Madi Bachar, VP of Global Sales at MGID: “We ran up against the classic issue of data silos hampering visibility”

You’re running a successful company. Great! But what happens when you want to expand into new markets? How do you ensure that lessons learned in one region are applied in others? How do you avoid, as Madi Bachar, the VP of Global Sales at MGID, puts it, “the classic issue of data silos hampering visibility”?

We’re not pretending that the solution Madi details in this interview will work for everyone. After all, MGID is a global advertising platform, and your business is likely to be entirely different. However, we think any company considering expansion into new territories will discover something to be learned.

And this is Madi’s key role at MGID. He’s responsible for driving MGID’s growth in its key but diverse markets, which include LATAM, APAC and Western Europe. Fortunately he has many years of experience to draw upon, having previously held senior roles at MBdigital and Gamoshi.

Read on to discover his views on the absolutely essential role of modern CRMs – “MGID couldn’t live without our CRM” he told us – and two AI-assisted tools that are living up to the hype. And helping boost sales.

Related reading: AWS and its rivals have created amazing AI tools for businesses – so why not make them easier to access?

In your view, how has the role of CRM software evolved over the last decade or so?

Looking back to the last decade, CRMs were essentially modernised filing cabinets. Across all sectors, their primary (if not only) function was consolidating and coordinating customer information in one digital store, from individual shopper profiles and purchase data for retail companies to campaign insertion order details at advertising technology firms. 

Recent evolution, however, has allowed systems to offer much more than just these basic capabilities. One particular breakthrough area for me is enhanced analytics, with built-in assessment tools making it simple to understand complex customer activity and measure the effectiveness of multi-channel communications.

Additionally, advances in flexible integration have allowed sales and service teams to turn their CRM into a working tool for improving account management efficiency, enabling them to seamlessly connect external applications, such as email and sequencing solutions, and organise playbooks. 

Today, after understanding the power of data, we have reached a point where CRMs are vital for carefully evaluating customer data, driving smart re-engagement and upselling efforts, and fuelling targeted outbound marketing activity. I would go as far as to say that MGID couldn’t live without our CRM and the scope it gives us to sustain an informed, hands-on approach with our clients at every stage of their journey.

Can you give an example of a complex problem in sales that you – or your company – have been involved in tackling with technology?

One of the biggest challenges I’ve experienced came when we started to grow MGID’s global footprint. As the company’s operational remit rapidly increased, we realised that vital insights were being locked in isolated systems used by teams in different regions, which made it hard for sales and marketing leaders to achieve the all-inclusive view they needed. Or in short, we ran up against the classic issue of data silos hampering visibility. 

As with most companies, we found that the obvious solution to this problem was adopting an integration solution to link information from local sales branches and improve activation. By implementing application performance interface (API) connectors that could instantly translate data from varied sources to a central dashboard, we achieved holistic real-time insight into global performance and trends. 

This resulted in stronger collaboration and close alignment between strategies for both internal initiatives and client campaigns. From a longer-term perspective, these joined-up workflows have become an integral element of MGID’s ongoing international expansion and success. Bolstering our sales forecasting accuracy and commercial decision-making through unified oversight allows us to make agile, well-informed choices about which new markets to enter and how, alongside where operations need optimisation, using comprehensive and continually refreshing data. 

Related reading: Overcoming barriers to unlock data value

Can you name a startup in the sales tech space that has caught your attention (and why)?

The AI boom is yielding an extremely rich range of innovative tech players, but two clearly stand out.

Firstly, the revenue intelligence firm Gong.io. They are focused on tapping the analytical side of AI to augment human skills. Its solution suite contains machine learning tech that can instantly record and transcribe live customer interactions while assessing how sales staff perform. What I like most about this offering is the emphasis on actionable data-led feedback; with reports not only containing detailed summaries of conversations for reference but also recommendations around tactics teams could use to improve efficiency and satisfaction in the future.

Secondly, Salesloft is designed to lighten the load for sales teams and bolster productivity through a blend of AI suggestions and automation. The engagement platform has some similar functionality to Gong.io in areas such as real-time coaching, but its best features are centred around intelligent assistance. For instance, a key aspect of its AI engine is collecting and assessing every buyer signal from all available data sources to determine what specific prospects are likely to do next – and which steps sales agents should be therefore taking to deliver the right message, in order of urgency and impact.

Related reading: SugarCRM’s new generative AI features make it easier to spot opportunities and create next steps

In your view, what role can technology play in providing a unified view of offline and online sales? How can it improve both worlds? What challenges can it tackle?

This brings us right back to silos. As discussed earlier, businesses can’t steer a clear and steady path forward if teams follow diverging goals and pull in different directions. Technology has played a pivotal role in enabling companies to get online and offline sales back on the same track. 

Tracking cross-environment interaction and converging data in CRMs has enabled firms to see the whole, intertwined picture of customer activity. In addition to achieving a holistic grasp of multi-faceted individual habits, this unification has allowed them to explore how different real-world and digital channels, platforms, and screens fit together. Armed with this insight, sales and marketing teams have been better equipped to drive initiatives that move with the twists and turns of unique journeys, while driving maximum engagement along the way. 

Moreover, combining this data with cross-channel promotion tech has enabled the creation of slick campaigns that span online and offline channels, in addition to leveraging the relationship between them. For example, brands might use digital-out-of-home (DOOH) screens to display ads that encourage consumers to visit nearby stores by featuring region-specific discount codes. Alternatively, messages delivered on linear TV may harness the popularity of second screening by including a QR code viewers can scan to visit product websites on their mobile device.

What advice do you have for those wanting to start a career in sales?

There is often an assumption that thriving in sales is largely just about showcasing any given product with enough conviction. Cultivating a lasting career takes more than that – combining people skills, research, client knowledge and proactivity. Most critical, however, is a passion for closing the deal and matching the right individual with the solution that genuinely meets their needs. 

Fundamentally, sales is about problem-solving, which means professionals in this industry must deeply care about nurturing relationships, understanding the true needs of each prospect, and reaching agreements that benefit all parties involved. It’s about more than just making a sale; it’s about creating trust and offering real value.

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, sales professionals must not only understand their products and services but also be adept at leveraging technology to reach and engage with potential clients. This requires a willingness to adapt to new tools and platforms and an understanding of integrating these advancements into the sales process. Moreover, successful sales professionals recognize the importance of ongoing learning and development.

If you can combine all of this with a willingness to embrace technological change and a commitment to never stop learning, you can set a strong foundation for a successful career in sales. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt to remember that persistence and adaptability are key as you navigate the ever-rotating array of challenges and opportunities that come your way!