Customer Service Marketing

Helen L. Ching

Email: *****.*****@******.********.**

Twitter: socialmediahllc

Phone: 289-***-****

Marketing Executive with 15+ years of experience; Extensive experience in developing clear messaging and product positioning based on competitive analysis and working with sales and product management teams, building relationships with industry analysts to create visibility into relevant products and services, and expanding reach to potential target audience to increase sales. Strategic thinker with tactical skills; I am able to look at the big picture, and create strategic marketing plan that leverages internal staff as well as relevant tools to enhance brand recognition, increase credibility, and ultimately turn prospects into customers.

Career AccomplishmentsSuccessfully changed company’s trajectory with strategic digital marketing recommendations; provided overall digital transformation channel strategy for 14 divisions of a media conglomerate wanting to move from offline to online business practices, complete with division on-boarding content as well as selection and implementation of web re-design, website traffic and conversion monitoring, and email marketing tools.Dramatically increased brand interaction using social media and SEO; search engine optimization on website and efforts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook helped increase website traffic by 184% within six months.Successfully united corporate and product messaging; based on competitive industry analysis and internal/external sentiments, united corporate brand and product messaging along with a complete refresh of corporate website as well as consistent messaging in all other content such as brochures, blogging content, whitepapers, webinars, and press releases.Increased brand awareness for offline activities: redesign of booth along with strategic selection of relevant conferences to attend and associated promotions helped increase offline lead generation by 600%.Engaged with industry analyst and raised product/company visibility significantly; consistent relationship building with industry analyst at Forrester helped the company to be included in the Wave report.Improved up-sell and revenue generation opportunities; created various best practices documents and additional marketing collateral clearly addressing client pain points and demonstrating solution benefits; enabled professional services team to up-sell, and increased monthly revenue share from existing clients by 100%.Accelerated sales enablement with sales boot camps; armed sales team with competitive intelligence, solution benefit statements, content for dealing with various objections, and helped reduce sales cycle by 20%.Established authorship that enhanced company reputation; the whitepaper Multi-Channel Marketing: Recipe for Success was published by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), was one of the most downloaded whitepaper the year it was published, and brought in numerous inquiries about the company.Leadership abilities and fostered cohesive inter-departmental working relationships; experience managing marketing team, development team, client services team, and product management team; created conversation-based environment to help departments share ideas, be innovative, and be highly productive to achieve results.

Skills & Expertise

Strategic Marketing: strategic planning, social media marketing, marketing communications, corporate branding, messaging, strategic communications, content strategy, persuasive communication, online branding, marketing budget creation, marketing management, web marketing, demand generation, multi-channel marketing, strategic alliance partnerships, B2B marketing

Tactical Marketing: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, content development, Wordpress, blogging, SEO, web analytics, Google analytics, Google Adwords, Hootsuite, direct marketing, email marketing, Yesmail, Vertical Response, corporate websites, website development, search engine positioning, keyword analysis, social media monitoring, marketing automation, marketing collateral, whitepapers, webinars, tradeshows, videos, lead generation, lead monitoring, customer acquisition, Salesforce.com, media relationship-building, press releases

Product Management: competitive analysis, industry representation, industry analyst relationship-building, enhancement priority, quality assurance, roadmap planning, Agile development methodology, user stories, release management, release notes, how-to product videos, Jira, pricing determination, product launch, client requirements, sales enablement, SaaS-based applications, enterprise software, cross-functional team leadership, vendor management, professional services

WORK EXPERIENCE

Futurestate IT Inc.

Director of Marketing (January 2012 – Present)

(Software provider of application portfolio management solution)

My responsibilities in this role are to outline overall marketing strategy that can be leveraged to create new messaging, revamp entire collateral suite, enhance lead generation efforts, and ultimately assist with converting prospects into customers. I am responsible for determining the current state of the company’s marketing efforts, and based on competitive analysis, recommend new marketing initiatives and/or enhance existing initiatives for various marketing channels. I am required to determine the best tactics that can be used to support the strategy, have the knowledge to select the relevant tools, and have the practical skills to implement the strategy. I am expected to have the ability and relevant product knowledge and communication skills to interface with potential leads, from managers, to directors, to c-level executives, as well as build solid relationships with potential alliance partners. I am in constant conversation with sales and development teams to coordinate projects, and ensure scheduled tasks are completed in order to implement the marketing strategy.

