Generally, there are 2 kind of people at IT-oriented networking events: you’ve got the ‘suits’, who are savvy net-workers and the geeks, who are wondering what the hell they’re doing there and how they can get out asap.

Now, as far as approaching people on these events goes, here are some of my tips:

No one likes to stand there alone

Anyone standing by themselves are always happy when someone comes to talk to them.
This is a basic rule for these kind of events. Don’t just stand there, go talk to someone: they’ll be happy you did. You too.

Don’t ignore the women

The few women at these events are often ignored, as is often the case in the male dominated IT world. This might be a big mistake, especially when you’re in the market for a better job. (aren’t we all?)

Why?

If they’re being social, there’s a big chance they’re recruiters. If they’re not, still make sure to ask them about job openings at their company. Women often seem to be on better foot with the HR department than men and will remember to talk to the HR department (often women) about ‘that nice guy’ (you). Having you as a colleague could also help them to not have to stand there by themselves again at the next networking event their company sent them to.

In any case: A woman standing by herself is even more happy when you talk to her compared to a man.
(at networking events that is)

Any geeks will probably have an interesting agenda

Awkward looking introvert geeks who happen to be stranded there are usually most interesting. There’s no way in the world they’d be in that room full of ’suits’ if they wouldn’t have a damn good reason for being there.

Find out why they’re there!

Talk function, tools and features to them. You’re a Linux sysadmin that prefers redhat and your company offers a voip based service that’s built on perl, ruby, asterisk and MongoDB.

The networking elite need a different pitch

The best net-workers there are often good at just that: networking. These are often the more ‘business’ oriented people who have outgrown pure IT, probably solely by their networking and personal marketing capabilities.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but you should remember they need to be handled in a different way.

Include accomplishments and benefits in your pitch when you talk to these people. They don’t want to know that you’re a Linux system administrator and Cisco wizard, they want to know that you’re a troubleshooter at a company offering a web-based service that helps organizations save money by shortening service desk calls and you scaled that service from 200 to 200,000 daily users during the last year.

If they find you interesting they can often facilitate you or your services/product at a bigger company and always seem to know ‘just the person you’re looking for’. (which often turns out not to be the case)

Parting in a friendly, positive way

Make sure to ask everyone you talk to what they’re hoping to gain from the event and what their current issues are. A lot of people won’t tell you unless you ask them.

This is also the ideal way to part with them on a positive, happy note later on.

After all, you aren’t at a networking event to talk to the same people for hours (usually) and you also want to leave a positive impression when parting with them. Even if it’s not natural for you to walk up to and talk to strangers, you might as well give it your best shot while you’re there and meet as much people as possible.

For example: When they are looking for a way to replace their outdated PBX system, you could later on part with ‘nice talking to you… and when I meet a VOIP expert later on I’ll make sure to introduce them to you’. (you catch my drift)

A/B testing your elevator pitch

I also think these events are great for A/B testing your elevator pitch: it’s amazing how telling it from a different angle can cause a change in interest. As they say: you never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression, but at these events there are enough people willing to hear what you’ve got to say (or at least the first 30 seconds), so you can just try again with another victim later on.

Excellent to practice and perfect your pitch (although I think a real elevator pitch might be too much for a networking event) for when you really need it to be right at the first impression.

Just remember: don’t talk geek to the suits and vice versa.

Have you got any further tips for handling these kind of events?

Typically during the annual sales meeting the road-map of products or solutions is presented. In order to explain the sales reps what to expect and what the company expects from them.

How do you react if the plans seem unfeasible to you?

When the challenges and targets are beyond the means and reach of the company?
When the required marketing efforts and investments are way under estimated or budgeted much higher than usual?
When the new products address a different market but the budget lacks the required marketing spending?
When the planned products seem to be beyond the skills and assets of the developers?
When the initial point of departure for demand of the market is wrong?

What to do if the targets, product challenges, market research and marketing efforts are unrealistic?
It is already too late to discuss with management as all decisions have been taken and the machine has been put to work.
You are very well aware or convinced the company will hit “the wall” within a year.

