October 4, 2007 by jack petrie.

That was the overlying message expressed during the October 3rd, New York Software Industry Association’s (”NYSIA”) Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s panel discussion on differentiation, hosted by CresaPartners.

Differentiation as a Process

Each of the three panelists addressed a different segment of the differentiation process, with Great Jakes Marketing Company’s Rob Algeri tackling value definition, Sales Optimization Group’s Ron Hubsher focusing on sales efficiency and iPolipo’s Rajesh Setty discussing building lasting relationships.

Algeri emphasized identifying your company’s core differentiating value prior to communicating it to the marketplace. By accomplishing this, the implementation of the marketing becomes merely a matter of execution.

Hubsher discussed defining the ideal (or “un-ideal”) customer first, followed by the combination of focused targeting and a superior sales effort. Hubsher was adamant that companies should NEVER cut prices, as buyers purchase value and risk, not on price.

Setty presented his concept of building lasting relationships and developing depth of relationship as a differentiating factor. Just like the shampoo instructions (lather, rinse, repeat), his formula is simple: introduce yourself, repeat, and continue for the rest of your life.

A Business Case Approach to Enterprise Sales

Next month’s NYSIA Sales & Marketing SIG Event take place on Wednesday, November 7th from 8-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY. A panel featuring Michael Minnelli of SAS Institute and Mike Barlow of Cumulus Partners, coauthors of the book, Partnering with the CIO, will join Edward Golod of Revenue Accelerators to discuss ways to improve deal flow and closure rates using a business case approach to enterprise sales.

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September 27, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will cosponsor and host the October 10th, 2007 iBreakfast panel discussion on “Where are Venture Capitalists Placing their Bets Today?” Panelists include Dr. Howard Morgan of Idealab & First Round Capital and David S. Rose of NY Angels & Rose Tech Ventures.

Monetizing Web 2.0

As we enter the next of stage of the Internet Economy, Digital Media and Web 2.0 Social Media are everywhere. So where are we headed now? You can get a very good idea by looking over the shoulder of Investors to see where they are focusing their interests. Understanding what Investors are thinking can make a big difference in where you take you company. So join us for the next iBreakfast season on monetizing Web 2.0.

First Round Capital/Idealab - Dr. Howard Morgan

Dr. Howard Morgan has more than 25 years of experience serving as a mentor, advisor and investor in entrepreneurial ventures. He is a partner with First Round Capital and began working with Idealab in 1997 becoming Vice Chairman in 2000. He is also President and Founder of the Arca Group, Inc., a consulting and venture capital investment firm specializing in the areas of computer and communications technologies. Howard was also a professor of decision sciences at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a professor of computer science at the Moore School at the University of Pennsylvania who received his Ph.D. in operations research from Cornell University and his B.S. from the City University of New York.

New York Angels/Rose Tech Ventures - David S. Rose

David S. Rose heads New York Angels and Rose TechVentures. He is an entrepreneurial executive and investor with extensive experience in high technology and communications, venture investments, finance and government.He was named by Inc. magazine to the 1998 Inc 500 list as CEO of one of the fastest growing private companies in America. Red Herring magazine has described him as “a patriarch of New York’s Silicon Alley” for his early leadership in developing the city’s high technology corridor and Crain’s New York Business named him one of the City’s 25 most influential technology executives. Mr. Rose has a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University Business School.

Program Details

The program will consist of breakfast and networking, followed by the panel discussion and will conclude with a question-and-answer period and closing remarks. It will be held from 7:30-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40th-41st Streets), 24th Floor, New York, NY.

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September 27, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will host the New York Software Industry Association’s Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s October 3rd, 2007 panel discussion on “How to Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace”.

Two Esteemed Experts

The panel will consist of two experts on sales and marketing: Rajesh Setty, President of Suggestica and Robert Algeri, President of Great Jakes Marketing Company. The topics for discussion will include: Increasing Return on Investment for an Interaction or “ROII”, Improving Likeability, Selecting a Niche Market, Why do Customers Buy? and What Differentiates You and Your Firm?

