Word of mouth, brand loyalty, advertising, and in a multitude of other ways, effective marketing heavily influences our purchase decisions.
Remember that jingle that you couldn’t get out of your head? Or the funny commercial you couldn’t forget. And of course there’s that one time your best friend kept raving about that new something and you had to have it. Memorable moments may seem like magic, but it’s just good marketing — and unquestionably the most efficient way for organizations to succeed in getting their products or services into the hands of their buyers. And while jingles and billboards work as well today as they did in the Mad Men era of advertising, digital channels have opened up a nearly unlimited number of ways marketers can capture attention and drive sales.
With experience spanning many facets of business, Angela Earl, Vice President of Global Marketing at RFPIO has seen her share of challenges and innovative solutions. She credits her success to the relationships and amazing people she has met throughout her career and to the lessons she learned in some of the hardest times.
“From tactical lessons in time management to life impacting ones like putting people first, my journey has challenged me and made me a better person.”
These life lessons have led Angela to where she is today. We asked her to share what she’s up to today and some advice from these experiences.
Aligning Values
Angela embraces a mantra of empowering others in all areas of her life and her work at RFPIO is no exception. “Find a company with values and you believe in,” she advises, “and the work won’t feel like work most of the time.
RFPIO’s mission to create software users loved and their goal to empower organizations to unlock their potential fits right in line with Angela’s focus. “RFPIO is reinventing how customer-facing teams create content, respond to opportunities, and meet prospects’ needs to drive true results,” says Angela. The company is the leading provider of response management software, and is trusted by successful and growing organizations of all sizes to streamline their response processes. One client, Microsoft reported saving an estimated $2.4 million and credits RFPIO for the success.
RFPIO is also striving to be one of the best places to work. Angela is one of 10 leaders at RFPIO who focus on prioritizing work-life balance, promoting diversity and inclusiveness, and instilling a true sense of ownership and belonging for all employees. “We believe that automation needs a human touch and that teams, including our own, can unlock their full potential when they are empowered to invest time in impactful and meaningful ways.” shared Angela.
Software people love
Technology helps businesses worldwide do more, work smarter, and achieve better results. RFPIO believes that instead of spending time looking for information and tracking down colleagues, organizations should democratize their knowledge, resulting in faster response times and improved customer (and employee) experiences. Angela has worked in B2B software since 2007 and believes RFPIO is a shining example of technology done right. “Our customers love us, and not just because we have an awesome team, but because the software is easy to use and makes achieving their goals significantly easier.”
RFPIO has consistently been rated #1 by customers on G2.com and was recently ranked the fastest growing company in Oregon on Inc. Magazine’s Inc5000. The company proudly took home 8 Comparably awards in 2020 including Best Company for Diversity 2020, Best Company Work-Life Balance, Best Company Perks & Benefits, Best Company Happiness, Best Professional Development 2020, Best Leadership Teams 2020, Best CEOs for Women 2020 and Best CEOs for Diversity 2020.
Prioritize Experience
Technology stacks are getting more complicated, and data is becoming more and more siloed; since starting her career in marketing, Angela has focused on leveraging and aligning technology to improve outcomes. She believes that alignment to business processes and goals is critical and is excited about the roadmap and RFPIO’s ability to continue to meet the needs of customer-facing teams inside growing organizations.
Angela has seen a notable shift in how businesses are buying and selling software. “Ten years ago, software was shifting from large providers who did “everything” to point solutions focused on solving specific problems.” Angela notes, “Today we see the pendulum swinging back toward the middle. Buyers want to simplify their tech stacks and are looking for functional solutions that can solve more than one problem, and more importantly integrate easily with other solutions.”
RFPIO is a relatively young organization despite its size and growth. Founded in 2015, the company has sustained incredible growth every year even through the economic uncertainty that started in 2020. From its humble beginnings, the focus amidst this growth was always on building a culture and company that people would want to be a part of. Looking ahead, Angela and the other leaders are focused on supporting the growing team while protecting and prioritizing customer and employee satisfaction.
Words to live by
Angela recalls advice she received from a mentor years ago, “You can’t give what you don’t have,” and encourages others to prioritize self-care, especially those in leadership roles. Time, energy, confidence, and peace all fall under this mantra, according to Angela, “Take care of yourself, and you’ll be better able to take care of your team.”
