Trade shows and events provide great opportunities to showcase products and services. Learn how to maximize events with outbound marketing ideas that work.

1. 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

2. Agenda Why am I here?
Who the heck is this guy?

3. 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

4. My Background
• 11 years in Sales
• 10 years in Marketing
• Started in health care in 1991

5. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

6. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

7. What Events?
• What kind of events?
• Trade shows
• Examples in health care
• HIMSS (health care IT)
• ANI (health care finance)
• AONE (nursing / operations)

8. 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

9. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

10. 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?

11. Gender Bias
• Men and women behave differently

12. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

13. Determine tactics
• What is the best way to get the attention
you want?
• 3-dimensional
• Hard to throw away
• Gets seen

14. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

15. Execute
• What is the timing prior to the show?
• How many do you send out?
• How many modes of contact?
• Dimensional
• E-mail
• Call

16. 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

17. Execute: Example 1
• Targets
• 263 contacts @ 166 accounts
• Results
• 23 appointments (8.7%)
• 80%+ appointments secured in first 2 calls

18. 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

19. 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

20. Agenda What events?
Develop a strategy for impact
Determine tactics
Execute
Example 1
Example 2
Lessons learned

21. 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

22. Final Thoughts
• Calls are required to follow up
• Timing is critical
• Determine which resources are best

23. Questions?
Brian Graves
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Connance Inc.
bgraves@connance.com
617-512-6971
Twitter: briangraves_HIT