Building Community

A leading professional services firm looked to strengthen its market position with respect to its enterprise software implementation practice. The firm had an historically strong implementation core, but realized that the business was gradually becoming commoditized by lower-costs entrants to the market.

Company execs developed a plan to unroll a range of management consulting services packaged around its core business  – a plan which required access to a much more senior group of corporate decision makers. Previously, their clients had been the company's technology buyers. Now they needed to reach the C-suite – the heads of marketing, sales, or of customer service.

The clients wanted more than the chance to pitch their services to these chief decision makers. They wanted to become an important part of the executive's agenda.

Ferrazzi Greenlight created that opportunity. We transformed their annual customer conference by shifting its focus from products and technology to solutions and relationships. The conference was recast as an opportunity to listen to clients' challenges, and as a result, deepen relationships and move outside the transactional space.

The normal roster of clients was invited, although with the new list of sought-after executives. These executives were invited to participate as VIP panelists, creating a conference within a conference. The group functioned as thought leaders in panels and sessions moderated by Ferrazzi Greenlight.

We complemented the conference agenda with high-touch event planning to ensure that every element of the experience – from invitations to group discussions to social engagements to follow-ups – was highly personal for all involved. VIPs were given the opportunity to interact with peers intellectually and socially, in warm, intimate events that complimented the larger conference agenda.

At the same time, we focused each panel and breakout session on an issue of pressing concern to clients. The high-level discussions that resulted helped position the host company not just as a vendor or service provider, but as a trusted advisor with shared goals and concerns.

Prior to the conference itself, our consultants trained the company's sales force in the relationship-development skills that would allow them to leverage the event most effectively. During the event, participants were pushed to put their new principles to work.

The end result was a remarkable conference that moved far beyond "business as usual", creating a rewarding experience for all involved – and allowing the client to build meaningful, lasting connections with a higher level of executives than would have previously been possible. Once seen as merely obligatory, their annual conference is now a highly successful, hotly anticipated event.