Emissary.io – Sales Advisory Expert Network

Corporate politics wizards: do you have deep insight into how your past employers buy products and services? Your wisdom is needed.

Emissary.io is an expert network. They help enterprise sales executives figure out how to approach large companies. They arrange short paid consulting engagements with former employees to help learn the lay of the land. This helps the sales executive get in front of the right people, with the right pitch.

We uncovered them as part of our research project on expert networks. If Alphasights is about what you know, working with Emissary is about who you know. Your job is to help guide a sales team through crafting an appropriate pitch.

Why The Market Needs Emissary.io…

The truth is most large companies are an impenetrable mess from the outside. Sure, you can do some primary research using sources like LinkedIn and other research sites. But that gives you a view of only a tiny slice of the politics, process, and pain inside the company.

The problem is… if you’re going to get any large company to approve a major purchase, you’re going to need to master the politics inside it. Especially if you’re trying to pitch a new disruptive product. This isn’t like selling cars: a big ticket corporate sale can require approval from multiple executives with the target company. Many of whom may have competing personal agendas. This is the same game you play getting stuff done as a savvy corporate insider: you know who to connect and what to say to get things done. Just as importantly, you know who to try to keep out of the room until a deal is done.

Oh wait. As an outside sales executive, you have almost no visibility into the politics of the organization. And anyone sharing information with you most likely has an agenda, which may or may not support your personal objective of closing that big sale.

But what if…. a corporate insider was willing to share their ideas on how to navigate this maze?

By the way, this is the wildest dream of most sales executives. A trusted friend and advisor to help show you the ropes inside an organization, identifying the key pain points and buying triggers. Coaching you on which executives to approach and engage. What to say. How to position yourself. It’s almost impossible to win a major deal without a top insider in your corner.

Know why great corporate sales executives play golf? In addition to being a fun way to pass a Saturday afternoon, it keeps you in touch with all those insiders.

But what if you could rent this expertise?

Do the math. If your product will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in profit, how much would you pay for a peek inside the company? And a little guidance?

Several hundred dollars? Thousands of dollars?

Even if it only improved your chances of success by 5% to 10%, that is worth thousands of dollars. More if you consider the value of building a long term relationship.

I’m not connected with these guys and don’t get anything from selling their services. But speaking as the former head of business development for a mid-market company, they’re on my list of people to call the next time I’m leading a sales organization..

The Solution: Emissary.io

So like Alphasights and the other expert networks, these folks serve as recruiters and connectors. They connect executives with deep knowledge of a company with sales teams who need their perspective and guidance.

You’re being hired to help them focus their pitch. Here’s a guide to the types of questions that you might be asked to answer as part of an emissary.io engagement. From an ethical perspective, you’re not allowed to consult on your current company.

Emmisary.io, like most expert network services, is extremely concerned about compliance with insider trading regulations. If you are still an employee at another company, you must be careful not to share confidential information or violate any NDAs you might have signed. Publicly traded companies walk these lines very carefully, and you don’t want your information to cause legal problems for your clients. Subject matter experts are expected to provide expertise and insight, but well in compliance with those regulations.

If you liked working on strategic client pitches, this is probably right up your alley. To check them out further, you can sign up at their website.

Unlike many expert network firms, Emmisary.io does not really deal with institutional investors, investment management, or hedge funds. Their primary focus is sales, and they want industry experts for their knowledge of companies, not necessarily the industry itself. Your expert consultation will be less about your information, and more about your insight into the workings of the company- that’s what your clients are really after.

This type of insight is not something independent consultants can provide, and that’s why your clients want expert interviews with people like you. We hope our expert network review was helpful, and encourage you to research the other expert network firms that are out there.

Raise Your Profile – Other Expert Networks (Signup Links)

If you’re interested in raising your profile as an expert, run through the list of expert network reviews below and sign up for the networks which are relevant to your skills and geography.

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