Selling a disruptive product users need is important for any tech company, but the stakes are even higher at 3Play Media, a Boston-based tech company that provides captioning solutions and video accessibility to all audiences.
At the captioning company, which works with more than 2,500 customers across media, entertainment and educational institutions, quality is imperative. As Account Executive Ben Wright said, “Ninety-five percent is great on a test, but for accuracy on captions, that’s five out of every 100 words wrong.”
Wright keeps this statistic in mind when he’s selling. For his customers, pretty good isn’t good enough. He focuses on finding whatever leads to his customers’ best experiences, even if 3Play isn’t a part of their solution. That’s what passion in sales looks like: putting the needs of the customer over the product and commission.
So how does Wright know when 3Play is the correct solution? For him, “Good selling is about showing value, but also about making sure the person you're talking to is a right fit.”
That ‘right fit’ applies for new hires as well. Being able to understand customer problems, work with non-technical people and articulate 3Play’s operational benefit is crucial when interacting with clients. But the most important trait for new hires? Empathy.
Wright said 3Play’s respectful and collaborative culture trickles down to the company’s office environment. At 3Play, employees can comfortably walk up to co-founders with questions, the development team works closely with sales, and members of the support team were groomsmen for Wright’s wedding last September.
We talked to Wright about how he developed his sales strategies and what it’s like to work for a company that strives to live its mission. Here’s how a Craigslist ad and some bartending experience led to six years selling a product that many people, including Wright, rely on.
Tell us about your career journey at 3Play.
I’m coming up on six years in March. I had found 3Play on Craigslist and liked the idea of closed captioning and selling something video-related. At the time I hadn’t been in sales very much and was working on some screenplays, so it seemed like a good overlap.
I came from a bartending background and had worked at a digital marketing agency for about six months before 3Play. At the time there were about 16 people in the office, so I met everybody when I came in for interviews. It was a great group of people and instantly felt like home. I started off as a business development rep (BDR), working mostly on outbound. 3Play hadn’t had a BDR role before, so we were in uncharted territory. Our co-CEO and I worked a lot on figuring out how to make the BDR role work here. The only account executive at the time had suggested that I spend my time screening inbound leads and that is eventually what the BDR role turned into.
By the end of my first year, we had three other BDRs and one other AE. Growth was happening pretty quickly. After about one year of BDRing, I got moved up to the closing role as an account executive. This was my first closing role and everyone around me helped me grow.
One of the best things about 3Play, which I’ve learned is super rare for a sales team, is how helpful everybody is. We’re salespeople but we all want to see each other and 3Play succeed. In my time as an AE, I’ve closed all kinds of business, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to over $2 million. I also just got promoted to senior account executive and am super excited to see what the future holds here.
How would you describe growth opportunities at 3Play?
When I started at 3Play, there were about 15-17 people. Six years later, we are a team of more than 50. There are no signs of slowing down as accessibility requirements for online video expand, so it’s a great time to be here. Even though we’ve grown, we’ve managed to keep the smaller office vibe with company events and an awesome team.
What about 3Play’s mission makes you excited to get out of bed each day?
I’m a big fan of video accessibility. I think everything should be accessible to anyone, regardless of whatever they need to access content. I admittedly have a personal stake in our mission, as I lost hearing very suddenly in my left ear last year.
There are no signs of slowing down as accessibility requirements for online video expand.”
Describe your selling strategy. Any particular mentor you’ve had who has made a significant impact on how you work?
In general, my strategy for selling is to be helpful and show why 3Play is the best video accessibility partner around. I don’t believe in overselling or promising something you can’t deliver on. There have been situations where I’ve recommended a competitor because the person I was talking to wouldn’t be a good fit for us.
Good selling is about showing value, but also about making sure the person you’re talking to is a right fit. It’s as much about disqualifying as it is about qualifying. There is no reason to try and make a square peg fit in a round hole. I’ve had a lot of mentors that have helped me grow. Our co-CEO has been huge in helping me grow as a salesperson. He’s passionate, articulate and smart. The account executive who was here when I started eventually became our director of sales and provided ample feedback around how to improve.
What is the single biggest challenge your team faces right now? How are they working to overcome it?
Education. There are more and more providers out there that provide a cheaper option to just “check a box.” That isn’t us, and we want to make sure the quality of work is as good as it can be and that the audiences relying on our services are actually getting an equal experience.
See, 95 percent is great on a test, but for accuracy on captions, it’s awful. That’s five out of every 100 words wrong and that can drastically change the meaning of a video for someone trying to understand the content based only on a caption file. We’re able to overcome that with our marketing team’s amazing efforts in general accessibility education and in showing people our services. If someone trials a few files with us, they almost always agree that we are providing the best outputs.
Describe the mission of 3Play. How does that mission reflect in office culture?
3Play’s mission is not only to make all video content accessible to all audiences, but also to empower our contractors to enjoy their work and build their skills. We have a ton of respect for all of our employees. Day to day, that means that any employee is able to walk up to a co-founder and ask a question and we all hang out together outside of work. We also collaborate across departments. Developers will bring leads to sales, while sales will recommend product ideas to the development team.
What we’re doing has the power to attract people interested in improving the world.”
As 3Play grows, what is the most important trait or skill you look for in a salesperson?
Empathy. You need to not only know what problems or issues a potential customer is facing, but also understand how that affects their day. We work with a lot of schools, and sometimes potential clients aren’t super tech savvy. It’s on us to be able to explain what we do and how to do it. We often speak with people who are being told they need to make videos accessible and have never done anything like that, so understanding that and being helpful is a huge part of being successful here.
What excites you most about the future of 3Play?
I'm really excited to see what other awesome people we hire. In my time here, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, and it’s always great to stay in touch with former colleagues. I can honestly say I’ve met some of my best friends working here. I got married last September and one of my best men was a member of our support team. One of the co-founders came and three former sales team members were there as well. What we’re doing has the power to attract some really cool people who are interested in improving the world.