Would you accuse management of these wrong decisions?
Time to find a new job?

Video killed the radio star is the famous clip from The Buggles in the eighties. That was only the radio star.

The Internet has killed many other businesses:
- The Music Industry: people download music instead of buying CD’s
- The Newspapers: online news, Twitter and Facebook
- The Adult Live Entertainment: easier and more convenient to get adult entertainment online
- The Local Travel Agencies: online booking flights and hotels
- The small specialized shops: wider range of products offered at a lower price
- The Movie Industry: trying to survive on 3D movies as people watch downloaded movies at home
- The Video Rental Shops: download a video instead of renting one

Many other businesses have been negatively affected by the Internet.
Many businesses have tried to fight the internet without success.

They took the credit for your second symphony
re-written by machine and new technology
and now I understand the problems you can see

The Internet is going to kill or reduce many other businesses:
- HR / Employee search by Job boards
- Headhunters by LinkedIn
- Ticket Sales: online tickets are so much more convenient, fast and have bargain offerings
- Nutrition – weight loss: online diet and weight loss – keeping track of calories
- Lotteries: it is only a matter of time for legislation to change then people just play lottery online
- Gambling: more and more people gamble online without being limited by social control
- Gaming: instead of buying a game people will play online instead
- Consulting: ever more information and advice can be found online competing with consulting
- Lawyers: the first line questions are funneled through online law services – specialized: online divorce
- Notary: online registrations, online company formations

In the late 90’s there was a popular saying: ‘Make yourself obsolete before your competitor does‘.
Maybe the 21st century version should be: ‘Make yourself obsolete before the internet does’.

Signing-up a market leading company for an OEM deal (Original Equipment Manufacturer) is a major achievement for you as Director Business Development or Area Sales Manager.
You convinced and persuaded them to use the products or services from your company that is many times smaller.

Having the marketing and sales of the major company promoting the products or solutions of your company should bring in additional sales from parts of the world your company could never reach.

The Press Release of the announcement from the major corporation gives you a glorified feeling.

1. The Reasons behind the OEM deal
However what are the real reasons for the market leading company to decide upon selecting your product or solution ?
- To quickly plug a hole in their offering in order to give them time to develop their own version ?
- To show their customers the completeness of their offering, but having the intention to never sell the solution
- To learn from your solution

Even in case the market leading company has good intentions many other factors will play a role in getting sales deals closed.

2. The Marketing
If they have no marketing budget for your products or solutions (besides the Press Release) then hardly any of their customers or potential customers will know their existence.
Just mentioning on the website will have some impact but if there is no marketing campaign support only people specialized in the matters and geeks will find the solutions and ask questions about them.

3. The Awareness of the Sales people
Salespeople and sales teams of large companies have many products and solutions in their portfolio. How and why would they remember them or be aware of them ?
So you need to create awareness of your products or solutions.
Instead of selling your sales role will be changed into awareness creation and becoming a motivator.

4. The Commissions
If the commission on your products or solutions is not inline or lesser than their own products then it is unlikely any sales will be generated.
Make sure you know about their commission schemes and how they apply to your products and solutions.

5. The Sales Cycle
If your products or solutions require a longer sales cycle why should the salesmen embark on a longer journey ?
However if your sales cycle is significantly shorter they will be interested – especially if the commissions are inline (less effort – faster commission).

6. The Market Pricing
If your products are more expensive the sales process will be different as a higher level of hierarchy at the customer will have to decide upon the purchase

7. The Margin
If the company has a low margin on your products the commission will be accordingly low. Moreover the low margin will not motivate the company executives to promote the OEM products and solutions.

8. The Training
You can give training on your products and solutions.
The question is will the salesmen participate?
And even if they participate will they take the effort of listening and learning ?

9. The Technical advanced or complexity
If your products or solutions are far more advanced and use more complex technology it is uncertain even unlikely the salesmen will even try to sell them.
They are afraid of the questions they cannot answer or they even cannot grasp how they really work.

