How TEKsystems Uses Tech Source to Grow Business in the Dayton Region
Author: Claire Kerr
September 2007
Aaron Davis, Account Manager for TEKsystems, shares how his company uses Greater Dayton IT Alliance resources to develop new business:
GDITA: How do you use the Greater Dayton IT Alliance resources as part of your business development activity?
Aaron: TEKsystems is serious about developing the IT market in Dayton and investing in the local IT community. Our involvement with GDITA is a great forum for that effort. For TEKsystems to be successful locally, we need two things-the IT community needs to understand who we are and equally important, we need to understand the businesses that we serve. GDITA helps meet both of those needs. We always mention that we are a member when working with companies. It communicates a shared objective with other member companies also working through GDITA to develop the IT community in the Dayton region. The types of activity that we participate in include:
- Attend lunches and seminars to network with other members interested in similar topics.
- Participate in the Tech Source IT Resource Finder and Business-to-Business Referral program to develop new business opportunities.
- Watch the job posting section of the Career Center to identify companies with IT resource needs.
- Read the magazine to learn more about local customers and what is going on in Dayton’s IT community.
GDITA: What results have you experienced?
Aaron: In the 10 months that we have been members, I have personally developed six valuable new business relationships through GDITA events. At least another dozen have been positively impacted through the various GDITA resources that we use. As my responsibilities with TEKsystems are very heavy on business development, this network has been extremely beneficial to my success. We have closed several business opportunities developed through GDITA including:
- referrals from Tech Source resulting in a deal with another IT Supplier
- leads from the Career Center job posting site resulting in an initial placement with a large company and new relationship which led to subsequent placements
- business with companies met at lunch meetings and seminars
GDITA: What is the feedback from prospective customers when you tell them that you learned about them or their IT need through GDITA?
Aaron: We have had all positive comments as customers recognize and appreciate that we use GDITA resources to help them meet their IT need. To many of our clients, our local relationships are more important than our national success so our involvement as GDITA members helps to define us locally, “warms up” a cold call to help us get in the door and provides a shared point of reference if the prospect is also a member.
GDITA: What would you share from your membership experience with other IT suppliers that are considering membership?
Aaron: All sales/business development professionals struggle with how much time you should invest in building a network vs. time focused on the immediate need to close business. IT Suppliers can reap business development benefits through very little time and investment to get an immediate return on the connectivity provided through GDITA. GDITA provides easy, passive ways to build a network and learn about the IT community by, at a minimum, reading the monthly magazine and attending at least a few meetings during the year. You can also step up your involvement for further results by participating in the Tech Source program, getting involved in seminars and using the referral service to follow-up on service inquiries.
TEKsystems is a $ 3.5 B information services organization providing a broad range of services centered on the execution of their client’s IT initiatives. They deliver via exclusive teams for client managed initiatives, discreet project ownership, and staff augmentation in application, infrastructure and communications skill sets. They have been the largest Information Technology Staffing firm in the nation for over five years. TEKsystems prides itself on connecting qualified professionals to great organizations based not only on strong technical skills but also on critical soft skills and relevant knowledge of their client’s business. For more information on TEKsystems, visit their website at www.TEKsystems.com.
To discuss how The Greater Dayton IT Alliance can help your organization please contact Claire Kerr, Greater Dayton IT Alliance at (937) 229-9092 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
