Since IT professionals tend to be very busy, what's the best way to capture their attention?

I'll only add the following to Gary's excellent answer: Spend the time highlighting your products strengths, and not your competitors weaknesses. A positive presentation is far more compelling than a negative one.

-ASB: http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker

Free stuff works well, especially geeky gadgets often found in technical trade shows. But keeping their attention that is far more difficult. It needs to be fed.

Many IT professionals are creative thinkers and appreciate innovation, especially if it captures their attention and imagination. Free trials are a good place to start. Place your product in the IT environment and let them try it out. If they want it, they will help make the internal business case and the sale.

Never, never be condescending. That will kill the immediate opportunities and all future ones, even if they change jobs.

Perhaps the best answer is that you shouldn't normally market technology in the abstract (as the question implies,) but should market the solutions that technology can enable. With a few geeky exceptions, nobody wants technology for its own sake. Instead, organizations face challenges that, in some cases, new or more powerful IT can ameliorate. When they write the check for new IT, they are usually hoping for a functional solution.

As the saying goes; "find a need and fill it," and unless the vendors of a particular technology can clearly articulate the needs their products address and explain why their products do it best, they are putting themselves at a needless disadvantage.

The question itself highlights a major problem in the information industry: the IT people have not yet quite accepted the truth that they carry water for the people who have information to be shared and those who need and are willing to pay for it. The current and historical situation would be like the people who run the pipeline forgetting that they merely carry the oil or gas produced, used and paid for by others. While this is changing slowly, we have a long way to go.

One way to get the IT folks' attention, although guaranteed to create dissention in the ranks, is for the content creation and delivery people to clearly describe their needs and challenges including reasonable time frames on which they must be addressed, then go to the IT groups with a serious request for support. If, as is so often the case, the answer is "too busy" or worse yet "we'll do it... our way," then the next stop should be executive management with a request for funding to outsource the needed solution. The first time this happens, all heck will break loose in the IT ranks, but it will get their attention and based on that, a three way negotiation can take place from which a more balanced environment can emerge.

In the end, IT must come to see itself as something other than the anointed center of the universe. That realization can't come too soon.

I wrote about this a few years ago: http://gilbane.com/xml/2009/03/an-information-parable.html

I think you will find a brief entry in Rich Casselberry’s blog useful – “So you want to sell me stuff? “

http://it-ops-trench.blogspot.com/2010/11/so-you-want-to-sell-me-stuff.html

If in person, and you dont yet have an appointment, the answer could be what is referred to as the 'Elevator Pitch'. Should take from 30 seconds to 2 minutes max. All the points others have made should be summarized within it.

If you cannot do it in person, embed it as a video into an email.
I have seen it work very effectively to get appointments, especially when rehearsed and delivered by attractive people (i.e. not me) :-)

Once you are in, I agree with the other comments about demos.

At the core, IT people are always trying to figure things out. Right? So, the best way to capture IT professionals attention is to say something stupid and be very serious whilst you are speaking:-) Immediately you will get their attention and a response. You see, their head will start buzzing, trying to find the logic to what you just said :-) :-) :-)

Be Creative :) Talk to them my blending real life with the technology jargons.

There is no substitute for getting to know someone and sending them something that is valuable to them specifically. Look for things that are useful or especially things that save time. Not too much. You can even overdo a good thing.

People who know what I'm interested in and who send interesting things get read even when I'm busy. Send me four or five great things over a couple of months and and when you send that fifth email asking for a quick chat, you might be surprised.

Jim Love
www.chelseagroup.ca
www.performanceadvantage.ca

Quickly address your product or service strenths and why it is unique to the market. These IT people have their hands full and are constantly stressed, find out their pain points and explain how your product can eliminate problems and free up their time while saving their company money. IT Staff does not always get the recognition they deserve, but if they can prove to a decision maker in their organization, that they can accomplish this and save money with your product or service - it is a win win situation.

Valerie Pesce
DeskCenter USA Inc.
www.deskcenterusa.com

Very good answer Gary! I'd like to add that you can do events like seminars, or similar, together with independent organizations within the IT industry. IT professionals rely more on a independent industry organization than a supplier. By doing that kind of event you'll get more people and will have a bigger audience for your message.

Another way to attract the right people is to pick up a current and important industry issue, like security in mobile payments, and make an industry forum out of it in your region. Have experts and industry organizations as speakers and invite all your customers and prospects to the event. The nice thing about it is that you'll leave all your competitors out of it. If you have any suppliers you can let them come as sponsors and let them pay for the event.

When you got the IT professionals at your event, just add Garys tips to make the event useful for the participants. They are investing their time, ensure that it becomes valuable to them.

Make their lives easier, while also boosting their ego. Make them feel like super heroes, and play to their emotional need to be recognized for the value they bring to their organization. My 2 penny's :)

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