The ability to differentiate your business always seems obvious. However, what is it that you make available to the marketplace that no other company can claim to replicate? In what way are you transforming the lives of customers?

Come hear experts in the disciplines of sales and marketing talk about how they get their clients to convey a message of uniqueness. Learn methods and techniques for uncommoditizing your business.

Suggestica - Rajesh Setty

Rajesh Setty is a serial entrepreneur, investor and author. Currently, he serves as the president of Suggestica, a company that powers vertical discovery engines. He also serves as the chairman of iPolipo, a company that aims to make scheduling simple.

Rajesh Setty began entrepreneurial life the old fashioned way—by failing hard. Settyhas built company divisions, led teams and took on challenges with unabashed enthusiasm. His first venture in United States (co-founded in late 2000) — CIGNEX Technologies, grew 250% every year, without external funding during his first five years of leadership.

Rajesh has also written and published seven books, including his latest book “Beyond Code” (foreword by Tom Peters) which was published in late 2005. Rajesh maintains a blog called Life Beyond Code (http://blog.lifebeyondcode.com) and speaks at conferences and companies in US and India on wide ranging topics that include Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Personal Branding and Living a Life Beyond Code.

Great Lakes Marketing Company - Robert Algeri

Robert is a partner at Great Jakes Marketing Company, a marketing communications firm that crafts marketing strategies and creates marketing materials like websites, brochures, logos and strategic mail campaigns. The company specializes in serving the marketing needs of mid-sized business-to-business companies.

Robert is responsible for all aspects of business development and operations. However, his primary responsibility is to ensure that Great Jakes consistently exceeds the expectations of its clients. Robert currently sits on the Steering Committee of the Business Development Network, a highly selective group of business professionals. Additionally, he has held various board positions at the New York Legal Marketing Association, including Information Officer.

Program Details

The program will consist of breakfast and networking, followed by the panel discussion and will conclude with a question-and-answer period and closing remarks. It will be held from 8-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40th-41st Streets), 24th Floor, New York, NY.

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August 31, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will host the New York Software Industry Association’s Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s September 5th, 2007 panel discussion on The Psychology of Selling - Using Influence Techniques to Close More Sales.

Three Esteemed Experts

The panel will consist of three experts on sales training, development and influence techniques: Lawrence Sharpe, Director of the Neo-Sage Institute; Robert Heiss, President of Sandler Sales Institute and Dr. Edward M. Petrosky, Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach with Tools For Success.

Neo-Sage Institute - Lawrence Sharpe/Director

Larry has a varied background which began in the United States Marines, continued with English instruction in Japan at The Okinawa International Center and a marketing stint at the Armed Forces Radio & Television Network. Upon returning to the US, he started a family business before leaving to work with the former NYC Police Chief, Bill Bratton, in corporate sales of Pre-employment Screening & Background Investigations. From their he moved through several very different sales positions with diverse organizations including Craftmatic Organization, Honda of America, Powerhouse Maintenance Prime Distribution Inc. and WOR Radio. Currently, at Neo-Sage Institute, he is passing on this wealth of knowledge and experience.

Sandler Sales Institute - Robert Heiss /President

Robert is the founder and owner of Sandler Sales Institute, which specializes in business development strategies, sales productivity training and executive coaching. Bob’s experiences as salesman, Regional Manager and VP of Sales have taught him that a focus on successful behaviors, attitudes and techniques can help people overcome self-limiting beliefs and achieve personal and professional visions. Bob is an experienced public speaker and published author of many articles on sales and marketing.

Tools for Success - Dr. Edward M. Petrosky/Leadership Consultant

Dr. Petrosky is a psychologist by training who utilizes his insights into people, relationships and group dynamics to improve employee engagement, commitment and teamwork. His services include organizational consultation, executive coaching and staff development and training. Dr. Petrosky entered his profession to help people rise to life’s challenges and realize their potential. He has consulted organizations on such issues as increasing alignment with organizational mission and vision, increasing emotional intelligence, improving customer service and retention and reducing workplace anger.

