I know of an event, or article, or resource that would interest other Services Sales or Services Marketing practitioners. Can you list it?

Yes, please send us your suggestion. Registered users and Members can upload documents and events for review. We will research whether the item is applicable for the Network and post it for all if it is. If we have reservations about the item, we will communicate those reservations to you.

I am with [a firm] in London, and I have not heard of SSMNetwork before - is it just in the US?

SSMNetwork started in the U.S., but its vision has always been global. We intend to have substantial local content on websites in Europe, Japan, Asia, India, and Australia.

Are there really many marketing and sales people specializing in services - isn't it just the same as any other marketing and selling?

There are similarities and differences. The differences are enough to make services functionally unique. We estimate that there are over 150,000 services sales & marketing practitioners in the world today.

Do you include benchmarking data for best practices?

Yes, for both Best and Worst practices, so you can avoid the Worst. We have data now and it will be growing as we get larger and learn more from you, our practitioners.

We service what we sell, but we can't afford to have any marketing or sales people dedicated just to "services." Does SSMNetwork have any help for small product/software companies who need more bench strength in service?

Yes, we can help in several ways. Through the website, you can access tons of information and training. If you need more help, we can provide custom research, training, and consulting through our sister firm, Hahn Consulting, Inc.

How old is SSMNetwork? How big is SSMNetwork?

We launched in October 2008. We are still small, but our ambition is to have tens of thousands of members. There are over 150,000 practitioners in the world today. We want to connect with as many as we can.

Do you have actual meetings anywhere I can attend?

No, but if enough people want them, we will.

Do you have job postings or opportunities?

Yes we do. Look on the home page for the link. (Coming soon)

What’s the typical profile of the members (experience, age, title, size of company)?

We don’t know yet, as we are too new. We will research this as soon as we hit critical mass. Our ambition is to address the entire spectrum of demographics of practitioners. We anticipate that members will come from the computer industry, software, medical equipment, food handling, and factory automation.

Do any colleges offer degree programs in services marketing or sales?

Yes, in the U.S. they include Rotman, Rennselier, Arizona State University, and the University of Maryland.

My company already has a corporate membership in several other associations. What's the difference between SSMNetwork and organizations like SSPA, AFSMI, ITSMA, ASP, etc?

First, we are solely focused on services sales and services marketing. AFSMI, SSPA, TPSA, and ASP are focused either broadly on services management or specialized in things like software support. They only address our topics as part of a broader focus. ITSMA does focus on services sales and marketing, but it is an association of companies. SSMNetwork is made up of individual practitioners, allowing our fees to be radically lower.

Why should I become a Member of the Services Sales & Marketing Network?

While you are welcome to browse this website for ways to connect in the field of technology services sales and marketing, you are only able to join in the discussions as a member. Members also receive access to downloadable documents that non-members can only receive on a pay-per-item basis.