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PPB
Previously you were
director of global sales.
What facilitated the transi-
tion to your new role, and
what approaches to that
job will you be able to carry
over into your new posi-
tion?
Albers
This role has expanded.
As director of global sales I
also focused on existing
client business throughout
the organization. I will not
consolidate my focus to
exclusively growth; I will have
carryover of my client base
that I support.
PPB
As vice president of
business development, what
would you like to accomplish
on behalf of your company,
and for yourself?
Albers
I would love to con-
tinue to add Fortune 500
clients to our customer list.
While in my existing capability,
we have added seven Fortune
500 accounts with whom we
do business of over $100,000
in sales a year. Our strength is
enterprise accounts, consoli-
dating rogue spend and man-
aging brand compliance
for them. These are
large accounts that
have multiple locations
nationally and/or
globally, and consoli-
date their spend to
reduce costs across the
organization.
PPB
How might pursu-
ing new client relation-
ships on behalf of a
company like Boost
Technologies be differ-
ent from prospecting
as a sole proprietor, or
as an employee at a
smaller distributor?
Albers
It’s a different, more
strategic sell, with a very long
sales cycle.
PPB
What are current and
prospective clients looking
for in a business relationship
with your company, and
what are you doing to
ensure those needs are met?
Albers
We have a “spoil the
customer” mentality that
exceeds anything I have found
in the industry. Our goal is to
take the work off our client's
plate and manage it with well-
tenured staff. We have several
proprietary solutions for our
clients, including a patented
online consolidated buying
tool called “Sharelink.” It
allows the administrator of the
program to be able to control
the brand, but different loca-
tions are able to “buy in.” We
also have integrated online
stores that allow for budget-
ing and co-op brand-
ing with partners.
PPB
How have you
seen strategies and
habits relating to
building new busi-
ness change since
you first entered
the industry?
Albers
Shotgun mar-
keting is out. Warm
leads and connec-
tions on social media
are in. You now need
to know what the
client needs before
they do.
JILL ALBERS, A 2015
PPB
RISING STAR,
recently transitioned
from director of global sales to vice president of business
development at Boost Technologies, LLC, parent company of
distributor Shumsky Promotional (UPIC: SHUMSKY) and Boost
Rewards in Dayton, Ohio. In an interview with
PPB
, Albers dis-
cusses how her previous and current roles overlap, and the
strategy behind Boost’s successful customer relationships.
MAY 2016 •
PPB
• 55
Five Minutes With
Jill Albers
, vice president of business development,
Boost Technologies LLC
FAST
FORWARD
Getting A Big
BOOST