The panel discussion will be held from 8-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40th-41st Streets), 24th Floor, New York, NY.

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August 29, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners recently cosponsored the 8/15/2007 iBreakfast’s Innovator Evening at 140 Broadway with judges naming MyHound the winning presenter. The presentations were judged by Josh Brotstein of SAS Investors, Thomas Blum of G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC and Rosalind Resnick of Double R Ventures LLC.

SAS Investors - Josh Brotstein
Founded in January 2001, SAS Investors was formed to facilitate the creation and growth of seed- and early-stage technology companies in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island). Located in New York City and backed by Canaan Partners, Rho Capital Partners, and Sevin Rosen Funds, three of the country’s largest and most prominent venture capital firms, SAS Investors is positioned as one of the region’s leading backers and builders of core technology companies.

Prior to co-founding SASI, Josh has developed and operated business units for Fortune 100’s in the media, communications, and financial services industries, specifically heading up the Internet content and commerce efforts for NBC, Citibank, Prodigy, and CNBC.

G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC - Thomas Blum
G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC is a premier, New York City based boutique merchant bank that advises and invests in emerging growth and middle market companies. The firm was founded in 1996 by G. Chris Andersen, a former Vice Chairman of PaineWebber and a former head of the Investment Banking Group at Drexel Burnham Lambert. The six partners, five of whom were senior bankers at Drexel, have an average of over 25 years of investment banking and principal investing experience and have worked together extensively over their careers. During their careers, they have consummated hundreds of transactions, representing over $100 billion in value. To date, G.C. Andersen Partners has made 18 investments totaling approximately $57 million with a realized return of $259 million (unrealized value of $7.4 million) and an IRR of 222%.

Thomas has spent 22 years as an investment banker and an investor in private equity and venture capital opportunities. Before joining G.C. Andersen Partners in 2006, Thomas ran Channel Capital LLC, a firm he founded in 2001 to provide venture capital and financial advisory services to emerging companies. While with Channel Capital, he became an active angel investor, backing eleven companies. Mr. Blum serves on the Board of Directors of Landauer Metropolitan Inc., Supertron Technologies, Inc. and Interactive Frontiers, Inc. He received a BS in Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Double R Ventures LLC - Rosalind Resnick
Double R Ventures offers a broad range of advisory, consulting and private equity investing services to startups and emerging businesses. Founded by Rosalind Resnick, one of the Internet’s best-known entrepreneurs and strategists, Double R Ventures seeks to partner with a select group of dynamic companies and individuals to create value on and off the Net.

Rosalind Resnick, a former business and computer journalist who built her Internet marketing company, NetCreations, Inc., from a two-person home-based startup to a public company that generated $58 million in sales, is the Founder and CEO of Axxess Business Centers, Inc., the leader in strategic consulting, business plan development and outsourced financial and marketing services for startups and emerging businesses. She co-founded NetCreations in March 1995 and served as the company’s CEO and President until December 2001, pioneering the concept of 100% Opt-In® email marketing in 1996 and spearheading the company’s successful IPO in 1999. In 1994, Ms. Resnick co-authored The Internet Business Guide and, from 1994 to 1997, served as the editor and publisher of Interactive Publishing Alert, a semi-monthly newsletter tracking trends and developments in online publishing and advertising. Her articles about entrepreneurship and small business regularly appear in Entrepreneur.com, and Rosalind has been a guest lecturer at Harvard, NYU and Pace University business schools. Rosalind received B.A. and M.A. degrees in History from The Johns Hopkins University in 1981. She serves on the board of Do Something, Inc., a New York-based not-for-profit organization that empowers young people to change their world.

MyHound - Ardy Khazaei, President
MyHound.com is a website where users sign up for e-mail notifications of new CD and book releases, concerts, tour dates, and other events related to their favorite artists - from famous rock stars and bestselling authors to indie bands, unknown actors and niche writers. The company’s services are based on the belief that consumers are devoted to their cultural interests and eagerly anticipate news related to their favorite artists.

