Melanie Clark: Delivering Best-in-Class Marketing Services

Melanie Clark is the Chief Marketing Officer of Abstrakt Marketing Group, a business growth company providing lead generation solutions. Melanie started her career as a Social Media Intern in 2011, and quickly rose to the rank of Social Media Manager before moving up to the rank of Senior Director of Marketing in 2012 and Vice President of Marketing in 2018.

Throughout her career, Melanie has consistently demonstrated a proactive attitude to learning all aspects of the business from a marketing perspective. Since the beginnig of her career, Melanie has recognized the importance of having a deep understanding of the work that her team does and the processes they follow. So, she would come to the office hours before official working time, to learn these programs and processes, which helped her better set expectations and lead her team.

“By learning the creative programs from the experts themselves, I gained valuable insight into the creative process and was able to develop a better understanding of what was required to deliver high-quality marketing materials,”- she explains. “This hands-on approach allowed me to develop a more nuanced understanding of the work that my team was doing, and it helped me to establish strong working relationships with my colleagues.”

As the Chief Marketing Officer of Abstrakt Group, Melanie worked extremely hard to establish a marketing team capable of effectively supporting the company’s internal marketing efforts, especially during a period of substantial growth. One of the key aspects of creating and building a successful marketing team is investing in the group’s employees. Melanie and her team have created a culture of continuous learning and development, providing everyone with the needed tools and resources to help them grow and succeed.

“We believe that by investing in our team members, we are not only able to attract top talent but also retain them, which is essential in a competitive industry. Much of this we get better at defining and committing to year after year,”- Melanie says.

About Abstrakt Marketing Group

Abstrakt Marketing Group is a nationally recognized business growth company based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Abstrakt builds sustainable sales pipelines and generates predictable sales opportunities. Founded in 2009, Abstrakt Marketing Group has grown to 550+ team members and 2,000+ clients across all 50 states, Canada, and the U.K. Its products include:

• Outbound SDR:
• Abstrakt Marketing’s high-performing experts set qualified sales appointments with the best decision-makers in its clients’ target market.
• Inbound SDR:
• Abstrakt’s digital marketing specialists develop websites and craft engaging web content to help potential buyers easily find its clients’ business online.
• Bionic SDR:
• Its email marketing team sets high-quality sales meetings with qualified prospects through email strategy.
• Creative Sweets:
• Abstrakt’s creative branch creates high-quality marketing materials, which enhances sales efforts.
• Abstrakt Cloud Solutions:
• Its Salesforce-certified consultants help clients optimize Salesforce for business growth.
• Talent Solutions:
• Abstrakt’s recruitment and staffing experts find and place the best candidates for businesses nationwide.

Establishing an Award Winning Culture

Abstrakt Marketing Group sets itself apart by establishing an award-winning culture. The organization has created best practices prioritizing team member growth, development, and engagement. As an example, the marketing company has implemented Abstrakt Gives Back initiatives that include an annual Give Back Day where all team members spend a day volunteering in their local communities as well as 8 additional hours of PTO that team members can use to volunteer. This program serves as a testament to Abstrakt’s encouragement of team members’ involvement in their respective communities, fostering a sense of purpose and facilitating a positive impact beyond the workplace.

As the CMO of the company, Melanie is fully committed to creating a top workplace, that provides continuous growth for people interested in sales and marketing. The marketing company’s focus on supporting team members’ professional growth and development has been key to its recognition as a Top Workplace. Melanie and her team place a high priority on cultivating a positive culture and fostering team member engagement throughout the organization, which has proven instrumental in attracting and retaining top talent.

“I believe that by fostering a work environment that values personal and professional development, we can continue to create a top workplace that inspires and empowers our team members to achieve their full potential,”- states Melanie. “Overall, I am honored to have had such an exciting and fulfilling career journey that led me to this role. I believe that my work ethic, commitment to learning and innovation, and focus on team member engagement and culture have helped to make Abstrakt Marketing Group a leading organization in the industry.”

Tackling Primary Challenges

Melanie feels the primary challenge within the industry lies in the ability to genuinely represent partners. To address this challenge, Abstrakt’s team has devised an extensive implementation process and established a system of monthly meetings. These meetings serve as a platform for ensuring that partners remain informed about ongoing strategies and results, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement. An integral component of these meetings is the comprehensive review of the partner portal, which offers real-time performance data and serves as a centralized platform for providing feedback. Furthermore, the team utilizes Salesforce to record all client communications, mitigating the risk of losing valuable information as team members transition or depart. This approach prevents the loss of progress and eliminates reliance on individual knowledge, ensuring continuity and consistency in partner representation.

Changing the Industry for Better

Abstrakt Marketing Group is actively assisting businesses across various industries through the production of The Grow Show podcast. This podcast was specifically designed to share invaluable “secrets to success” with fellow entrepreneurs, sales leaders, and executives. Each episode encompasses three distinct segments that cater to different aspects of business growth. The first segment, “50 for 50,” offers 50 actionable tips aimed at helping businesses achieve a revenue milestone of $50 million. The second segment, “Tales From Sales,” provides valuable advice on effectively managing a sales team and closing sales. Lastly, the segment titled “Mining For Growth Gold” delves into the best practices of lead generation, uncovering strategies that foster substantial business growth.