MARKETING AND SALES EXECUTIVE THINK TANK

This ITAC Marketing and Sales Executive Think Tank was held on June 18, 2008 at HP Canada.

Mandate of ITAC Think Tank:

To discuss and establish thought leadership positions on critically important issues, which will be communicated to the high tech marketing and sales community at large.

Attendees:

  • Lynne Tait, Director of Marketing, Algorithmics
  • Steven Fair, VP, Sales, Strategic Accounts, Avaya Canada
  • Jan Roejskjaer, VP, Sales & Operations, Avaya Canada
  • Janice Hoskins, Marketing Manager, Canada, Avnet Technologies
  • Alison Wheeler, Country Manager, Borland Canada
  • Doug Cross, Regional Marketing Executive, General Business, IBM Canada
  • Mike Leon, Marketing Manager, Infusion Development
  • Denise Fawcitt, Consultant, Corporate Marketing, MediSoluiton Ltd.
  • Ann Christie, VP, Marketing, Octopz
  • Steve Currie, Customer Relationship Manager, Open Text Corporation
  • Mike Tindal, Director, Web Marketing, Open Text Corporation
  • David Rumer, Director, Marketing, Oracle Corporation

Host: Geoff Kereluik, VP Marketing & Alliances, HP Canada

The discussion was moderated by Bob Becker, Principal, SMA.

Issues Covered:

1. Events: Best practices for the best rewards
2. Social networking: the role, the reality and the return on investment

Synthesis of Group Discussion

Events are currently an effective way to generate leads and build relationships.

Webinars have their purpose (low cost, no need to fill a room), but have become overly common. A solution-oriented event can be regarded as a skilled sales call on a stage.

Best practices for events include:

  • structuring events for networking/socializing and/or education
  • use of high profile speaker on market-focused topics, along with customer case study
  • targeting to customers, vertical markets and smaller groups (numbers may be fewer, but quality of leads is higher)

Events can be effectively marketed through:

  • compelling content, good speakers
  • the opportunity for peer interaction
  • email blast and follow-ups
  • the personal touch: get salespeople to invite: “you need to be there, and here’s why – then can I book 15 minutes with you afterwards?”

To capitalize on events, effective follow-up methods are:

  • survey follow-up, ask for input on topics, have a draw, call
  • send out a document of outcomes – even to the no-shows
  • put event attendees into sales system for follow-up within 2 weeks or the lead is killed
  • use of inside sales reps
  • incentives for sellers to attend event with their prospects/clients
  • drive follow-up activity online; hand out cards at events to online communities

Social networking is being applied in a business context, but its value is as yet untested. Sales and marketing executives are unclear as to how it will evolve.

Activities that are currently perceived as high value are:

  • instant messaging for real-time collaboration (IM supplants email and voicemail within organizations)
  • knowledge sharing through blogs and forums, if highly relevant to one’s business
  • market intelligence applications (easy, instant read on the market, short-circuiting traditional research methods)

Other uses of social networking were perceived as having limited value:

  • personal profile pages and networking (Facebook model) have some applicability for internal communications
  • Twitter (SMS what you’re doing)
  • LinkedIn (for job search purposes)

Given the issue of archivability, companies need to set and enforce policies around instant messaging.

Social networking presents a generational challenge, with (older) decision-makers less familiar and comfortable with new channels. They may miss out on opportunities. Some ways companies are advancing their marketing through social networking:

  • setting up storefronts on Second Life
  • employing young co-op students to drive social networking strategy and execution

Next Steps:

The ITAC Think Tank will next meet in Fall 2008.

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