“MyHound.com’s strategy is to focus on the passions of its users,” said Ardy Khazaei, President of My Hound Media. “They no longer have to worry about missing a new release from a favorite artist or author - MyHound.com will alert them, giving them peace of mind and control over the information that they receive. In addition, our breadth of coverage across entertainment categories gives our users the convenience of a ‘one-stop shop,’ and keeps them coming back for more.”

MyHound.com solves two problems in the cluttered online information environment. First, consumers want relevant, accessible and accurate information about their particular favorite artists- personalized rather than generic or irrelevant. This need is particularly acute in the case of lesser known artists and performers who form the “long tail” of their industries. Second, marketers seek greater accuracy and effectiveness in reaching specific, targeted audiences.

My Hound Media was founded by Ardy Khazaei, a media industry executive with experience in traditional and digital media, as well as management consulting.

Parseon - Rosemary Polsky-Newman, CBO
Parseon Inc. reads through and parses scientific text in specific “verticals” such as life sciences, and promises results almost as good as human indexers, but at a fraction of the cost. Chief Business Officer Rosemary Polsky-Newman got a nod by being asked for her business plan. She says Parseon’s technology uses natural language processing and does things that a generalized search can’t.

ODA Consulting - Roger Dean, President
ODA Consulting is the leading provider of innovative management and technology solutions, with an emphasis on processes and procedures. Founded in 2001 to ensure the reliability and accuracy of television and radio production, integration, and distribution, ODA Consulting has expanded to become a technology solution provider serving a variety of industries, including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and advertising.

Roger Dean is a strategist who is equally capable of developing technology in response to management visions as he is in executing detailed and complex media projects. His work has involved the design and execution of solutions in New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The most visible example is the huge, block-length LED sign on the front of 745 7th Avenue in New York City, a project that included the associated analog and digital backroom hardware and the coordination of the corporate visual message.

Day:37 LLC - Stuart Ginsberg , Producer & Partner
Stuart Ginsberg began his career in entertainment public relations, publicizing independent films, television specials and Broadway shows. His experience includes film festival strategies, branding, unit publicity and grass roots marketing. His last producing project, Followers, garnered numerous film festival awards and received national distribution by Castle Hill Productions. For the film, Ginsberg raised finishing funds, oversaw marketing and branding and arranged sales meetings. Ginsberg has also produced short films, commercials and industrial videos. Ginsberg was a founding member of the “Back East Picture Show”, a film festival in Hoboken, New Jersey, aimed at helping the independent filmmaker. Previously, he was the Director of Communications for the School of Visual Arts and earned his B.A. from American University in Washington, D.C.Also presenting were television.com, llc - Eric Illowsky/President, Design Buggy - Chris Kincade/CEO and Nonprofit Sponsorship Network - Wendell Minnick, CEO.

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August 16, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners recently hosted the July 26, 2007 iBreakfast panel discussion on “Search Opens Up”. Here is a quick rundown….

Is there still a way to profit from Search? Experts say just 1% of this market is worth a billion. This recent iBreakfast lined up contenders for the next wave of Search. And there are plenty…..

Can newcomers really take on Google?

New companies have figured out a host of ways that Google can be improved - from the quality of search to the relevance of the ads. The biggest leaps are: Natural Language Search - where the engine understands concepts rather than just keywords and delivers smarter results. But there is more and experts see a host of new opportunites opening up from:

• Social Search: Tags, collaborative, open source

• People Search - paid editors

• Open Source Server Farms: enabling people to create their own search methods

Panelists included:

Hakia, Inc.
Melek Pulatkonak is the Chief Operating Officer at Hakia, Inc., the Web’s first meaning based search engine. Hakia is a NY-based company with major VC-backing that offers Web 3.0 search based on a system that understands meaning and not just keywords. They believe advanced, high-value searches will depend on this difference.

