2009 Sales & Marketing Symposium:

with Paul Greenberg

The 21st century customer is not what you knew. These customers are empowered. They trust their peers – not your company – and they know how to communicate 24/7, in real-time with those peers. They know that they can bring your company crashing down if they get upset. They also know that they can find your products and services elsewhere if they choose to. They control the conversation, which may be about you, outside your walls. They expect you to engage them, not to manage them and you’d better comply because your competitors are. Today’s successful businesses are embracing communications strategies that engage with customers on their terms, not the company’s. Ask Karmaloop, who has 1% of their customers driving 15% of their revenue.

Key Learning:

1. Strategies that you can use to engage your customers – and help them have the kind of experience that they are looking for.
2. How to handle the good and the bad when it comes to those customer conversations in the community.
3. Find out what tools are there for you to use to accomplish this.

with Penelope Trunk

When Penelope blogs, companies listen. As the CEO of the recently ranked #1 Business Social Network for young people, and the best-selling author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, companies around the world are turning to her for advice on communicating with GenYers, GenXers, and bridging the gap to workforce Baby Boomers. Penelope will leave you wondering if you know the younger members of your sales and marketing teams at all and will show you how to ignite efficiency in your cross-generational teams.

Key Learning:

1. 5 Strategies that you can use to engage your customers
2. 3 ways to leverage Social Media to achieve your corporate objectives
3. 4 techniques for maximizing your customer relationship management

with David van Toor

Creating a winning team that’s focused on extraordinary customer experiences means creating teams that are efficient at solving problems and that can do so in a way that’s consistent with your company’s culture. The difficulties in today's uncertain economy are magnified by the decision not to act. David van Toor uses his 15 years experience of leading companies, and his many interviews with leading business professionals, to develop an entertaining discussion on identifying and preventing the problems that get in the way of meeting your customers’ expectations.

Key Learning:

1. How to minimize wasted resources consumed in fixing bad decisions.
2. Pitfalls with traditional brainstorming techniques and how to avoid them.
3. How to implement a proven problem solving framework.
4. Maximize the benefits and minimize the pitfalls of today’s CRM tools.