IN THIS ISSUE

WHAT'S HOT: 
  Services Sales Effectiveness: The TCO Sales Solution at Compaq Services.

Upcoming Services Marketing Events­sign up online and receive a 5% reduced fee

  May 15­18, 2000: The Advanced Services Marketing Course: Growing the Services Business
  June 6, 2000: The E-Services Marketing Forum

Next Online Briefing:  
  May 9^th-Cause-Related Marketing: Leveraging the Power of Community Connection

Member Voices: Cause-Related Marketing

Industry News:  
  ITSMA Supports CitySkills.org
  ITSMA Appoints Vice President, Advisory Services

Commentary: 
  Do you have the skills to be considered for that next promotion?

A View From the President's Office

Dear Members,

Happy Spring from ITSMA-even though we recently were hit with some snow in Boston! I hope you are enjoying our HTML format. To SUBSCRIBE a friend or to UNSUBSCRIBE, simply send me an e-mail at kzina@itsma.com. We would also appreciate hearing any other comments or suggestions that you have, so simply press Reply and let us know what you think. Thanks and have a wonderful week! 

-Kristin Zina, Manager, Public Relations and Member Communications, Editor of ITSMA's E-ZINE

WHAT'S HOT: Services Sales Effectiveness: Using the Power of Value Quantification to Sell Solutions

The TCO Sales Solution at Compaq Services

Are you looking for services sales best practices? If you are looking for new sales tools and approaches, Compaq Services' TCO Sales Solution offers some very useful lessons. Like many ITSMA members, Compaq is working hard to build a solutions focus into a largely product-oriented sales force. In partnership with Microsoft and GartnerGroup, Compaq Services has developed an innovative selling methodology utilizing executive seminars and customer-completed surveys to highlight best practices in addressing total cost of ownership (TCO) for IT.

ITSMA's new Services Sales Effectiveness Case Study, Compaq Services: Using the Power of Value Quantification to Sell Solutions, examines the TCO program and provides valuable lessons for all services sales initiatives. The case study has already been sent to all subscribers of ITSMA's Services Sales Effectiveness Program.

For more information on the Services Sales Effectiveness subscription or to purchase a copy of Compaq Services: Using the Power of Value Quantification to Sell Solutions, contact Paul Gates at +1-781-862-8500 Ext. 15, pgates@itsma.com, or check out our Website.

Upcoming Services Marketing Events

Sign up online and receive a 5% reduced fee!   [TOP OF PAGE]

May 15-18, 2000--THE ADVANCED SERVICES MARKETING COURSE:
Growing the Service Business
SEATS STILL AVAILABLE, JOIN ATTENDEES FROM: 
CISCO, COMPAQ, DELL, HEWLETT-PACKARD, SUN AND MORE....

This course focuses on the increasing role and mission of services marketing in the pursuit of profitable and sustainable growth, or "right growth." 

This core SMPP course offers seasoned services marketers and managers new marketing techniques and strategies to leverage in their day-to-day jobs, including the following: leveraging new e-marketing tools, utilizing competitive data for scenario planning, building your services brand, increasing sales force effectiveness, developing differentiation through extraordinary guarantees, and maximizing loyalty. This course will be held at The Center for Executive Education at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Information is available online.

June 6, 2000--THE E-SERVICES MARKETING FORUM: Featuring Leaders in the Internet Economy

This popular one-day forum features mini-case study presentations from senior-level marketers and executives at EDS, Engage Technologies, Exodus Communications, IBM Global Services, Lante, Proxicom, and Razorfish who will discuss a range of topics on marketing, branding, and selling services in today's fast-paced, "wired" world. The forum will take place at the Westin Hotel, Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts. The even is being sponsored by EDS, Evolve, IBM and Fortune Magazine. Details were mailed recently and are also available online.

Register for any ITSMA event by calling Jeff LaVoie at 1-888-ITSMA92, Ext. 38, or register online for a reduced rate.

ITSMA 2000 Events Calendar

Next Online Briefing   [TOP OF PAGE]

May 9, 2000, 12:00­1:00 p.m. EST: Cause-Related Marketing: Leveraging the Power of Community Connection 

The rapid growth of cause-related marketing, philanthropy, and community relations is one of the newest trends in IT and e-business services marketing. IT-related companies have long supported education, the arts, and other causes. But a number of recent, high-profile initiatives and a growing debate over the social impact of the Internet economy have elevated corporate social responsibility to a new level of public scrutiny. Join Rob Leavitt, ITSMA's associate director of research, to examine this new trend. Rob will discuss a new ITSMA Member Survey on cause-related marketing, examples of some of the industry's most creative cause-related initiatives, and practical steps to enhance your company's efforts. Aside from the telephone call, the briefing is free for members.

Please visit us online to view the technical requirements needed to participate in ITSMA's online briefings. For visitors who register for the briefing, confirmation and downloading directions will be forwarded to you within 24 to 48 hours prior to the briefing.

