How to Ask a Vendor to Your User Group by Rollin White

Recently I've been lucky enough to visit several user groups to
demonstrate various Sundial System products.  I'm also lucky enough to be
President of the Southern California OS/2 User Group, and recently have
been performing the duties of Program Chairma n. I thought I would take a
moment to share my experiences from both sides of the vendor-user group
relationship.  So here are some guidelines on how to have a successful
vendor visit.

Begin by contacting the vendor several months in advance.  Planning is
very important, especially for a small ISV.  I suggest making the initial
contact by email.  It doesn't' cost you a cent, and it doesn't put the ISV
on the spot to say yes or no right a way.  On the other hand many people
believe the personal touch of a phone call is more important.  Regardless,
if you don't get an answer right away, follow-up with a phone call several
days later.

Back to planning.  Let the ISV know what date(s) are available, where and
when you meet, and how many people attend your group.  Honesty is very
important in the last item.  You may be tempted to inflate the number of
attendees so that your group will be more attractive to the ISV.  Don't do
it.  If the turn out at your meeting is lower than you promised, the ISV
may be disappointed and that's not a good way to start their presentation.
If your group is new or is going through a dip in attendance tell the
vendor - they will appreciate having the extra information.

Most user groups promote how many members they have in order to attract
the vendor.  Even though it is common practice, I would recommend speaking
only of meeting attendees.

Once you and the vendor have agreed on the date, specify a follow-up time,
usually a month and a half before your meeting.  A month and a half should
give everyone time to make the proper arrangements for their visit.

When you make the follow-up call be prepared to give the ISV as much
information as possible - this will impress them.  Give them information
such as the format and agenda of the meeting (Including any other vendor
or member presentations), and the precis e meeting location.  Explain what
facilities will be available.  Is there a limit on the projection
equipment's resolution (many are limited to 640 x 480), will you be able
to provide the projection equipment, is there a microphone, etc.  Offer
suggestion s on where they can stay in town.  Give them several choices in
price range.  In general OS/2 ISV's are small and may chose the budget
option, but others may prefer a fancier hotel.

Explain that you have a raffle and that if they would like, they are
welcome to contribute a prize to it.  Explain the character of the group,
but again be honest.  One group leader said their group was very
technical.  It turned out he thought they were technical because he was
not.  They were a completely normal user group.

Offer to FAX them a map to your meeting, it will help in planning
transportation and hotel.

Let them know exactly how much time they have available and just how
strictly the time limit is enforced.  More time is better!  It is
difficult to adequately demonstrate one product in less than an hour and a
half.  Recently in Seattle, they only had an hour available to the vendor.
Because I knew it in advance I was able to cover all four products in that
hour.

Let the vendor know of any before and after meeting activities.  Does the
group get together for dinner after the meeting?  Invite the vendor to
join you.

Remember all of the above should happen a month to a month and a half
before your meeting.  Finally, ask the vendor for text describing their
presentation so that you can promote it in your newsletter, telephone
message, web page, or email.  I do mean pro mote.  Everyone wins from
advertising that vendor x will be there.  Your members will be aware of
the vendor's presentation and will want to come to your meeting.  Non
members will say "wow!  vendor x is going to be there, I should attend".
And the vendor will be happy because there are more people to hear his
presentation.

Next follow-up with a telephone call a week or so before the meeting.
This is the "just in case" phone call.  Just in case the vendor is
cancelling, you'll have a week to find a replacement.  Just in case you
forgot to give a detail, the vendor can ask the question.  Ask the vendor
if they would like to donate a prize or two to you r raffle.

At the actual meeting, make sure you act professional.  Re-establish with
your presenter the time line of the meeting.  Establish a signal with the
presenter so you can indicate when their time is running short.

Make your introduction of the vendor complete and polished - it will make
your vendor feel good.

After the presentation, try to arrange time and space for members to ask
questions one-on-one.  It doesn't have to be anything special, just a
chair and a designation.

During your raffle, try not to raffle off competing products.  It's polite
and it prevents an awkward situation if the a raffle prize winner chooses
the competitor's product instead of the vendors.

Finally, after the meeting send a follow-up note or phone call thanking
the presenter.  If you wish, start to lay the groundwork for a return
visit.

Remember through this whole process that in general the vendor is coming
to your user group to sell his software.  Your job is to help them sell
software.  This ranges from the promotion before the meeting, the polished
introduction, etc.

This is all my two cents.  It is a reflection of how it's done, how I
would like it done, and how others are doing it.  As always your mileage
may vary.

My thanks to Esther - her document that she gives to vendors motivated me
to put this on to paper.  Thanks to Tom Suter who has served has the SCOUG
chairman for most of its existence.  Thanks to Mark Abramowitz for taking
over the job of Program Chairman at SCOUG (and relieving me of the
duties!)