“Effective Marketing and Outreach”

1. “Effective Marketing and Outreach” US Department of Labor H1B Grantee Conference December 2, 2003 InspiriTec, Inc. JConnolly@InspiriTec.org

2. InspiriTecInspiring work Through Technology A “Social Entrepreneurship” which exists to enable people with disabilities to go to work in information technology (IT) professions. • Vocational Assessment, Training and Placement • Assistive Technology • Information Technology Services • LANs, Networks • Software Development • Call Centers 75% of InspiriTec employees are persons with disabilities

3. Workforce Investment Partners

4. Our H1B Project: An Overview • Train American workers for hard-to-fill jobs • Multiple employers; region wide • “Employer Directed” • Tiered employer match • Single Point of Contact: ITTC • Target People with Disabilities: 70% unemployment rate

5. Training Providers Employers Clients (Typically Entry Level) (H1B  Entry Level) H1-B Project InspiriTec ITTCs JOBS Ideal trainee progression Likely progression of clients/employees Entry-level replacement

6. Project Goals: Numbers to be Served • 75 Incumbent workers with disabilities • 100 Unemployed people with disabilities • 125 Unemployed people and incumbent workers without disabilities

7. InspiriTec H-1B Project Results

8. A Model Responding to Regional H1B IT Workforce Demands

10. Location of H1B Trainees Served

11. Strategic Planning “The process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organization’s goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities. It involves defining a clear company mission, setting supportive objectives, designing a sound business portfolio, and coordinating functional strategies.”

12. Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning • Segmentation bases • Geographic • Demographics - employee size, IT utilization, progressive, disability focus • H1B utilization • Program developed to the needs of region’s employers using constant feedback loop • Message tested and refined with diverse companies

13. Go-to-Market Strategy • Single Point of Contact • ITTC role • Channel Marketing • Organizations tapped to help disseminate the program offering • Co-Marketing • Partnered with others offering complementary services • Customer Relationship Management • Developed Systems

14. Go-to-market-strategy (con’t) • Direct Marketing • From qualified mailing lists • Face-to-Face Presentations • Made to groups with potential interest • Cold Calling • After a media review of who was hiring, etc.

15. Stealth Marketing • The best source of business is current clients • Every “non sales” call has already by-passed the corporate sales defenses • Every person in a client organization is a buyer, know it or not • Every person in YOUR organization is a salesperson, know it or not • Every call is a sales call • Sell is not a four letter word

16. InspiriTec ITTC’s Manage Relationships with Key Partners REFERRAL AGENCIES TRAINING PROVIDERS • Refer job seekers • Perform VR assessment • Provide support services • Provide assistive technology. • Identify employer prospects • Assess career path trainees • Identify potential job seekers • Orient ITTC’s to training services EMPLOYER ITTCs • Identify job openings • Asses incumbent worker trainees • Recommend training providers • Certify accomplishment of outcomes • Match training costs • Act as “account manager” • Assess employer training needs • Facilitate administrative process • Conduct IT assessment • Coordinate support services • Track and report progress VR AGENCIES • Identify potential job seekers • Perform VR assessment • Provide support services • Provide assistive • technology • Identify employer prospects • Identify potential job seekers • Provide support services ONE STOPS

17. Employer Marketing Tactics • Co-Marketing • Using training partners • Network Marketing • Partnerships with groups serving defined population • Direct Marketing • From qualified mailing lists • Face-to-Face Presentations • With collateral material • Cold Calling • After a media review of who was hiring • InspiriTec Customers

18. Lessons Learned • Extensive lead time needed for employer-directed approach • Downturn in IT market requires resiliency • Single Point of Contact (ITTC) a must • Communication and approach should match employer’s style • Identification of disability a problem for companies • Needed to work with both IT and HR staff • Must be entrepreneurial-> market driven • Demonstrate credibility thru testimonials • Employer Directed Model keeps specific training real-job focused

19. Case Study “Fleet Credit Card”

20. Case Study “The Sierra Group”

21. Applicant Recruitment Tactics • Development of collateral marketing materials • Outreach to 43 Colleges and Universities • Contacts with Agencies Serving Constituencies • Collaborate with other agencies serving people with disabilities, various training providers