Guidester
Joe Chin has been CEO of Guidester, Inc. since co-founding the company, originally known as Decidia, Inc., in early 2000. After leading Decidia through its initial growth as an enterprise business, he repositioned it as a paid search company in 2005 and rebranded it as Guidester, Inc. Since the rebrand, Chin has leveraged his 15 years of Internet and entrepreneurial experience to oversee Guidester’s strategic direction and manage its day-to-day operations.

Stephen E. Arnold
Stephen is an internationally renowned search expert and author of “The Google Legacy.” He sees major opportunities in social search, human intermediated search and smarter meaning-based search.

ThinkSeer
Wil Reynolds is the founder of ThinkSeer. Over the past 9 years, Wil has dedicated himself to doing two things well: driving traffic to sites from search engines and analyzing the impact that traffic has on the bottom line of companies. Wil’s career began at a web marketing agency in 1999, where he spearheaded the SEO strategies for companies like Barnes & Noble, Disney, Harman Kardon, Debeers, Doubleclick, Hotjobs, and Mercedes Benz USA (to name a few). Although the internet bubble burst, Wil’s passion for web marketing has always been strong. Wil founded SEER Interactive, a Philadelphia-based SEO firm in 2002.

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August 8, 2007 by jack petrie.

I recently attended the CoreNet Global 4th Annual Eastern Regional Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland on the campus of Johns Hopkins University. The theme of the symposium was Positive Chemistry: Building a Winning Organization. I particularly enjoyed a breakout session on the question “Can Organizational Chemistry and Employee Mobility Coexist?”

The panelists included Joel Ratekin, Director of Corporate Real Estate at CapitalOne (”C1″), John Vivadelli, President of AgilQuest and Arnold Levin, Director of Bennett Strategy.

Mr. Vivadelli was quick to emphasize that even the nomenclature of “workplace” is inaccurate. Because “work” is an activity (or verb) and not a location (or noun) like “place”, the word “workplace” itself contradicts the concept of worker mobility.

CapitalOne (”C1″) is on the leading edge of workplace innovation, having instituted a progressive workplace concept known as the Future of Work (”FOW”) program. FOW supports C1’s core business values of Excellence and Do the Right Thing. The obvious benefits of the program are Real Estate Portfolio Efficiency, as higher densities result in smaller footprints for leased space and Portfolio Flexibility, as Corporate Real Estate is able to meet changing business and headcount needs without needing to add real estate. But the real impact have been in the following three areas: Business Agility, as units can modify activity patterns throughout project lifecycles, Individual/Group Productivity - due to less time spent coordinating, commuting and/or accessing information; Employee Satisfaction - commensurate with greater choice and control over their work parameters.

CapitalOne’s three drivers towards instituting a mobile workforce are: 1) increase in amount distributed work, 2) the trend towards younger labor demographics and 3) an emphasis on service worker productivity.

Levin mentioned that the role of the office changes depending on whether individual or collaborative work takes place there, as individual workers don’t require an office environment and can work remotely and collaborative workers don’t require private offices as much as collaborative work areas.

Typically, only 30-50% of dedicated office areas are occupied by users at any given time.

Ratekin is quick to dispel a couple myths of private work environments: 1) that losing personal “stuff” lowers individual productivity and 2) that losing an assigned seat lowers productivity. At CapitalOne, neither myth has been the case.

In selling collaborative and open environments to end users, there are typically three constituencies: 1) Senior Management - to whom cost concerns are highest priority, 2) Middle Management - to whom productivity gains are high priority and 3) the workforce - for whom “control of their lives” is biggest concern.

My question is how does one appeal to senior sales professionals who fit in none of those “buckets”, but certainly carry a lot of entitlement (”stuff”) and prefer private environments….?

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June 21, 2007 by jack petrie.

