Business Showcase : QStream

By @SimonCocking in conversation with Duncan Lennox, CEO and co-founder, Qstream. Delighted to feature Duncan and QStream again, who we first interviewed in November 2014!

Describe the company – the elevator pitch

Qstream combines mobile, science and analytics into a popular and powerfully simple solution for helping large sales organizations improve the capabilities of their reps and the coaching effectiveness of front-line managers. Today, our award-winning sales capabilities platform is used by leading brands in technology, financial services and life sciences, including 14 of the world’s top 15 pharmaceutical companies, to improve the effectiveness of their sales teams in minutes a day.

How are you different?

Unlike solutions that tether client conversations to canned presentations or content, Qstream is the only solution whose effectiveness has been clinically proven in randomized trials to increase sales rep effectiveness and durably change behaviors with impact to the bottom line – just by letting reps answer a number of brief scenario-based sales challenges. It’s non-disruptive to selling time and ensures that reps possess the core knowledge and sales capabilities that matter most. The solution incorporates social, game and reputation mechanics that deliver 94% average engagement or better.

Great #sales reps start with great onboarding. Discover why a data-driven approach matters. https://t.co/fcSYQvUrlM pic.twitter.com/rFPjLSXaB0

— Qstream (@Qstream) February 26, 2016

Qstream’s next-generation analytics engine then continuously synthesizes millions of data points from these responses into real-time fluency “heat maps” and targeted coaching actions. The platform is delivered from the cloud to any mobile device, and is easy to use and deploy at scale in 15 languages out of the box. With the security and reliability that IT demands, Qstream integrates seamlessly with CRM and other third-party systems to correlate performance data for a richer, more predictive picture of sales readiness.

Why will the company / product do well?

Research shows that no matter how much sales training we deliver, still one-third of enterprise sales reps are unable to apply the knowledge and skills they need to drive buying decisions with customers. Using Qstream’s graphical dashboards, managers gain a real-time view of sales team proficiency, helping managers to pinpoint and address critical knowledge and skills gaps before they can negatively impact revenue.

The solution also directly addresses some of the most significant barriers to effective sales coaching, such as the lack of time, information or skill. By identifying targeted coaching actions, together with onboard tips and communication tools, Qstream streamlines a process that studies show can have the most direct impact on quota achievement and revenue success.  No other solution does this as effectively at scale.

How can Qstream help you create a high-performance sales team? Find out in just 2 minutes. https://t.co/5LSmYi9O2m pic.twitter.com/kLHTWMGkW6

— Qstream (@Qstream) February 26, 2016

Where are you based? 

Qstream recently expanded its international headquarters at Westmoreland House in Ranelagh. A growing innovation hub in the European region, Dublin is also the epicenter of our software development. The level of engineering, sales and service talent that we’ve been able to attract in Dublin makes this an important location for us. The office, which is three times the size of the company’s previous location in Ranelagh, has an open floor plan and was completely refurbished and updated to suit the company’s growing needs and client demands. The broadband is excellent, and we’re here to stay for a while!

When was the company launched?

Qstream was officially launched in 2011.

What have been your biggest wins to date?

Qstream’s global customers include technology and financial services giants, such as LinkedIn (we just announced a multi-year global agreement with them), Xerox and MasterCard and as well as 14 of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies, including multiple divisions of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Novartis.

What type of people (market segment) are you trying to attract to your product?

Qstream resonates with senior sales executives and sales operations teams in dynamic and/or highly regulated industries, such as life sciences, technology and financial services where speed of change, competition and market share are ongoing concerns.

Tell us about your team?

We have an amazing group of people in our Dublin office (and around the world) who do great work. As a result of their dedication and determination, our business has grown significantly as our customer base has increased by 300% in the last year. Two years ago, we started with approximately eight people in our Dublin office, and that has now grown to 25 as we continue to hire aggressively.

Planning a Q2 #Sales Kick-off? Make it the most successful ever with our helpful #eBook https://t.co/BDmXCBi1Gq #SKO pic.twitter.com/SqWXTHj4bW

— Qstream (@Qstream) February 25, 2016

What are your long term plans for your product / company?

As the market for data-driven sales performance solutions continues to flourish across the globe, we expect our business to continue to grow exponentially. For now, we will remain hyper-focused on serving the needs of large global sales teams. This includes mobile capabilities that help sales reps improve client interactions to win business, features that enable sales managers to be better coaches, and data in correlation with CRM performance reporting to provide senior leadership with the confidence that their teams are aligned and ready to win.

What are your favorite tech gadgets?

I am really enjoying my iPad Pro and trying it out to see if it can be a true laptop replacement – it’s much lighter and more mobile so that would be a big win if it could.

What tech gadgets do you wish you could use to help you?

There is a revolution coming in the ability to capture continuous data on your personal health that is going to be profound and I am very excited about. You can see very rudimentary elements of it in the Apple Watch and some other devices but a lot more is coming and when coupled with big data analytics on the back end, the power to be very predictive with health data is going to change the world, and I can’t wait.

Anything else you’d like to add / we should have asked?

How many jobs I have open in Dublin right now – and how to apply!
Go to http://qstream.com/company/careers/

How do people get in touch with you?

Visit us at Qstream.com follow us on Twitter @Qstream, like us at facebook.com/Qstream and LinkedIn, or ring us on +353 1 687 7004.  There’s also a video you can watch at Qstream in 2 minutes.

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at [email protected] or on Twitter: @SimonCocking