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 Inc.bgraves@connance.com

617-512-6971Twitter: briangraves_HIT