Lou McErlean 5809 Brushy Creek Trail Dallas, Texas 75252 972-571-0448 [email protected] SUCCESS STORY: Effectively Targeting a Vertical = Changing a Company’s Destiny SITUATION: At New Media Gateway, after one month on the job as a sales representative, the CEO approached me and asked if I would head a new division which focused on the Travel/Hospitality Destination Marketing (DMO) Industry. At the time, the company had only 2 customers and $400,000 in annual revenues, which represented a mere 2% of overall company volume. SOLUTION: After analyzing the Destination Marketing Industry, I discovered that organizations were more fraternal than competitive because business and leisure travel rotates and is cyclical rather than being a one-time choice between “A” and “B”. This meant two key things: First, they were collaborative regarding their sales and marketing strategies and tactics because what was good for one, was good for all. Second, it meant that organizations followed industry leaders VERY closely… Whatever the “800 pound gorilla” was doing, the other gorillas wanted to do also. ACTION: I developed and executed a BizDev plan which: 1. Packaged an array of offerings which included products like a CRM, CMS, MAP, and Workflow Management Tool, as well as services like Website and mobile design, SEO/SEM, apps, and the like, and positioned it as a holistic, industry-specific solution termed “The Destination Business System”. 2. Targeted the largest organizations within key Travel/Hospitality sub-verticals, including: a. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the largest DMO in the world. b. Caesar’s Entertainment, the largest gaming corporation on the planet. c. Gaylord Hotels, the largest mega resort in North America. 3. Created a word-of-mouth/referral demand-gen program, where clients became avid advocates, appearing on video testimonials, bringing prospects by event booths, and promoting us at internal industry events. RESULTS (within 5 years’ time): • Increased number of customers from 2 to 40. • Increased annually recurring revenues from $400,000 to $5,000,000. • Enabled company stakeholders to sell primary assets to largest competitor.

Success Story - NMG 800 pound gorilla

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Page 1: Success Story - NMG 800 pound gorilla

Lou McErlean 5809 Brushy Creek Trail

Dallas, Texas 75252 972-571-0448

[email protected]

SUCCESS STORY: Effectively Targeting a Vertical = Changing a Company’s Destiny SITUATION: At New Media Gateway, after one month on the job as a sales representative, the CEO approached me and asked if I would head a new division which focused on the Travel/Hospitality Destination Marketing (DMO) Industry. At the time, the company had only 2 customers and $400,000 in annual revenues, which represented a mere 2% of overall company volume. SOLUTION: After analyzing the Destination Marketing Industry, I discovered that organizations were more fraternal than competitive because business and leisure travel rotates and is cyclical rather than being a one-time choice between “A” and “B”. This meant two key things: First, they were collaborative regarding their sales and marketing strategies and tactics because what was good for one, was good for all. Second, it meant that organizations followed industry leaders VERY closely… Whatever the “800 pound gorilla” was doing, the other gorillas wanted to do also. ACTION: I developed and executed a BizDev plan which: 1. Packaged an array of offerings which included products like a CRM, CMS, MAP, and Workflow

Management Tool, as well as services like Website and mobile design, SEO/SEM, apps, and the like, and positioned it as a holistic, industry-specific solution termed “The Destination Business System”.

2. Targeted the largest organizations within key Travel/Hospitality sub-verticals, including: a. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the largest DMO in the world. b. Caesar’s Entertainment, the largest gaming corporation on the planet. c. Gaylord Hotels, the largest mega resort in North America.

3. Created a word-of-mouth/referral demand-gen program, where clients became avid advocates, appearing on video testimonials, bringing prospects by event booths, and promoting us at internal industry events.

RESULTS (within 5 years’ time):

• Increased number of customers from 2 to 40. • Increased annually recurring revenues from $400,000 to $5,000,000. • Enabled company stakeholders to sell primary assets to largest competitor.