Like spring, Citrix Synergy is on the horizon! A three-day immersion in the what’s new from Citrix, including cutting-edge solutions, hot innovations, thought-provoking content — all with an uncompromising focus on your customers. Not to mention some Atlanta sunshine to help you thaw out from winter.
Synergy is about exciting technology for exciting times. But if you ask veteran partners why they return year after year, they’ll tell you the real magic happens when they attend alongside customers.
But how can partners and customers get the most out of their investment?
We turned to some of our most successful Synergy regulars to get eight foolproof tips on how to identify customers, plan activities, and maximize the Synergy experience to add value to customer relationships. We’ll share four tips today and then another four next week in part 2 of this blog series.
#1 — Invite Customers Who Have Not Recently Heard the Citrix Vision
For starters, take a close look at new relationships that may not be using Citrix yet and would be visiting the conference for the first time. Or identify key customers who have had Citrix for a while but haven’t really seen the latest vision from Citrix. Many customers may not even be aware of Citrix offerings beyond virtualization.
It’s valuable to reach out to older accounts and show them the different approach Citrix has taken, and really bring them up to speed on what the strategy and vision is now,” says Matt Metelsky (@telsky), CTO, Third Octet (@thirdoctet). “Sometimes seeing all the new options Citrix has in delivering services really blows their minds.”
For new customers, hearing the Citrix message firsthand from the executive leadership team provides a level of engagement you simply can’t get from webinars or other online assets. Al Solorzano (@TheAlSolorzano), VP, End User Computing, Entisys360 (@Entisys360), makes sure to get those prospects to Synergy so they can understand how other customers are innovating their businesses with Citrix technologies.
“Nothing beats hearing it directly from, and experiencing it with, Citrix themselves,” Solorzano says.
#2 — Identify Those Who Can Benefit by Learning from Current Customers
Experienced partners agree that it’s imperative to bring a combination of customers. Nothing builds a partnership of trust quite like the testimonial of someone who has already made the leap.
“We arrange events at Synergy so customers and prospects can sit together and talk with each other. We introduce them and let our current customers share what they’ve done,” says Jim Steinlage (@steingrateful), CEO, Choice Solutions (@choicesolutions). Guiding customers to a dialogue with another hospital, another bank, another manufacturer, another energy company — these conversations accomplish far more than any pitch.
“There’s nothing that any of us can do that customer-to-customer conversation can’t do better, so we leverage that as much as we can.”
#3 — Host a Customer Appreciation Event
When not participating in Synergy activities, make the most of your time by hosting your own meetings and events with your customers.
Andy Whiteside (@XenAndy), CEO, XenTegra (@xentegra), hosts an appreciation dinner where he groups current and potential customers of the same industry at tables together. “It’s a fun night out,” he says, “but it’s also an environment where our customers can get to know each other, talk about their projects, and learn from one another.”
Al Solorzano of Entisys360 also hosts a client appreciation get-together during Synergy. “Even if clients can’t stay for the whole three or four days of the event,” he says, “we make sure they can make it to the keynote day and one of our events, whether it’s a client appreciation party, or a lunch-and-learn type of event.”
He has three goals for his 40+ customers who attend Synergy: have fun, make important connections with other Citrix customers, and leave with a better understanding of where Citrix is going.
Jim Steinlage of Choice Solutions also holds dinner events and encourages customers to bring spouses — and even kids. “We want a family environment, because that’s what we’re built on. That sends a message about what Citrix is about, too. It’s a great fellowship and we’ve had tremendous successes with them.”
Wednesday evening, May 22, is a free night in the Synergy agenda. It’s the ideal time to host your own fun-filled networking event. To make it easy, we’ve compiled a list of the top restaurants, event venues, and casual meet-up locations in Atlanta here.
#4 — Schedule Meetings in the Event Connection Lounge
Everyone can agree: face-to-face conversations are extremely valuable. Synergy offers a variety of options to support ongoing dialogue. Discuss a recent solution or connect for a business-building conversation — partners or customers can schedule time for these in the Event Connection Lounge:
- Log into your My Synergy Account
- In the top navigation, click Session Catalog
- Under Connect with Others, click Request Attendee Meeting and select a table size or meeting room and add invitees to your meeting request
Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog series where we’ll share four more inspiring tips. And start building your plan for Synergy and get ready to meet us in Atlanta, Georgia, May 21-23! Visit SalesIQ to leverage a wealth of marketing resources and register for Synergy today.
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