Ezine add in section February 2009
Ask ITSMA: How can marketing make it easier for happy customers to spread the word?
By Julie Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Research and Thought Leadership, ITSMA
Each month, ITSMA receives a number of queries through Ask ITSMA, a resource designed to give program clients a quick and easy way to get insight on important services and solutions marketing questions they face. In this column, we will publish some of our favorite questions along with excerpts from our replies.
What are IT companies doing to aid the recommendation and reference process? How can marketing make it easier for happy customers to spread the word?
Successful reference management requires more than just a program that reaches out to customers; it also requires internal metrics and processes that encourage employees to keep customers happy. For example, one of our clients tied consultants’ compensation to the customer becoming an enthusiastic reference. Thus, the onus was on the delivery people to make sure everything came out right. But they also built into the process many checkpoints to make sure that everything was going great along the way. They generally made a big effort to keep in close touch with customers after the engagement and actively made use of them as a reference, to keep the relationship fresh.
Another useful reference tool is to do collaborative PR with the client—such as joint press releases, case studies, and thought leadership articles. You both win because references can use these pieces internally or with their own customers.
Some companies offer incentives to references, but providers need to tread carefully here. For example, the reward should be limited to compensating references for their time and effort—not for results with prospects. These incentives are usually in the form of discounts for products and services, such as a free seat at the provider’s next conference, or support credits. Stick to soft-dollar donations that help promote your offers—cash should never change hands.
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Upcoming ITSMA Events
To view all events, please go to http://www.itsma.com/aspfiles/events/calendar.asp.
Generating Revenue in Tough Times: Better Thinking, Better Tactics
Online Web Briefing
February 25, 2009
8:00 am Pacific – 11:00 am Eastern – 16:00 London (Duration: One hour)
(Free for ITSMA members)
http://www.itsma.com/events/event_desc/09OB02G04.htm
Optimizing the Marketing Organization Spend and Structure
Executive Roundtable (Invitation-only for ITSMA Members)
March 4, 2009
12-4:30 pm ET
The Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA
http://www.itsma.com/Events/event_desc/09RT02N03.htm
Recent ITSMA Thought Leadership
ITSMA’s 2009 State of the Marketing Profession Address: Making the Right Choices in Uncertain Times
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/olb090122.htm
When times get tough, the traditional response of most companies is to increase sales resources while cutting marketing. That thinking is outdated. In this online briefing, ITSMA’s Dave Munn and Julie Schwartz explain how marketing can improve the efficiency of sales better than simply putting more feet on the street to sell.
What You Need to Know About Marketing Analytics
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/olb081216.htm
It’s critical that marketing improve its ability to analyze data to inform decisions, predict buyer behavior, and forecast trends. This requires a foundation of quality data, collaboration between marketing and finance, and a willingness to experiment before making big commitments to programs and campaigns. In this Online Briefing, ITSMA’s Chris Koch, analytics guru Pat LaPointe of MarketingNPV, and Samir Bagga, Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications, for professional services company Satyam reveal highlights from ITSMA’s survey on marketing analytics and provide insights and best practices in marketing analytics.
Two Extremes That Will Clarify Your Launch Strategy
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/V0045.htm
Product and service launch strategies are framed by two extremes: blow open the market right away with a big marketing push or build awareness slowly over time. Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader calls these extremes “penetration” and “skim.” In this Viewpoint, Fader explains how marketers can use skim and penetration as guidelines for developing the most appropriate campaigns.
Marketing in a Downturn
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/SV4320.htm
ITSMA members are beginning to feel the effects of the financial markets crisis. Although pipelines remain strong in the fourth calendar quarter, companies are issuing cautions regarding 2009. There is little to no visibility for 2009 customer demand. In response, marketers are changing their strategies and tactics.
Classic Insight
Check out these ITSMA Online Briefings that have been rated highly by ITSMA program clients:
Thought Leadership Marketing for Professional Services: Getting Attention in a Competitive Marketplace
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/OLB070612.htm
Today’s crowded market for professional services puts a tremendous premium on thought leadership. Featuring ITSMA research, a mini case study on how Accenture develops and packages robust points of view, and The Bloom Group’s seven hallmarks of thought leadership, this Briefing will help you successfully leverage thought leadership to achieve differentiation, build awareness, and generate leads.
Account-Based Marketing: Best Practices and Critical Success Factors
http://www.itsma.com/research/abstracts/OLB070213.htm
ITSMA’s Jeff Sands, IBM’s Naomi Wilsey, and Xerox’s Liz Vega copresent this Briefing on best practices and critical success factors for Account-Based Marketing (ABM), a hot new approach that helps companies deepen relationships and increase revenue with key accounts.
