- At the end of last year, Bulgarian B2B tech sales agency Out2Bound got acquired by MarketStar, a US-based pioneer in outsourced growth teams.
- Rebranded as MarketStar Bulgaria, the local teams are now starting work on projects for global IT giants alongside the offices in the USA and Ireland.
- To fuel its expansion, MarketStar Bulgaria is set to develop local tech sales talent in the following years.
Going from small and medium-sized business clients to big global tech corporations might not be an easy task but with the right crew onboard nothing seems impossible. How do you build a seamless transition while taking upon the greatest mission of developing the regional ecosystem in the area of IT sales? We asked the newly rebranded MarketStar Bulgaria about their plans on building sales teams for big global IT companies locally.
The leading player in outsourced sales in the region MarketStar Bulgaria (formerly known as Out2Bound) has been around for the past 6 years. Throughout its journey, the Bulgarian company has managed to work with over 300 technology companies from all over the world, helping them execute outbound software sales strategies, attract B2B clients, and access new markets.
After the recent acquisition, the company reports no significant change in the team’s daily life, except for one big part – the intention of growing the current team in Bulgaria tenfold, reaching between 300 and 450 people in the next three to five years. The Bulgarian division has already started hiring new Business Development Representatives (BDRs).
New exciting projects and hiring
This year the Bulgarian branch is diving into the work with MarketStar’s long-term international clients – big B2B tech companies from the US with recognizable names. One of the current projects in progress is done in collaboration with two main offices of MarketStar, the global headquarters in the USA, as well as the office in Dublin. The goal of one of the largest projects so far is to build a network of channel partners for the customer. If successful in the initial phases, the Bulgarian team on this project can grow 3x in the near future.
Current associates share that working as a sales representative for an IT company is an interesting journey and requires some crucial business skills that serve as pillars to growing a B2B business.
“In sales, you need to be an excellent learner. Since technology develops at a rapid pace you need to be able to swiftly learn new concepts in order to communicate them effectively to your leads,” explains Business Development Representative Asen Lazarov.
Talking about his work routine in sales, he also shared that such a position calls for some creative work like writing a sales cadence or emails to your prospective leads in a way that would potentially convert them into customers, as well as some analytical tasks such as contract generation and analysis of sales results to extract actionable insights. His colleagues also added that skills like effective communication and the ability to listen to your potential customers and their needs also make their job effective and exciting.
Furthermore, MarketStar Bulgaria states that talented young people can start their career in the company by learning how to drive business, not just fill spreadsheets. This hands-on experience enables employees to develop great problem solving skills and quickly grow their sales abilities.
Nurturing sales talent for the local ecosystem
According to MarketStar, some of their reasons to choose Sofia for the expansion of company activities were the world-class expertise of the Bulgarian team, the favorable business climate and as well as the advanced level of technological innovation. Indeed, outsourcing sales to Bulgaria can provide global IT companies access to a talented and cost-effective workforce. Many individuals in the country possess strong language and technical skills needed for building strong relationships with clients and increasing the likelihood of successful sales. Despite the potential, however, at present, the country still has limited IT sales talent available.
Even back as Out2Bound, the company understood the importance of creating a diverse talent pool in Bulgaria that would help tech companies generate revenue, acquire and retain customers and build a strong brand name. This, in 2021, led to the development of the first in Bulgaria educational online sales training program SalesPro. Now as MarketStar Bulgaria, the team continues its efforts in establishing the program in a way that would help young professionals start their careers in the field.
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These days the Bulgarian team uses the opportunity to get trained by professionals of global standards and learn from the new model of work with the aspiration of passing on the know-how to the local talent and supporting the growth of a stable and sustainable tech ecosystem in Bulgaria and the region.
The knowledge exchange practices with global IT companies could be significant for the Bulgarian IT ecosystem bringing benefits like increased job opportunities and, thus, positively impacting the overall economic growth. After all, connecting the local ecosystem with international players is a critical step towards improving the country’s reputation and attracting more foreign investments.
