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Marsha
LONDE
CEO / Tango Partners / Atlanta, Georgia
Nominated by
Jay Nathanson, CEO, Target Marketing
Before starting Tango Partners, an industry consultancy firm, in 2005,
Marsha Londe spent 25 years in distributor sales and management.
Those decades as a distributor gave her a unique perspective and clear
appreciation for the challenges distributors face—and proved invaluable
when she moved to the other side of the desk as a consultant. Today,
she helps distributors respond to requests for proposals, and assists
in solving their challenges and improving their performance in sales,
marketing, training and business development.
Among her clients is Jay Nathanson, CEO of Target Marketing, who
calls Londe “… one of the smartest and most enthusiastic professionals
in our industry.” He says his company has retained her for many years to
provide strategic assistance on complex RFPs (“Many of which we have
won.”), creative copy for ad campaigns (“For which we have also won
awards.”) and overall marketing strategy and campaign development.
“This year, Marsha and I worked closely together to develop a
strategy to attract new customers in the event planning niche. Our
brainstorming sessions were exciting, and always ended with great ideas,
and her follow‑up included notes and action items. Her communication
is always timely and to the point.”
Most important for Nathanson is the trust factor. “I trust Marsha with
the most sensitive strategies that we develop and deploy,” he adds. “I
wish all my partners were this powerful.”
What are the most important qualities
in a good business partner?
The most important quality is honesty.
Everything else is secondary. Integrity,
candor and openness make it easier to
identify and address both issues and
opportunities. The business person
who is candid about a company’s
challenges, as well as potential, is more
receptive to a frank exchange of ideas.
What do you do that sets you apart from
others in the way you work with clients?
This question makes me smile. My
approach was novel when I started in
sales over 35 years ago, but now it’s
routine advice. I’m an engaged listener.
First, I ask questions. Then I listen as
the client responds, taking notes to
recall the details and so that I don’t
interrupt the thought process. Of course
more questions follow, and through
this progression, we identify problems,
solutions, goals and opportunities.
Is there something Jay does that makes it
easy for you to provide exemplary service?
Partnering with Jay is fun! He is an
insightful thinker, open to recommendations
and clear when he’s ready to conclude
a topic. He’s committed to ongoing
improvements and training, and fiercely
dedicated to delivering exceptional service.
Because Jay is honest with himself about
any circumstance, he can process clearly
to address complex situations. Though
he can reach his best conclusions on
his own, he values our exchanges as
an opportunity for feedback, pushback,
perspective and a periodic dose of insight.
I thoroughly enjoy our time together.
What advice do you have for
others who want to achieve a true
partnership with their clients?
Love what you do! Care about your
clients. Genuinely want to share the
information garnered over years in the
industry or in whatever area you’re expert.
Be understanding of client pressures,
whether internal business concerns or that
request for proposal their largest client
just issued. Be excited with them when
the news is good. Be part of their team,
not just when working on a specific project
but ongoing when you note something
that’s of interest or a benefit to them.
MARSHA LONDE ON PARTNERING
60
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DECEMBER 2016
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FEATURE
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Powerful Partners