Oscar Garcia explains Okta’s new secret to closing deals

In Episode 9 of Sips with purple cork, we sat down with Oscar Garcia, Emerging Business Account Executive at Okta, an identity and access management company based in San Francisco.

A trend in the post-pandemic events world is that sales is playing a much larger role in event planning. In the past, we typically saw field marketing or corporate marketing planning and managing events, bringing sales in only to help drive attendance or follow up with leads. Today, with the success many companies are having with account-based marketing, sales and marketing teams are working closer together across the prospect journey to strategize and close business. 

Because virtual events are proving to be a key channel in the journey, sales folks have a vested interest in their success and are actively strategizing and planning the events to meet their sales targets. And, with fewer opportunities to meet in person, virtual events provide the opportunity for sales executives to schmooze their prospects and get to know them in a more relaxed setting.

Oscar has played a leadership role in multiple purple cork events and knows, without a doubt, that they can drive sales. Using purple cork to engage his prospects, he was able to accelerate three deals. In one case, a deal went dark but he was able to re-energized the decision makers through a tasting event. In other cases, his prospects were dragging their toes during POC but the event lit a fire and got the deal back on track.

Oscar loves that purple cork events are fun, engaging and can be highly personalized. Planners have a wide range of activities to choose from, including tasting events (wine, bourbon, cocktails, chocolate) and hands-on culinary adventures. The format is personalized, depending on the goals of the event. Some events include multiple breakout sessions, others might include a presentation. Or, many planners keep it simple and relaxed, allowing attendees to casually network and chat about what’s top of mind.

Oscar says, “I love how personalized purple cork events feel. In today’s virtual world, finding ways to show who you are and creating connections is more important than ever. I love that I can connect with my prospects over a glass of wine. For just an hour, it feels like the old days—like we’re sitting around a coffee table getting to know each other. It’s intimate.”

The breakout rooms further the feeling of intimacy, allowing attendees to chat and get to know each other. Oscar explains, “The breakout rooms give us the opportunity for organic conversation. We can talk about the wine we’re drinking, tell jokes, talk about life, and I can share what’s new at Okta. It allows attendees to get to know me as a person, which helps them feel more comfortable buying from me.” 

“The breakout rooms give us the opportunity for organic conversation.”

With a few events under his belt, Oscar has some great tips for driving attendance. Once guests have RSVP’d yes, he sends them a note asking what they’re hoping to get out of the event. The responses help him tailor the event to their needs but also makes them feel invested in the success of the event. With the addition of this one simple email sent on the day of the event, Oscar is able to drive 100% event participation, cutting edge in the virtual events world.

Looking to create a fun and personalized event for your customers or prospects? Reach out to purple cork and let’s get planning!