10. The First Deal fast
The best is to hope for a salesman closing a big deal and getting a impressive bonus. That’s when salespeople learn fast and get motivated immediately.
If no deal is closed during the first few months it is likely interest will decrease.

Even if you have signed the OEM deal of the century with a market leading company there are many other hurdles which will cause failure.

So don’t be fooled by the dream of OEM with a major company.
Iit takes more than a contract to make an OEM deal to generate sales.

Dropping a stone in water

When your drop a stone in calm water a surface disturbance is created, resulting in an expanding series of circular waves. The ripples show the energy of the dropped stone.

When you drop a stone in agitated water the waves created are hardly remarked as the the energy of the stone is less than the agitated water.

When dropping a stone in water with running waves the energy of both waves can accumulate creating higher waves than before.

A splash in social media

In social media the participants and the listening audience can have similar effects:
Missing the interest or engagement
When there is not much interaction or interest for discussing then a new message, communication or event can create waves similar to the dropping a stone in calm water.

Your message can create interest but it’s expanding waves will die out soon due to:
- Lack of interest from the majority
- Not getting any engagement from your audience
All the energy injected will cause small ripples. Even in case if you throw large amounts of money at your social marketing, it is like dropping a bigger stone in calm water: minimal interest.

White noise blurs the message
When there are many different communications and interactions going on between participants and the audience is listening, a new message, communication or event is unlikely to make much impact as it is suppressed by the white noise of all the other interactions.
If your message is not interesting or important enough it will be hardly heard or noticed.

Only in the case when the message is important enough it will cut through the noise and will have a big impact and will be noticed by many.
Cutting through the noise will cost large amounts of marketing money.

The wave of interest
When there is a wave of interest in a problem or solution and a message or event that is in line with this it can enhance the level of interest.

If you manage to make a statement, communication or message that is in line with the interest of a certain group already discussing similar information or events it is likely you will get more attention as the waves of interest are enhancing each other.

Catch the wave in social media is a must

It is all about catching the wave in social media.
You should catch the wave of interest and let the message ride the wave – even beyond your control.

Hence communicating a message or organizing an event is all about being:
-Timely massage or event
-In sync message or event
Your message has to be inline with the interest of the audience which are your potential buyers or user group.
In order to know the message you need to listen to your audience first.

Viral marketing wave explained
With a lot of luck the created bigger wave goes viral which multiplies even more your brand or product.
However this happens only in a very few cases as the newly created wave need to get more energy from other waves joining it. As a magnet it will attract many more smaller waves to build up the reach and time span of the marketing campaign.

It is not always the grandeur of an announcement or the money being spend on a press release, advertising or event that will make a bigger splash.
Being in sync and timely is much more important to create a big wave in social media than to try to make a big splash by poring in a lot of (wasted) money.

The audience is listening (THX)… if you listen to the audience first.

Social media marketing is chaos
Social media is the new marketing.
However social media requires more time and attention than conventional marketing and advertising as it is complex and chaotic: a cluttered media spectrum where chaos rules.
Social media marketing requires time, effort, skills for communicating, engaging and even stopping communication exchanges with the public or the potential customers.

Outsourcing Social Marketing
When a task becomes too much work and is not the core business of a company then normally outsourcing is the solution.

Hence you could outsourcing your social media marketing a marketing agency or Internet marketing company for many good reasons.
However outsourcing to an agency is not simple as the boundaries are far larger than in case of advertising or conventional marketing. These have a very limited and well defined workspace.

Controlling Social marketing agency
How do you limit and keep in control of the actions of an agency in social media marketing ?
Especially as the ability to measure the effects are difficult.
- So how do you control the agency?
- How do you make sure the agency has your spirit, speaks your language and shares the same vision?
- How do you make sure the agency addresses the appropriate audience ?
- How can an agency react upon a statement, a false statement, an insult or question posed by any of the participants in social media without asking your permission first ?

