Record of Success 

TMJ's experience and know-how in the digital ads platform sector have proven invaluable in driving higher performance, revenues, and customer satisfaction in this intensely competitive industry.  

Our ability to understand and adapt to the unique characteristics of the Japanese market, combined with innovative approaches to lead generation, onboarding, and customer support, has resulted in significant improvements across all aspects of the client's digital advertising operations. 

If you would like to learn more, please download the case study here: https://cdn.tmj-bpo.com/digital-ads-platform-case-study