Careers at Best Practices, LLC

Best Practices, LLC is a rapidly-growing business research and Internet content provider. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, our firm is a leader in the field of best practice performance improvement. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies and worldwide corporations. The work environment is fast-paced and intellectually exciting. We're always interested in top-notch performers.

If you are a student looking for an internship in the field of research & consulting, marketing, publishing or sales, view our internship openings at the bottom of this page.

Our Corporate Culture

At Best Practices, LLC, you'll have a chance to interact with some real "movers and shakers"!

Our office environment is open. There aren't many walls or doors. If you have a great idea, you don't need to schedule a meeting two weeks in advance to discuss it. Red tape is not a factor. Of course, with this autonomy comes some responsibility. Finger-pointing is not an art we practice. You learn quickly that as soon as you think of something that needs changing or improving, it's your responsibility to move it forward. That doesn't mean you have to do everything by yourself, but it does mean that the "THEY" that haunt corporate America (as in, "Why don't "THEY" fix the payroll system?") thankfully have no office space at Best Practices, LLC.

We will not impose limits on your creativity -- or your ability to have fun. You don't have to wear a suit to the office, there's always soda and popcorn available, and people have been known to walk around in their socks or blast '80's tunes if the situation calls for it. You will have the chance to help companies fundamentally improve the way they do business, and we are confident that you will also improve our own operations along the way. Although we can't tell you what to expect every day you're here, we can assure you that the work you do will always be challenging and rewarding. And that's what a truly great job can offer.

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A Day in the Life at Our Company

It's really amazing how many jobs can sound wonderful on paper. After all, you went to a good school, you like people, and you enjoy challenge. So every consulting position that emphasizes teamwork, analysis, writing, and communication skills sounds like it's right up your alley. But the question remains -- What will I actually be doing?

Here's an idea. We hate to call this a typical "day in the life...," because you'll quickly discover that at Best Practices, LLC, typical days simply don't exist. In fact, that's one of the reasons you'll want to give us some serious thought. After all, you could spend the next two years of your life doing research to support someone else's projects. But we don't think that would be the best use of your skills and talents.

9:00 AM	You arrive. Priorities: coffee, voicemail, coffee, today's calendar, coffee, email. Did I mention coffee?
9:15 AM	Time to schmooze. You're on the phone, updating a client on the progress of her research project while she updates you on the progress of her golf game.
10:00 AM	In addition to the two client projects you're currently working on, you are heading up an internal marketing team charged with designing a new brochure. You scramble to get to a joint meeting with the design firm to review initial proofs.
12:00 PM	Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Interviews with Human Resources vice presidents at 15 world-class companies. You begin the delicate art of winding your way through the phone systems of several Fortune 500 companies.
1:30 PM	Talking on the phone always makes you hungry. You head to Franklin Street in Chapel Hill with a group of co-workers to try out one of its eclectic restaurants and pubs.
3:00 PM	The final deliverable for the research project you're managing is due on Monday. You embark on the first edit of a co-worker's chapter.
5:00 PM	The fruits of your earlier labors are coming to bear, as your first telephone interview is scheduled for ... right now.
6:00 PM	Oh yeah, there's a client presentation to go along with that final report you were editing earlier. You're off to Boston in a few days -- which means that you had better transform the abstract art on your notepad into dazzling PowerPoint slides.
7:00 PM	The gym is calling. Unfortunately, it's being drowned out by the voices of a few co-workers, attempting (quite successfully) to convince you to try a new wine bar with them instead. You have some web searching you want to do tonight, so you undock your laptop and pack up to go home.  Regardless of what you do this evening, you're already looking forward to tomorrow, confident that it will be exciting and nothing like today.

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Job Openings

Senior Solutions Consultant – Inside Direct Sales Professional

Best Practices, LLC, a consulting and publishing firm and world leader in the field of best practice benchmarking research, is seeking a Solutions Consultant to join our inside professional sales force reporting to the national sales director.

In this role, you will be working in a team environment and responsible for establishing and maintaining customer relationships within Fortune 500 companies, focused primarily in the pharmaceutical, financial services, technology, and aerospace industries. Benchmarking products and services include membership research services, best practice databases and reports, benchmark metrics library, and custom studies. These research-based product lines are designed for mid-level managers and directors, and have price points between $2,000 and $50,000.

