Raising thought leadership stature within the financial services community
Cisco Systems

Goal:
To facilitate growth of Cisco Systems' Internet Business Solutions Group in the financial services marketplace by positioning Cisco executives to key audiences as thought leaders in how financial services organizations can migrate fundamental business practices through the Internet.

Approach:
While well known as a vendor of Internet hardware, Cisco's consulting organization, the Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), was virtually unknown in the financial services industry. Cisco's corporate strategy was to gain entrance to financial service organizations through consulting. But to do that, Cisco IBSG had first to be recognized as experts in financial services.

Stephenson Group (SG) realized that Cisco had a powerful weapon in the fight for recognition in the consulting industry in the persona of William Finkelstein. Prior to joining IBSG, Mr. Finkelstein was a prime mover behind Wells Fargo's first-to-market online banking initiative and is well respected in banking circles. SG's strategy focused on placing Mr. Finkelstein in front of the key decision makers at financial institutions through an aggressive speakers bureau program.

However, organizers of financial services conferences tended to relegate Cisco speakers to vendor roles, an obstacle to obtaining the thought leadership engagements appropriate to Mr. Finkelstein's expertise and experience.

SG Speakers Bureau developed a special questionnaire to pinpoint Mr. Finkelstein's vision, his unique expertise, and to highlight some prime examples of his successes with financial services clients. SG then prepared a customized, detailed proposal for each targeted event. SG's strategy addressed the three key dimensions of the invitation process:

• Long Horizons. Major conferences run on annual cycles, not Internet time. Conference organizers at major events generally make invitation decisions six to nine months prior to the event - and sometimes earlier. Advanced planning and timely submissions are essential.
  
  
• Strong Proposals. Competition for speaking engagements is intense, and conference organizers routinely get feelers from hundreds of candidates. Résumés and reputations don't win an invitation. Event planners have to see what you plan to say, and how you can back up your pitch. Most importantly, they have to understand how your message will reinforce the theme and focus of the event. Clear, concise, detailed proposals single you out of the herd.
  
  
• Established Relationships. Credibility counts, and conference planners recognize agencies that understand their requirements. A good track record with the event organizer puts your proposal on top of the stack.
  

Results:
In less than one year, SG secured 15 invitations for Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group executives to present at major financial services events. Mr. Finkelstein himself has made four significant and well-publicized appearances before large audiences of senior banking executives who oversee Internet strategies and budgets at their institutions.

For example, the American Banking Association invited Mr. Finkelstein to address the 600 bank CEOs attending the annual ABA conference. Impressed by the presentation proposal, ABA also requested an interview with Mr. Finkelstein for an article in ABA Banking Journal. The interview, in turn, led to a request for an additional appearance as a conference panelist.

In another high-profile event, Mr. Finkelstein conducted a session with KeyCorp Chief Technology Officer Robert G. Rickert at RDS 2000, the Bank Administration Institute retail delivery conference that has become banking's premier annual event.