Today’s post kicks off our Convergence Tip of the Week Festival. Each week will feature tips from VARs and ISVs who are also preparing for Convergence 2010 Atlanta. This week brings you tips from John Kleb of Sikich and Shane Hall and Gianmarco Salzano of Reporting Central, the developers of THE CLOSER for Microsoft Dynamics GP.

If you’d like to supply a Convergence tip for a future post, please contact Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com.

VAR Tips from John Kleb

1. Come up with a theme for your firm’s customer/Partner group at the conference. It helps provide some glue for your group. We sometimes center the theme around the evening event we plan for our customers, other times it is about something the event location provides. Once you have a theme, all your communications to your customers can be built around the theme – the glue!
2. Plan an evening event for your customers. You will likely be “hosting” them in the evening anyway, but putting together a single activity for all your customers at once will control costs and often reduce them. In addition, you customers will be charged up by hanging out with all your other customers.

ISV Tips from Shane Hall and Gianmarco Salzano

1. Send personalized messages to customers and prospects, inviting them to Convergence and to any events you plan to host. (Hall)
2. You can’t go into Convergence rigid and structured, but you need to have an overall plan. Decide how many leads you want, how you will stay visible, and what your plan is for each event you attend. (Salzano)
3. When you’re at the event, get out there and talk to people. You have to work the floor. If you just sit in the back of your booth, life passes you by. (Hall)
4. Anyone that walks by is fair game, they could be your next customer. You can’t be afraid to talk. (Salzano)
5. Asking a leading question can help qualify people quickly, for both you and them. If you’re extremely technical and shy, consider hiring somebody to come down for the event. (Hall)
6. If you walk away from Convergence and you’re not completely exhausted, then you haven’t gotten what you needed to out of the opportunity. (Salzano)

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