Why You Want to AttendYour Software UserMeeting

You just received an invite
from your software
company for the "Annual
Client Software User
Meeting". Which of the
following will you do?
Jump for joy and
immediately begin
making arrangements to
attend! You have been
waiting for this great
opportunity all year long
and the excitement
generated can hardly be
contained!
Put the invitation aside.
If you have nothing
better to do you may go,
or you may send
someone else from your
company that might
benefit.
Toss it into the "circular
file" without opening it.
"Those things are a
complete waste of
time". What could you
possibly gain by
attending? You throw it
out every year.
There are many different
perspectives when it comes
to a client software user
meeting. Some viewpoints
are based upon favorable
or non-favorable
experiences at past
meetings. Others are
opinions based upon how
"the individual thinks the
meeting will be". Last, you
have a group that doesn't
think there is any value in
going to a "software
meeting" because they are
not "technical people".
Why do people go to these
meetings anyway? What is
the profile of these "user
meeting attendees"? Are
they a "technical bunch"
that enjoys talking about
"software stuff"? Who
really can benefit from a
software client user
meeting?
To find out answers to all
of the above, it's best to
attend the next software
client user meeting that
you are invited to. Each
software firm runs its own
meeting and has its own
style and focus for a user
meeting. The common
thread is that all
software firms run these
meetings in order to
educate the users of
their software. What
varies is the style in which
the education takes place.
The meeting agenda
should provide you with
good insight as to what to
expect. Typically, software
firms gear these meetings
at owners/managers of
their client companies. The
goal is to educate the "top
brass" so that appropriate
decisions can be made at
the top relating to the
software used. This also
means that the sessions will
not be as technical as you
might expect.
The goal of every
software firm is to
produce software that
the users will benefit by
using long-term. A
software solution
purchased today can
quickly become irrelevant
tomorrow. The world
changes and software must
change too. In order to
service the needs of the
client, it is important the
software firm have some
dialogue with its clients.
This is important
throughout the year, but
can be especially
meaningful at a client user
meeting. A client user
meeting takes people away
from their busy day to day
activities, and allows for
thought and discussion
amongst people who have
a common goal.
Though no one really has
time for these meetings, it
is an investment that the
client and the software
firm will make. It has been
proven that clients that
take advantage of the
opportunity, always do
better with the software.
Your typical client user
meeting will offer a blend
of a few of the following
components:
new product
introduction
existing product
enhancements
education on how to use
current products
speakers offering insight
on general business
issues such as marketing,
industry topics of
interest, and
management/financial
roundtable discussions
among users
workshops
food and good
company.
"Hobnobbing" with other
folk who use the same
software can be extremely
valuable. Information
sharing, networking and
building relationships with
others users can offer great
insight and improve the
way you work with the
software.
A software user meeting
allows you to work with
the software firm at a
different level. You're
giving advice and in a sense
becoming part of the
development team. This
allows you to protect your
investment by getting more
of what you need and
want. Your industry
changes and you have to
explain to the software
firm what you want so that
they can give it to you in
the form of new products
and enhancements.
Most meetings offer
learning sessions to
improve your use of the
features that you have.
Users walk away from
meetings almost in
disbelief that they have
some wonderful features
that they didn't realize they
had. More than likely it was
covered in training, but
with so much to absorb,
who can remember all of
the tools and whistles and
bells that are built into a
comprehensive and
extensive software suite.
It's a great opportunity to
meet the voice over the
phone that services you. It's
also exciting to be one of
the first to see new
enhancements that will
soon be released. It's
possible you will have
learned about some
dynamic new ways that
your firm can be using the
software to increase sales
and marketing, service
clients and employees
better or expand your
business. People always
walk away from a client
meeting richer than
when they came.
So, the next time you
receive an invitation to a
client software user
meeting, what are you
going to do with it?

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