From events to analysis

Each year, we host Netigate Connect, a larger-scale, full-day event for our existing and prospective customers to learn about our news and projects. In addition, we take a look at how businesses are making the most our services to advance their progress. Be it in sales, internal communications, structure or customer relations. As well as this, we host smaller, shorter events through the year for local customers – like the Survey Brunch, which offers customers to see a 360º analysis of a Netigate case study. Netigate Connect usually welcomes around 100 guests for networking, keynote speeches and workshop-style breakout sessions. These sessions are tailored to suit the guests, says Ole. ‘Using Netigate surveys ourselves, we ask our customers what they’re interested in learning about. With this information we can plan the session content according to what they want.’. The event promotes a special atmosphere and approach: informative and interesting yet informal and relaxed. With all elements carefully structured so that every guest can get the most out of it. ‘We look at who is attending and make sure it’s relevant to those people. Our goal is to have content that everyone at the event will understand – regardless of their background and specialism.’

The events demand early preparation to get the best results, and create the perfect opportunity to enrich relationships. ‘It always takes a lot of planning – we begin around six months prior. The events are a lot of fun, and perhapsthe most important day of our year.’ Ole explained that, because the customer relations team do much of their communication over the phone, they often don’t get to meet their customers in person, and these personal relationships are highly valuable to create.Ole also joined the team representing Customer Relations at the Research and Results fair in Munich. ‘The preparation for the exhibition stand had been done by a colleague of mine. Nevertheless, I prepared myself in terms of my goals for the event,’ Ole describes. ‘I took responsibility to represent Netigate for visitors of the fair and proactively approached them. We were able to make some good contacts and thereby increase the awareness of our company, within different markets and segments.’

The value of a personal relationship for a cloud based service company

‘Sometimes we sell a project and we’re onsite, but that’s only a handful of times per year. That’s why these events are vital, and why we make sure that every detail is perfect,’ Ole says.This year, we welcomed a customer from the third biggest energy supplier in Germany to speak on the Netigate Connect stage. As an IT professional in his company, he uses Netigate for many different reasons. ‘He was on stage, and his speech was so well-structured and poignant that he had a standing ovation at the end,’ Ole describes. ‘Afterwards, people asked me if we’d paid him to say what he did – because he was such a advocate of Netigate! That’s when the work puts a smile on my face. You put so much effort in, but it’s amazing to find a customer who’s willing to stand on stage. Present for an hour and describe the power they find in using your platform.’Networking is an important element of the events, and Ole explains how team members ensure that they know the history, projects, campaigns and status of all the attendees to help facilitate networking. ‘If we only have ten minutes to speak to a customer, instead of asking “hi, how are you?’, we are proactive and link them up to a relevant customer or employee who they can talk to about their current projects.’

Improving customer service in the workplace