Marsha Londe

CEO

Tango Partners

Atlanta, Georgia

Nominated by: Jay Nathanson, CEO, Target Marketing

marsha-londe 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.”

Marsha Londe On Partnering

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.

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