Qualifications

• 4 year BA/BS degree
• 5 plus years selling experience; Inside sales strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success of exceeding sales targets & strong relationship building skills to develop profitable customer relationships
• Ability to comprehend complex products of an analytical or scientific nature
• Excellent communication skills (oral, written, listening); Bilingual a plus

• Ability to manage an annual sales target of $400,000 - $500,000
• Industry experience and knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain, Customer Service/Call Centers, Quality and Six Sigma, Human Resources, & Knowledge Management
• Develop and cultivate a sales pipeline utilizing structured selling and time management skills
• Manage clients and close sales via telephone interaction; approximately 20-40 calls/day
• Document selling activities through contact management database

• An annual base salary plus a pay-for-performance commission system that pays you a percentage of each sale without any caps!
• Full Health benefits including vision, dental, life insurance, and matching 401k program
• 24 days of paid time off

Responsibilities:

• Building on previous subject knowledge, have knowledge in one or more of the following areas: pharmaceutical marketing, customer service and call centers, human resources, knowledge management, supply chain management, and quality/ Six Sigma.
• Master information about our research products, services, and capabilities.
• Prospect leads from an extensive list of previous customers and leads, as well as pro-actively identifying new leads at targeted companies
• Filter, prioritize and respond to incoming web inquiries, telephone inquiries, recent purchases, databases, and other sources for warm leads
• Develop and cultivate a sales pipeline that requires structured work habits, persistence and structured selling skills
• Create hot leads by inviting prospects to educational webinars
• Ability to sell via telephone and conduct 30 - 50 sales calls per day.
• Prioritize prospects to focus on high-value opportunities
• Proactively call prospects to discuss their needs, identifying potential fit with our published information
• Close the sale
• Document sales activities and keep detailed customer histories

• 5 years or more selling experience. Insides sales strongly preferred
• A verifiable track record of meeting sales targets of $400K - $500K per year
• Superior work ethic
• A proven ability to converse with and sell to mid- and upper-level managers and executives through inside sales organizations

• Previous research sales experience (Gartner, Corporate Executive Board, IDC etc.).
• SalesLogix, ACT, Sidekick or other contact management software expertise
• Existing knowledge of our most important topics (such as pharmaceutical business issues)
• Preference given to local candidates

Benefits include health, vision, dental, and insurance; and 401(k) contribution.
The positions are full-time in our Chapel Hill office.

If you feel that Best Practices, LLC could benefit from your skills and qualifications, we encourage you to apply.

Please forward a cover letter, résumé, and writing samples via email.

You may also fax or mail (e-mail preferred) the above materials to:  

Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Fax: 919-403-0144

Student Internships

APPLY NOW FOR SUMMER 2010 INTERNSHIPS

Experience research and consulting firsthand by becoming an intern at Best Practices, LLC. Be a part of our friendly and informal work environment, and learn whether research and consulting is right for you. You will have the opportunity to work with our researchers on benchmarking projects, marketing content development, website management or sales support. Our internships typically require 8-10 hours of your time per week and are unpaid.

To inquire about internships or to apply for one, contact Kim Hardin at khardin@best-in-class.com or 919.767.9221. Applications should include your resume and a cover letter.

We typically have openings for the following internship positions:

Research/ Consulting Intern
Assist in advancing our product quality, data management and work productivity in our research and consulting channel. Interns will be responsible for supporting project teams with analyzing benchmark data, preparing data slides, importing and maintaining benchmarking data in spreadsheets, assisting in the data collection phase, helping with customer relationship management assignments and secondary research, and other benchmarking tasks.
Applicants should be able to interpret raw survey data/metrics and present it in a meaningful format. Applicants should have strong analytical thinking skills, as well as working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.

Marketing Intern
Assist in creating marketing collateral (press releases and e-marketing messages); editing product web pages; assisting with media relations activities; developing marketing ideas around new and existing products; tracking marketing success/ROI; preparing marketing schedules etc. Interns also will have the opportunity to compile white papers from existing research; test the effectiveness of social media platforms; and influence overall marketing strategy.
Applicants should have strong writing skills, as well as working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.

Sales Intern
Interns will be responsible for mapping out the organizational structures of client companies, researching competitors' products and services, forecasting sales of Best Practices' offerings and competitors' offerings. Examples of other projects include, review/track marketing ROI; develop and maintain metrics, analysis system; conduct landscape marketing analysis (e.g. pricing, product/service comparisons).
Applicants should have strong analytical skills, as well as working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.