How to Benefit from Events Brian Graves, Vice-President, Marketing Connance, Inc. “A bad day out of the office is better than a good day in it” - anonymous
Jun 10, 2015
How to Benefit from Events
Brian Graves, Vice-President, MarketingConnance, Inc.
“A bad day out of the office is better than a good day in it” - anonymous
Agenda Why am I here?Who the heck is this guy?
Objectives
• Learn how to maximize events for lead generation• Hear how events can be a stepping
stone for advancing the sale• Review specific program approaches and results
My Background
• 11 years in Sales• 10 years in Marketing• Started in health care in 1991
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
What Events?
• What kind of events?• Trade shows
• Examples in health care• HIMSS (health care IT)• ANI (health care finance)• AONE (nursing / operations)
Why Trade Shows?
• Tangible presence• Represent a significant investment• Provides a conduit to interact with the customer• Events present an advantage• You don’t have to convince a customer
to attend• You just have to convince them to see
you there
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
Develop a strategy for impact
• What do you want?• Keep the effort focused• The tighter the focus the
closer to the bullseye you can get
• Leverage other resources• Know your audience• Gender?, Org role?
Gender Bias
• Men and women behave differently
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
Determine tactics
• What is the best way to get the attention you want?• 3-dimensional• Hard to throw away• Gets seen
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
Execute
• What is the timing prior to the show?• How many do you send out?• How many modes of contact?• Dimensional• E-mail• Call
Execute: Example 1
• Event: Assn. of Nursing Executives, 2011
• Objective: Secure 10 meetings
• Tactics• Dimensional • LeadJen follow-up calls• Targeted CNOs and VPs
• Timing • Sent packages 4 weeks prior to show• Called within 24 hours
Execute: Example 1
• Targets• 263 contacts @ 166 accounts
• Results• 23 appointments (8.7%)• 80%+ appointments secured in first 2
calls
Execute: Example 2
• Event: none• Objective: Secure 3 meetings with CFO or VP
• Tactics• Dimensional • Targeted CFO and VPs• Rep follow-up calls
• Timing • Sent packages• Called within 24 hours
20% More
Execute: Example 2
• Targets• 160 contacts @ 80 accounts
• Results• 7 appointments (4.3%)• 60% of appointments made in first 2
calls• 9 key accounts visited website• 6 accounts were qualified out
Agenda What events?Develop a strategy for impactDetermine tacticsExecute
Example 1Example 2
Lessons learned
Lessons Learned
• Be focused• Broad efforts, while help awareness,
rarely generate the contact that Sales wants
• Be thoughtful• Consider your audience
• Be memorable• Be dimensional• Don’t get thrown away
Final Thoughts
• Calls are required to follow up• Timing is critical• Determine which resources are best
Questions?
Brian GravesVice President, Marketing and CommunicationsConnance [email protected]
617-512-6971Twitter: briangraves_HIT