The Great Idea

FACT: In the mind of most CEOs there’s a lofty idea brewing. However, research studies show that, if introduced, the CEO believes his or her idea will create chaos in the organization because staff and management aren’t prepared to execute lofty ideas. As a result, many CEOs spend time putting out fires and resolving problems, instead of executing their greatest ideas.

As a leader, is chaos something you want to get rid of as soon as possible? Have you become an expert at putting out fires or do you spend most of your time doing what you do best? The greatest leaders have a mindset and tools to navigate their organizations through change or chaos. More importantly, they can identify opportunities in chaos and make certain their people remain focused on fulfilling their vision — that great idea.

CEO “Chaos” Workshop

On July 25^th, Turnaround Investment Partners (TIP) invites you to join a workshop specifically designed for CEOs. In this interactive workshop, you will learn what distinguishes great CEOs from the average. You will develop practices and understand why leaders who intentionally create problems for their people to solve are more effective at driving innovation and accelerating revenue growth when compared to CEOs who solve problems.

In this workshop, leaders develop the mindset, skills and competencies for effectively navigating their enterprise through change and chaos. They also learn tools to create a clear vision, as well as the strategies to empower their people to fulfill the vision.

About Turnaround Investment Partners

TIP, a professional management firm, is leading this workshop. Our experience as CEOs and executives of Fortune 500 corporations has allowed us to design a leadership model based on the mindset, tools, skills, and competencies of extraordinary leaders.

Our clients develop abilities that are equivalent to “Ace” airplane pilots who successfully fly planes through hurricanes. Their ability to handle problems, disruptions and chaos differentiates them from other pilots. As the CEO and pilot of your organization, come acquire tools which will empower you to differentiate yourself and your company.

Cosponsored by CresaPartners

This event is cosponsored by CresaPartners, an international corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants/space users and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated real estate services. With 47 North American offices, CresaPartners is one of the largest pure tenant representation firms in the U.S. and Candada. www.cresapartners.com

This 4-hour workshop is limited to 20 CEOs. To register, call: (888) 471-3660 or register online at: www.turnaroundip.com

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June 14, 2007 by jack petrie.

I attended the 6/13/07 Members’ Breakfast sponsored by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), an association that serves as the NYC landlord’s “lobbying” group, among other activities. The topic of discussion was new development in Midtown Manhattan and the panel featured representatives from two of the larger real estate investment trusts (REITs), Vornado and Boston Properties; as well as from two large, private landlords (TishmanSpeyer and SJP Properties).

The topic of discussion was primarily the requirements for new development in Midtown, but the overall message did not bode well for commercial tenants in NYC. Here are some of the short strokes:

• Triple-digit rents are here to stay - as development (and purchase) costs exceed $1,000 per rentable square feet (RSF), $100+/rsf rental rates are necessary to sustain the development that will alleviate NYC’s low vacancy rates;
• Increased “loss factors” or space remeasurements across entire property portfolios are common practice and accepted tactics for attaining low-profile rental increases;
• Eighth Avenue is no longer a fringe boundary of Midtown and hence, an acceptable and commercially marketable submarket (i.e., no more low rents). When landlords rename an avenue or submarket with something catchy like “Avenue of Architecture”, rental increases will follow;
• The Penn Plaza submarket will no longer remain a value neighborhood as new development occurs at Pennsylvania Hotel, Farley Post Office, Hudson Yards and potentially, the Madison Square Garden site.

There was, however, some good news in the overriding theme and messages being shared by the developers:

1. The recognition that tenants require great environments to attract and retain top talent;
2. The willingness to partner with corporations to help create their 20-30 year growth plans and solutions;
3. The understanding that environmentally sustainable or “green” construction is an imperative for any new construction;
4. The acceptance of that NYC requires a new business district;
5. The recognition of the trend towards “urban hubs”, where people can live in the city and walk to their offices.
6. The realization that from a tenant’s standpoint, building design and infrastructure “trump” location in their decision matrices and that location criteria have and will continue to be much more elastic;
7. The understanding that we are in the midst of a “golden age” of the Bloomberg era, when people want to be in NYC and that a broader perspective is a critical requirement in order to make neighborhoods better (Harlem being the poster child example).