Last month's online briefing, Marketing Services Online: Striving for Excellence with Julie Schwartz, is now available online.

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION:  "What trends do you see in cause-related marketing in the IT industry? How will your company respond over the next 12 months?" 

Karyn Wilson, Director of External Relations, ZEFER: "New Economy companies have not been introduced to community rootedness simply because of their youth. The key is to make them aware of the great economic and other benefits to community work. At ZEFER, there is a fundamental belief in supporting the community. Because we are a new company, we're not able to be heavily philanthropic with financial resources, but we have made a fairly significant commitment to helping community organizations. For example, we recently worked on a major strategy engagement pro bono for the Greater Chamber of Commerce, helping develop their web strategy, which includes a focus on developing the online connection of small businesses. Community work can be very gratifying for our employees which is an important corporate differentiator for a sector with great demand for skilled workers. They're able to take a bit of a break from the normal pressure cooker environment and accomplish something gratifying while broadening their overall experience. It helps build camaraderie internally and exposes our employees to the meaningful work of the nonprofit community." For more information on ZEFER, visit www.ZEFER.com.

ANSWER NEXT MONTH'S MEMBER VOICES QUESTIONS: "What skills are required to be a successful services marketer today?"

Industry News   [TOP OF PAGE]

ITSMA Supports CitySkills.org

The shortage of skilled IT professionals weighs heavily on many ITSMA member companies, but one bright spot amid the gloom is the outpouring of creativity at the community level. Local education and training organizations of all types are springing up to tap diverse and often underemployed populations, such as inner-city adults, the disabled, and seniors returning to work. 

CitySkills.org, a new national nonprofit based in Boston, is a case in point. Founded a year ago by CitySoft, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, Web design firm that hires many of its developers from urban neighborhoods, CitySkills.org is an independent organization that helps urban adults gain the skills they need to secure jobs in the technology marketplace. Not a direct training supplier, the organization provides curriculum and technical assistance to ensure that local training centers are better able to deliver the services and skill sets most urgently demanded by fast-growing e-business employers.

"We're recognizing the untapped talent pools in urban neighborhoods and building out a channel so more urban adults can gain the skills to meet the needs of technology employers," says Michael Margolis, director of CitySkills.org. "We're really trying to catalyze a national job training movement for the new economy."

ITSMA is pleased to launch its support for CitySkills.org with a $500 donation on behalf of all member companies that recently participated in our Member Survey on cause-related marketing. ITSMA will also work with CitySkills.org in the months ahead to identify opportunities for collaborative marketing and other projects in this critical area for IT services. For more information on how you can get involved, contact Michael Margolis<michael@cityskills.org> or Rob Leavitt at ITSMA.

-Rob Leavitt

Commentary: Do you have the skills to be considered for that next promotion?   [TOP OF PAGE]

Leading IT companies have indicated an industry need for formal training and development of their services marketing staffs. The Services Marketing Professional Program (SMPP) from ITSMA responds to this need. This certificate program is a year-long educational process. It combines classroom, self-study, and action project learning, all under the guidance of an ITSMA mentor and a company sponsor.

According to Phil Juliano, vice president of marketing for IBM Global Services, "Marketing.skills and resources have never been more critical in our industry. We have found our participation in SMPP very valuable for some of our high-potential marketing professionals."

SMPP enables participants to attend services marketing training, understand the latest services marketing trends, and gain exposure to innovative approaches, new ideas, and industry best practices. Each participant builds a Personal Development Plan, conducts an Action Learning Project, interacts with a services marketing mentor, leverages a peer community, and is able to utilize the ITSMA Online Research Library as a trusted resource. Together these program elements provide a solid services marketing foundation, which facilitates personal and professional growth for the certificate recipient. 

If you are, or someone you know may be, interested in the specific details of SMPP or would like to enroll, please check our web site at SMPP Program

A View From the President's Office 

"The skills shortage in the industry is at an all time high and it has begun to impact services marketing. Many companies are struggling to find enough talent to fuel their growth plans, others are having challenges keeping the people they already have. We are seeing some of the best marketing organizations, like IBM and Andersen Consulting among others, turn some of their valuable marketing energy toward recruiting. They are also investing in their marketing staffs with professional development programs, skill assessment reviews, career path direction, etc. to increase retention and cultivate their future marketing leaders. The time has come for most companies to start investing in marketing people not just marketing programs."
-Dave Munn, President and CEO, ITSMA <davemunn@itsma.com>

***Reproduction or disclosure in whole or in part to other parties shall be made according to the ITSMA Citation Policy. Reproduction prohibited. 

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About ITSMA
ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions more effectively. As a membership organization, we provide research, consulting, and training to the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services providers to generate increased demand, strengthen customer relationships, and improve brand differentiation. ITSMA is based near Boston, and has offices in London and Tokyo. Learn more at www.itsma.com.