David Kurkjian, the founder of MasterMessaging, was recently on the Dana Barrett Show to talk about his experience as a new business owner. If you’d like to listen to the clip, click HERE.
We thought this would be a great time to do our own Q&A to show a little more about how MasterMessaging got started and what’s planned for the future.
Q: What made you decide to start your own business?
David: During my sales career I had wondered what was behind my success in selling. Over the last few years, I realized my success came from two abilities- The ability to consult and teach. Coincidentally, not only did my success come from these abilities, but when I was doing these things is when I also found the most enjoyment in my work.
When I found myself looking for the next career opportunity, I started to consider how I could put myself in a position to do more consulting and teaching. When I looked at the career options, starting my own consultancy was the best option.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you got starting out?
David: I’d have to say the best piece of advice was to give myself at least a year to establish the business before I’d entertain any job offers. Too often individuals start a business, have a little success, then they get a job offer that looks really good because it offers a level of security and predictability they are not experiencing in their own business. It takes time, plan on it.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge since starting MM?
David: The biggest challenge was creating a predictable and steady flow of new clients. Like a lot of small businesses, I found myself in a familiar cycle. I’d spend time developing new business, then focus on delivering the work. But when the focus was on delivering work, new business development took a back seat. The other challenge was reaching beyond my network to acquire new business. I didn’t have a business development process or system that could predictably create new business.
I realized that I wasn’t equipped to tackle some of these challenges, and that is when I decided to expand MM and bring on two partners. One with a CEO mindset to address the building of the business, and the other a Sales and Operations professional to focus on sales and systems.
Q: What’s been the most rewarding thing since starting MM?
David: Watching the sales professionals we consult with embrace and use the things we teach. I realized early on that a primary focus of the workshops would be to structure the content and activity in a way that made it easy for sales professionals to apply it in their day to day work. There were a number of times in my career where I attended a sales training that sounded good in theory but was too difficult to apply. I wanted MM to be different so that the sales reps could use what we teach to get the results they needed.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
David: As a part of a larger team at MM speaking and teaching to a more diverse clientele. Over the last couple of years, I’ve had a number of business owners encourage me to grow MM beyond just a single consultant practice. To accomplish that I realized I needed some talent I didn’t possess. Specifically a CEO and a full time sales professional. After adding this talent as partners, we’ve structured the business for high growth over the next few years.
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Most business owners have no extra time to devote to sales coaching. This is where MasterMessaging steps in and excels. We optimize your sales teams’ conversion rates, your lead volume, or both for less than the costs of a single administrative hire. The impact on your sales is significant and sustainable, continuing for years with no ongoing costs.
Our custom messaging solutions are strategically scripted, cadenced, and executed to increase conversion rates for maximum impact on your company’s revenue and profits. If needed we can also increase lead volume. Our system fits seamlessly with your existing sales process to ensure successful adoption & smooth rollout throughout your entire organization. Our solutions are high impact, low risk, minimally invasive, and integrate into your existing sales efforts.
Call: 678-561-6260, Email: dkurkjian@mastermessaging.com or instant message David Kurkjian on LinkedIn to start the conversation.