Emerging IT technology providers – whether hardware, software or services - never have enough money to do everything they want. This presentation offers a framework for budgeting and resource planning that addresses three of the basic functions of marketing: the brand & related communications activities (air cover), go-to-market strategies (sell what, to whom & how), and demand generation & sales support. Practical advice and best practices will be shared.

Key Issues:

• How do emerging IT providers develop and sustain strong, differentiable branding and thought leadership?
• How do emerging IT providers establish & execute compelling go-to-market initiatives?
• How do emerging IT providers budget for marketing and determine the most appropriate marketing mix?

Company success is dependent upon having the right team in place. In a recent study by Deloitte Consulting, 67% of CEOs of the top 500 fastest growing technology companies in the US agreed that the greatest factor to company success was the productivity of the 'High Quality Employees'. They also agreed that finding, hiring and retaining the top talent they need is the premier challenge for their business in 2008.

The changing demographics of the workforce (retirement of Baby Boomers and different work styles of new college graduates) is making attraction and retention of TOP talent more challenging than ever before. Many entrepreneurs, business owners and managers are recognizing that improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their recruitment practices and level of 'engagement' of their employees can be the difference between success and failure.

This workshop will provide practical tools and techniques to maximize employee engagement throughout your organization. We will also review proven techniques to quickly and effectively recruit the right talent for key sales, support and management positions.

Topics that will be covered include:

• How to position your business to attract top hires including sales people
• The top 5 hiring mistakes and how to avoid them
• The reasons the best employees stay
• Addressing the needs of the 'multi-generational' workforce
• What you can do tomorrow to engage your TOP talent

Attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of the principles of attracting and engaging top talent and how they can implement these principles on a strategic and tactical level

What makes a successful solution provider business? Is it a strong vision? Or merely stellar sales? Is it the leadership to see it through? Might it be the experience to foster and nurture strong relationships? How about a keen ability to recruit and retain top talent? Maybe it’s stellar communication? Or quite possibly the process and systems that allow for measuring and monitoring incremental success?

Mastering a Culture of Accountability is a premise by which all successful businesses innately follow that leads them to success. This presentation will outline the three fundamental building blocks of accountability:

• Communications
• Process & Systems
• Measurement & Monitoring

This presentation will help you understand what a culture of accountability looks like, as well as sharing some best practices on how to execute. In the end a great plan is only as good as the individuals executing.

Proposal: Fred Diamond, one of the mid-Atlantic's leading marketing consultants to high-tech, professional services firms, and VARs, have been preaching for years that "marketing that does not lead to revenue reward is a HUGE waste of time and money." Companies across the globe have responded to this message. In a spellbindingly fast session, Mr. Diamond will help attendees understand 15 things they should be doing now to ensure that their marketing efforts accelerate their sales efforts, because it's all about Sales. This is a session you will not want to miss.

Four Key Topical Sections Are:

• Integrating Sales and Marketing to Accelerate Path to Customers
• Tactically Speaking, What You Should Be Doing
• Aligning and Getting the Best Messages to the Most Critical Audiences
• Everyone in the Company's Universe Markets, Getting Return on Your Investment

Mr. Diamond frequently speaks on marketing related topics and just completed a couple of very highly rated sessions at Ingram Micro events including the GovEd Alliance Invitational and the VentureTech Invitational. Many of his clients are solutions providers who engage DIAMOND Marketing to help target vertical markets, be it the SMB market, public sector, or sections of the Fortune 1000 market. DIAMOND Marketing is frequently engaged by companies to help them develop marketing plans and communications strategies to help grow business in these segments. The corporate motto, “Marketing that does not lead to revenue reward is a HUGE waste of time and money,” is widely appreciated by executives at tech and professional service companies who need to ensure that there’s value and return in their “marketing” investments.

The presentation would be based on the following:

• Integrating sales and marketing so that your investment is working to meet the corporation’s goals
• Figuring out the tactical elements that work best in your targeted markets
• Developing the most salient and powerful messaging to help best position your company in a tight market
• Ensuring return on investment and buy-in across and beyond your organization

The above sections would allow us to cover the topics of value to your attendees. My presentation style includes frequent use of examples and case studies in an engaging and entertaining manner. My experiences with the channel as a consultant and while at Apple, Compaq, and Compuware have given me many stories to refer to during the presentation. I frequently take “surveys” during the workshops to ensure that attendees see relevance in what I am presenting. If they leave with two or three things they can implement immediately, we are successful.

Your attendees will find value in my session for the following four reasons:

• Channel executives like what I have to say because I get that it’s about Sales and that all marketing endeavors need to consider corporate sales and revenue goals.
• I am a fun and interesting presenter that brings marketing to life with real world examples that everyone can relate to.
• My experiences on the manufacturer side add relevance and value to what the channel members need to know.
• I respect what they do and greatly appreciate the challenges they face every day.