Social marketing liability
If your marketing agency would make an error by acting wrongly or adversely upon an event in social media which would grow into a complete disaster could you held them reliable for it? Is there a liability clause in the contract between your company and the Internet marketing agency?
Just this liability clause will make the price to be paid for outsourcing your social media marketing too high – much higher than having in-house social media marketing.

Social marketing decision hierarchy
If the agency would require a permission from the company to reply or correct a false statement, who in the company can decide upon this ? Ultimately the VP marketing or CEO: that will require time and chances are misinterpretations of the situation or series of events will rule leading to the wrong decisions and replies.

Social marketing outsourcing is the bigger challenge
Social media grows in an organic way which makes imposing decision structures for approving actions almost impossible and the price to be paid for the liability will be just to high.
Hence outsourcing your social media marketing seems an impossible challenge due to communications to be created, decisions to be made, responsibility to be taken and the related liability costs.

Think twice before outsourcing social media marketing

People buy and companies purchase solutions and machines.
Owning a solution, a tool or a machine is not necessarily implicating it will be used.
Owning it is more important than using it.

People buy for their ego
People buy devices, gadgets and applications but many aren’t using them as described in “1 in 3 Adults Now Have Apps on Their Phones – Many Don’t Use Them” by Frederic Lardinois for ReadWriteWeb based on a report from PewInternet.

People buy all kinds of stuff for their ego and feel good.

Businessmen buy for their ego too
The same applies to companies as Directors, CxO’s and Managers decide on buying machines and software applications but many aren’t used or are used to their full capabilities by labor or the office workers.

The situation even gets worse for large software projects where many functions and features or even complete modules are added that aren’t used at all.

The reasons why the Directors, CxO’s or Managers decided to buy the never used stuff can be for many reasons:
- The future proof: a future that never happened
- A marginal add-on to the total investment: still a yearly maintenance needs to paid for
- To proudly brag about the posh purchase
- The status symbol
- The salesman told them so
These are some of the intangible benefits: Subjective benefits that cannot be measured in monetary terms, amounts or units.

The intangible benefits: sell more than the demand
It is not always the rationale that makes the final buying decision as well as with consumers as with businesses.
The purchase decision can depend on many factors not entirely based upon facts and figures.
The salesman needs to sell the intangibles instead of the tangibles. In order to do so he needs to know his customers person by person from influencer to decision maker. he needs psychological and sociological insight in all of them in order to define the intangibles that are important to them.

It is up to the salesman to influence or convince the decision makers or the influencers to up-sell the additional features and functions or modules using the intangibles that will change their decision.

As getting more out of the deal than there was originally defined is the challenge of the salesman then this should reflect in the commission too.
Maybe a salesman should get a higher commission on this surplus revenue as this is his main achievement: to sell more than the original demand.

What do you sell ? Tangibles or intangibles?

The Board of Directors or management of a company can make many efforts to survive and to grow the company, but they can also take decisions that help a company to burn excessively amounts of money and even go broke.

One of the best is a brand name change.

Sure they will have good reasons and facts for the brand name change. However many issues and problems are easily overlooked.

The marketing campaign
Marketing will need to set-up a big re-branding campaign in order to inform the customers and potential customers about the name change. This campaign already costs money that could have been used for other purposes.

Although at first the brand name change can generate a bit interest from the press release and the noise generated, but it will remain a minimal spike in interest at its’ best.

Hopefully the new brand name is better accepted or more related to the business or product than the original was.

The costs involved
On the other hand many other costs and losses will incur:
- The costs of the official registration
- Domain name registration and change
- The website changes
- The press release
- The letters and emails about the name change sent to customers
- Labels on products
- Logo’s in software
- All the printed documents and leaflets
- All the time wasted by changing existing texts
- Re-use of existing texts requires manual checking: text and images
- All references and links on the Internet
- The lost SERP position (Search Engine Results Page)
- All references in the printed press
- The branding has to be rebuild
- The awareness needs to generated
- The likelihood people will continue to use the old brand name
- Your website content could be considered as duplicated content by search engines

Some of these costs are one time costs whereas others will occur on a regular basis for a long time.

