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Own it

Making the Deal
Presented by Dave Lutz, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting and written by De-de Mulligan, CMP, CMM of Mulligan Management Group

CLEVELAND, Ohio --- August 15, 2007 --- Dave Lutz, Former President of Conferon, spoke to 85 OHMPI members and guests at the Marriott Key Center about the importance of making a deal that represents the best interests of all parties. He specifically spoke about:
• RFP analysis and positioning;
• Common deal pitfalls and;
• Quantifying your value in the process

Concerning RFP analysis and positioning, Dave made the following recommendations to planners and suppliers.

Suppliers should do their homework before picking up the telephone and asking any questions. Dave suggests getting the following information from; Google, Prospective Client’s website, Hoovers.com, and/or Reference USA.
Learn about the prospective client’s:
• Products and/or Services
• Organizational structure
• Board of Directors
• Future meetings or events
• Annual Report
• Their top competitors

When the Supplier picks up the telephone, they need to gather the following information
1. Account name, meeting name, and URL
2. Meeting purpose and critical success factors
3. Room block and meeting and/or expo space requirements
4. Preferred Dates
5. Who is my competition (Other hotels and/or cities planner is considering)
6. Decision Date

Suppliers should ask the following qualifying questions PRIOR to answering the bid:

• What has been your best meeting to date? Why was it the best?
• What has been your worst meeting to date? Why was it the worst?
• Who, besides yourself, is involved in making this decision?
• After responding the RFP, what is the next step in the decision process?
• What is your budget?


Lastly, Dave Lutz talked about the importance of the supplier communicating “the value of doing business” with their organization. A supplier, needs to be more than “rates and dates” in order for the meeting planner to choose that property. Dave suggested each venue document their value in the following areas:

• How the planner will save time
• Cost savings to the client organization
• Quality of the venue and quality of the individuals working there
• Peace of mind the client will receive by having the event at the supplier’s location
• How the venue will do the work and manage the process
• Who are the people that will work on this meeting or event and what value, in terms of, experience, education, or both they bring to this event
• Special relationships with CVB, Chamber of Commerce, MPI, PCMA, or other notable organizations
• Diagram and/or outline of facilities
• Equipment or notables that are superior or state-of-the-art compared to the competition

In the end, the supplier has to ask one hard question: Why should planners do business with my brand name, venue, and me? In other words, “Why should Mulligan Management Group (planner) do business with Hilton (brand name), Hilton Garden Inn in Twinsburg, Ohio (my specific venue) and me?

Planners need to be honest, ethical, fair, and have all the information regarding past events and the proposed event available to the supplier. They need to narrow the search and take the telephone calls. Most importantly, planners need to be considerate of the suppliers’ response.


Before venturing down the consulting road, Dave Lutz was President of Conferon Global Services's two largest operating divisions – Conferon and ExpoExchange. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing more than 500 employees and $60 million of annual revenues. During Dave’s 20-year tenure at Conferon, he helped lead the exponential growth of the company while attaining operational excellence.

Ten Secrets to Building Your Brand Name


Speaker
Christine M. Brown
President
Marketing Resources & Results

Christine Brown is a marketing instructor in the Continuing Education department of Cleveland State University and at The University of Akron. She has presented to the Cleveland Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, the Fairlawn Chamber of Commerce, and the Home Builders Association of Portage and Summit Counties.
She was a featured guest on the "How to Market Your New Product" television show airing on Akron's Time Warner Cable as well as the Enterprise Factory Radio program on Cleveland's WERE radio station. She has served as moderator for the annual Market Research Conference for the Cleveland Chapter of the American Marketing Association. Brown has earned the Advanced Toastmaster Bronze and Competent Leader awards from Toastmasters International, a public speaking and leadership organization. In 2001, she served as the president AM Akron Toastmasters, the largest Toastmaster Club in Ohio.


Date & Time
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
7:30 to 9:30 AM

Location
Sheraton Suites
1989 Front St
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
(330) 922-1454


Fee
$10 for Members ~ $15 for Non-Members



Communicating With Credibility
Credibility -- how do you get it? More importantly, how do you keep it? Gaining credibility takes years to achieve, and maintaining it is a lifetime goal for any professional. One wrong move can erase in an instant many years of hard work. Communicating with credibility is an art form, one that you can master by using a few simple guidelines.

Learning Outcomes
This dynamic presentation will help you to:
• understand how your actions affect your credibility
• align your verbal and nonverbal language for greater believability
• present yourself and your ideas to leadership or clients in a professional way
• develop a personal action plan for enhancing your credibility

Speaker
Christine Zust, M.A.
Zust & Company

Christine Zust, “The Communication Queen,” helps people get to the joy of communication through connection. She works with executives, emerging leaders and management teams to develop credibility and influence with key clients, customers and constituents. She has more than 25 years of experience in strategic communication, positioning, networking, and image management. Her Cleveland-based firm, Zust & Company, offers training, speaking and facilitation services to local and national clients.


Date & Time
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
7:30 to 9:30 AM

Location
TBA

Fee
$10 for Members ~ $15 for Non-Members

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