Billed as STaaS (Sales Team as a Service), a new venture called International Sales Team (IST) is a worldwide network of broadcast and media industry sales professionals for hire and deployment, has been launched.
‘We’re all familiar with the concept and implementation of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS as beneficial outgrowths of ever-advancing technology,’ explains IST Director Darren Frearson, a senior broadcast sales professional of more than 40 years’ experience. ‘You can think of International Sales Team as a similar type of service – Sales Team as a Service.’
In IST’s own words, ‘STaaS offers broadcast and media manufacturers a cost-effective and culturally appropriate means of expanding globally, and OEMs with direct sales and promotion in all the major markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania and the Americas with special attention given to removing the risks of any local laws concerning employment, insurance, taxes and tender requirements etc.’
David Thomas, IST COO, also with many years’ service to the broadcast industry including the introduction of in-car camera technology for professional motor racing, adds: ‘Our sales professionals all have local industry contacts, broad industry product knowledge and expertise. However, up-to-date training is always welcomed and can be included as part of an agreed service package.
‘In employing knowledgeable sales professionals in specific regions and countries, we remove the potential barriers with regards to culture, language, bureaucracy and logistical concerns. This approach frees talented salespeople to do what they do best – open new markets, create new opportunities, and, ultimately, new sales for its clients’ products and services, thereby energising revenue generation that many manufacturers are often unable to pursue.’
A similar level of expertise resides in Nice, France, where IST Sales Force Manager Roland Schaller brings his 30 years of broadcast sales experience to IST’s continental Europe operation.
‘The members of our International Sales Team are all very experienced professionals who fully understand the highly competitive nature of our industry,’ says Frearson. ‘We are actively recruiting to further expand our network, particularly in North America. Interested and qualified sales professionals are encouraged to enquire as there are several positions still available.’
