Quirk’s Media
Strengthening Sales to Sustain Global Growth
“Hiring Sales Manager Now has been one of the best things I've done… having part-time sales management has just been a game changer for us.”
Steve QuirkCEO
Company Overview
Quirk’s Media is a family-owned media company and a longtime trusted source in the marketing research field. For over 40 years, Quirk’s has published a leading industry magazine with more than 60,000 subscribers worldwide, hosted premier research events, and managed thriving online communities for insights professionals.
The Challenge
For many years, Quirk’s relied on its respected print magazine for steady revenue. As customer demand shifted toward digital content and educational events, CEO Steve Quirk found himself stretched thin—trying to drive innovation and growth while also managing the sales team day to day.
“As a small business owner, I was managing sales and also trying to grow the business and I just found it was too difficult to be trying to do both,” he explains.
Steve Quirk
CEO
Without a dedicated sales leader, it was hard to:
Keep the team aligned on new offerings like events and digital media
Maintain focus on both legacy print and emerging revenue streams
Build the structure needed to support long-term, global growth
Quirk’s needed sales leadership that could match its energy and entrepreneurial culture, while freeing executive time to focus on strategy, new products, and expansion.
The Approach
Quirk’s brought in Sales Manager Now as a fractional sales leadership partner, handing over day-to-day sales management while keeping strategic oversight in-house.
Sales Manager Now tailored its work to fit Quirk’s culture and business model. Key actions included:
Steering weekly sales meetings to maintain focus, momentum, and shared priorities
Supporting a consistent sales process across both legacy offerings (print) and newer lines (events and digital media)
Sustaining accountability and engagement across a growing, geographically dispersed team
Holding monthly one-on-ones, annual strategic planning sessions, and goal-setting to keep sales activity tied to long-term growth
Providing performance reviews, skills development (including book studies), and board-level sales reporting so leadership had clear visibility into results
By taking responsibility for the sales engine, Sales Manager Now gave Steve and his leadership team the space to innovate and scale the business.
The Impact
With a dedicated fractional sales leader in place, Quirk’s navigated a major industry shift and came out stronger: The company successfully moved from a traditional print-centric publisher to a recognized leader in research events and digital media.
Over the span of 12 years, Quirk’s realized a 375% revenue increase—an average annual growth rate of about 31%. Leadership was able to focus on strategic initiatives, new products, and global expansion while the sales team remained resilient and effective.
Steve sums it up simply:
Quirk’s Media gained the sales structure and leadership it needed to keep pace with a rapidly changing market—without losing the entrepreneurial spirit that made the brand successful in the first place.