Missing potential customers
Potential customers will miss or fail to find your website as they still can recall the original name, but aren’t aware of the new name.
Google, Bing and Yahoo have lost your brand name / domain name.

Or potential customers will not be able to find your contact details in any directory.

The result is there will be a confusion between the old and new brand name for a long time leading to less sales.
Especially if your employees still keep using the old brand name.

A brand name changes generates a significant amount of costs both one time and recurrent. At the same time it will negatively influence your lead generation resulting into less revenue.
More costs at less revenue is good way of becoming a loss making company or even go bankrupt.

No fun – unlikely win
A brand name change is no fun as there is hardly any benefit – it just costs money.
Thus think twice before deciding to change a brand name.

Instead if you want spilling marketing money then do it on an event that gives you or your team some fun and creates a splash that your customers will go and tell to others and remember for a long time.

A brand name change is like:
Suicide is painless it brings on many changes
And you can take or leave it if you please.

Did your company ever changed a brand name ?
What were the results ?

Fast consumers vs slow businessmen
People as consumers they want to buy goods and stuff as fast as possible: they just can’t wait – even if they have to buy it on credit.

People in business take time to take the decision to purchase goods or services: they seem to have infinite amount of time.

Spending vs investing
As consumers people spend up to $500 for an electronic gizmo, gadget, shoes, bags or clothes even if they really don’t need it to live their life or improve their life.
This $500 is about 1.00% of their (average) $50,000 yearly US household income.

As businessmen people hesitate long and will organize many meetings before spending or investing $30,000 for products or services that will increase revenue or decrease costs – generating more profit.
In many cases the $30,000 is not even near the 1% of the yearly operating profit of a company: it is much less.

Additionally all these meetings and reports also add up to a significant cost as a 1 hour 2 people meeting with a salesman will easily cost $250 to $500 (or more). Having 5 meetings, several reports and emails the cost can become $3,000 real fast !

So why do humans change so much between being a consumer spending money for their own ego or wellness within minutes, whereas deciding to spend money to increase their source of living they enter into a slow decision process?

Passion and emotion in selling
This change is probably related to ego, passion, emotion, marketing related to consumer products, whereas business products and services are being bought because of rational reasons.
They leave people cold and indifferent in most cases.

In the end both the consumer and the businessman are the same humans, thus you need to bring:
- passion
- emotion (watch the great video’s here)
in your B2B sales.

Any passion or emotion in your products or services?

As all media and even arts have turned digital, almost all content creators and providers have turned digital too.

Due to this digitalization the level to enter in content creation and distribution has been lowered significantly.
High quality content can even be made by an amateur if he:
- Has the adequate affordable equipment
- Self-teaches the required skills
- Takes the required time to have a high quality finish
Many channels exist for the distribution: YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, MySpace, Slideshare, Scribd, DocStoc – just to name a few.

The best example is the “Paranormal activity” movie produced for just $15,000 while earning over $100 mio at US box office alone. Not a professional – not professional equipment. Just a good and remarkable idea and remarkable or at least good enough execution.

Digital content is becoming more and more abundant due to the low entry barriers.
Through the process of natural selection the best or most popular content gets exposed to ever larger audiences using social crowd sourcing.

These changes are posing a problem for corporate marketing and advertising.
Formerly marketing could spend a large amount of money on an agency to create an advertising campaign which could generate a decent amount of interest. The costs were high due to the high equipment costs and the highly skilled people needed.

Nowadays it is no longer the amount of money that is being spent on the creation, execution and the distribution of the advertising campaign that matters but how remarkable the content really is.

There are many people creating content. Some will create remarkable content that get large audience exposure. The corporate marketing campaigns need to be at least as good in the competition to be remarkable as the audience can only consume a limited amount of content every day.