Overall, the vision for the future of the city’s development is positive and positively exciting. It will, however, be expensive and continue to get more expensive, both to live and work in Manhattan. And as this happens, savvy NYC landlords will continue to profit and to protect their interests.

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June 8, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners recently hosted the June 6^th, 2007 New York Software Industry Association’s Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s Panel Discussion on Creating Your Sales & Marketing Plan.

Diverse & Experienced Panel

The panel consisted of Kevin A. Drakeford, Esq. of Drakeford & Kane LLC, Anna Lieber, President of Lieber Brewster and Morris Bocian, President of Creative Business Planning Inc.

Drakeford & Kane LLC

Kevin A. Drakeford, Esq. began his professional career with the New York County District Attorney’s Office before working as a tax consultant in the Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group of Ernst & Young, LLP. Prior to becoming one of the founding principals of Drakeford & Kane LLC, Kevin worked in the Legal & Regulatory Affairs Division of AT&T Corp.

Kevin currently assists start-ups, professional practices, small businesses, joint ventures, and exempt organizations in matters involving corporate, real estate, and tax law and helps clients make more effective and efficient business decisions by quantifying the financial impact of concepts, practices, and strategies. He opened the evening’s discussion by emphasizing these decisions and using specific examples such as 1) employing creative payment plans, such as third-party financing, 2) negotiating tight agreements, particularly with larger companies and 3) developing binding purchase orders for use in sales calls and trade shows.

Lieber Brewster

Anna Lieber is President of Lieber Brewster and helps fast growth businesses create breakthrough success throughmarketing strategies, systems and solutions. Lieber Brewster empowers entrepreneurial businesses,corporate leaders and their teams through training and strategic brand-building initiatives.

Lieber Brewster works with clients in a comprehensive 360-degree, “focused marketing” approach: copy, branding, online strategy, marketing plans, product launches and promotional materials. Additionally, Anna teaches Competitive Intelligence, Internet Copywriting and Writing Marketing Communications at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

The Eight “C’s”

Anna discussed the five “C’s” of today’s changing environment: chaos, competition, community, convergence and commoditization. She suggested that in this environment, service and quality are no longer “givens” and hence, no longer differentiate. Anna encouraged small businesses to brand themselves through a dramatic difference which will enable companies to attract, rather than chase clients. Finally, Anna identified the three “C’s” of branding: consistency, clarity and communications which will allow a business to grow in multiple ways (client development, repeat business and growth of existing clients).

Creative Business Planning Inc.

Morris Bocian is President of Creative Business Planning Incorporated, and its’ financing division, NowCapital.com. He provides advisory services to position and package small to mid-sized business clients in their respective markets, and counsels and guides his clients with practical advice on small business funding and the Due Diligence process. He has a wealth of experience in business and strategic planning, financing, business negotiations and deal making, business analysis, debt restructuring and workouts, accounting and taxation. Mr. Bocian also teaches at New York University’s (NYU) School of Continuing and Professional Studies offering a course on Business Planning.

He brought a financial perspective to the discussion of a sales and marketing plan and described systems and processes that can be put in place to ensure that any marketing plan has a sound financial basis. He suggests an approach that integrates the sales & marketing plan with both operations and cash-flow concerns. His best piece of advice was that small businesses should not “finance their customers” through poor contractual or pricing decisions. Additionally, he encourages business owners to be thorough in the due diligence of prospective clients as this activity can be much more cost-effective than the alternative, namely litigation of slow- or non-paying accounts.

The presentations were followed by a spirited question and answer session moderated by Ted Santos, CEO of Turnaround Investment Partners and co-chairman of the NYSIA Sales & Marketing SIG.

Future Event

The next NYSIA Sales & Marketing SIG meeting will be held on a date to be determined in September at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40^th-41^st Streets), 24^th Floor. Watch this space for further details.

Hope to see you then!

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