The ITSMA Services Marketing Institute Hosts Dialogue Marketing Workshop

Business Wire, Feb 1, 1999

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 1999 --

Allan Steinmetz, Founder of Inward Strategic Consulting and Former

Arthur D. Little Marketing Executive, to Lead the Workshop

The Information Technology Services Marketing Association (ITSMA), together with its ITSMA Services Marketing Institute, will host a two-day workshop on Dialogue Marketing intended to help IT and professional services companies design more effective marketing and communications strategies. The workshop has limited seating and is scheduled for April 13-14, 1999 at the Marriott in Newton, MA.

"Approximately one-third of a company's services marketing budget is spent on marketing communications, but the payback is unclear and much of the spending misguided. A winning marketing communications strategy, when executed well, creates the 'right' demand, increases sales leads, and enhances customer loyalty," said Richard C. Munn, founder and chairman of ITSMA.

From his 23 years' of experience in marketing, advertising, and strategy, Mr. Steinmetz developed the Dialogue Marketing Framework, a structured program of ongoing, two-way communication that has been implemented and proven by a number of companies today. The workshop includes numerous real world examples from the IT services industry and offers significant opportunities for learning through interactive presentations, group exercises, and "show and tell."

The agenda for the workshop is as follows:

-- Understanding the Purchase Funnel - A Hierarchy of Effects -- The Dialogue Marketing Curriculum -- Developing Awareness through Mass Customization -- Increasing Consideration through Dialogue Communications -- Building Preference through Incentive Marketing -- Generating Ongoing Sales through Client Communications -- The "Ten Commandments" of Dialogue Marketing

At the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to create marketing programs that:

-- Enter into a dialogue with customers by avoiding "broadcast" marketing techniques. -- Customize messages to address prospect's expressed needs and map with their "stage" of buying. -- Strengthen the company/client relationship after the sale by complimenting service or product delivery. -- Use the web as a dialogue vehicle to provide more interactivity and customer control in the information-gathering process.

This workshop is valuable for those responsible for or involved in the marketing communications function, those who rely on or influence the activities of marketing communications, and anyone in new business development where demand generation (e.g., sales leads) is important.

The fee for the two-day workshop is $1,395 for ITSMA Corporate Members and $1,895 for all others. To register for this event, please call ITSMA Events at 1-888-ITSMA92 or use the electronic registration form at www.itsma.com.

About ITSMA

ITSMA is a research-based, professional association dedicated to advancing the state of the art of services marketing in the information technology industry. ITSMA conducts best practices and benchmarking research on services marketing activities. The ITSMA Services Marketing Institute provides a comprehensive services marketing curriculum shaped by ITSMA research, presented by experts in the field, and attended by those who value face-to-face learning and are committed to IT services marketing as a discipline. Through an extensive calendar of courses and workshops, as well as customized in-house education, the Services Marketing Institute responds to the needs of IT firms to develop and retain high quality services marketing talent - while creating a career development path for the IT services marketing individual. ITSMA has over 130 corporate members from all segments of the information technology industry. ITSMA is located at One Militia Drive, Suite 4, Lexington, MA 02421; phone (781) 862-8500; fax (781) 674-1366; Email: info@itsma.com; Web site: http://www.itsma.com.