Online Meeting Applications Provider WebEx Teams with Hoover's For Business Success
- Company: WebEx Communications, Inc.
- Operations: Messaging, Conferencing and Communications Software
- Web site: http://www.webex.com
Company Overview
WebEx Communications, Inc., is the global leader in software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications for collaborative business on the Web. WebEx provides on-demand collaboration applications to individuals, small businesses, and enterprise organizations. These applications enhance high-touch business processes, such as sales and training, with efficient web-touch interactions.
Business Roadblock
In 1996, WebEx's corporate vision was to bring people and businesses together from around the world to collaborate on the Web. As the company grew and business professionals began to understand the value of Web-based interaction, WebEx needed to provide its sales force with tools that would enable them to sell smart and grow the company at the same quick pace.
"WebEx set out to find a tool that would allow our sales force of more than 250 individuals to quickly and easily qualify leads and assess sales territories," said Mitch Tarica, who manages 130 sales team members and is Vice President of Corporate Sales for WebEx. "We were in the process of building our sales team and knew that the right tools were imperative."
Solution
In 2001, WebEx turned to Hoover's as a business information resource for its sales team. Hoover's quality information about WebEx's prospects and customers made it an excellent choice.
"With Hoover's, our sales team is able to first generally research a prospect or customer and then dig deeper into the specifics of the organization," Tarica noted. "Hoover's has also been integrated into our CRM system, providing access to Hoover's information in one simple click."
At WebEx, pre-call planning and general prospect research are encouraged. The WebEx sales team uses Hoover's to conduct this research and to get a glimpse of a prospect's or current customer's competitors, realizing that the higher the quality of research before the call, the higher their close rate will be.
Hoover's continual commitment to make its Web site easier to use also makes the job of the sometimes impatient sales team member much easier. Now with fewer clicks, a sales team member is able to more quickly find the information they need, thus increasing their efficiency.
"Hoover's site design has made using the service mind-numbingly easy," commented Tarica.
Bottom Line
WebEx has seen quarter-over-quarter growth, something that the company can directly tie to the tools its sales force uses. Hoover's has enabled the WebEx team to sell smart, close more deals, and grow as an organization.