Created marketing strategy that leveraged different channels and different mediums to reach all potential customers and partners.Translated strategy into tactical item and created central marketing calendar in order for all company staff to work towards the same goals.Revamped website with targeted keywords increased website traffic by 184% within six months.Creative tradeshow initiative using social media as well as direct marketing strategy increased lead generation by 600% from previous six months http://www.casestudiesonline.com/ (How To Increase Trade Show Traffic – Turn Attendees Into Pirates).Created whitepapers, blog entries, and twitter feeds to generate interest, and established topical expertise on behalf of the company.Leveraged LinkedIn groups to enhance reputation, which resulted in numerous hot leads coming into the company.Created easy-to-use alliance partner portal for business dealings between partners and the company, and facilitated partners bringing in new business deals.Hosted numerous webinars for the company to be used for content distribution, lead generation tools, as well as training material for partners.

Westhorpe Consulting (May 2009 – December 2011)

Digital Marketing Strategist

(Provider of marketing consulting services)

The Spanish media conglomerate Grupo Prisa was primarily offline . The company realized that their company’s survival depends on their successful move towards online . In this role, I was expected as part of a consulting team to transform their business to the digital world. I was responsible for working with 14 disparate business units within the company, present compelling facts and figures and have the right communication techniques to convince them to change their business practices, and provide them with on-boarding content to implement the migration to digital business. I was required to identify areas that require upgrades, and to know the potential tools out in the market. I was expected to prepare the RFPs, distribute them to the potential candidates, collect and review the responses, and present the findings to the division Presidents. I was also expected to provide tactical implementation steps, outline resource needs and timeline to efficiently complete the business shift for all 14 business units, as well as closely monitor the project progress and report results to senior management of the company.

Acted as part of a subject matter expert team on online marketing, and compiled a 120-page document detailing recommendations on digital channel transformation strategy, best practices for the company to follow, and industry numbers for the company to benchmark against.Reviewed each business unit’s historical internet traffic numbers from Omniture, and incoming revenue from various sources to develop optimal internet strategy and forecasts specific to each business unit, so that projections can be realistically achieved after the digital transformation.Educated the 14 business units that ranged from TV, Radio, Press, and Education, while providing comprehensive business strategy and roadmap for each website to guide business units to successfully implement online marketing, email marketing, co-registration and social media. Implemented a score card system where progress is tabulated and reported to individual business units as well as corporate senior management team, which resulted in the transformation project being closely adhering to schedule and on target to completion.

Bamboo Cricket (July 2008 – December 2011)

VP, Product Management, Bamboo Cricket (July 2008 – December 2011)

(Software provider of customer service software for inbound email management and live chat)

As providing great customer service should be an integral part of every company strategy, I was able to present practical and relevant solutions to potential Bamboo Cricket’s customers. As VP of Product Management & Marketing for the web-based customer service software company, I had the unique opportunity to work with a number of different companies from various verticals and learn different customer service needs. I was able to conduct research on the competitive landscape, and validate that data with conversations with external customers / potential customers. I was responsible for translating collected business intelligence into features within the products, and ensured the company remained competitive when compared with rival solutions. I was expected to manage the offshore development and quality assurance team in China, the remote client services team in Florida, and the product management and marketing teams in Toronto.

On an on-going basis, proactively identified opportunities for product improvement, and maintained product roadmap based on market research and prospect / customer meetings with companies. Redesigned application’s User Interface to provide professional clean appearance that benefited both the users as well as the sales team selling the product, and landed two major accounts as a result.Formalized product release schedule, and worked with the product management and development team members to deliver high quality products.Regularly participated in senior management meetings, presented innovative ideas as a result of new requirements or new technologies being available, as well as proactively evolved the corporate strategy.Continuously worked with the marketing and design team to fine tune the Bamboo Cricket brand, the website content in terms of product marketing collateral, and highlight the product benefits. Worked with marketing team on prioritization of projects and website design for SEO/SEM and lead generation, to meet company objectives.

Yesmail Inc. (January 2004 – June 2008)

(Software provider of email marketing software.)

Director, Business Development (November 2007 – June 2008)

Yesmail is an email marketing software provider located in Oregon, USA. They were interested in investigating the potential of the Canadian market. With my experience in the email marketing industry in both marketing and product management capacity at prior positions, I was expected to provide an overview of the Canadian email marketing landscape, and report on potential opportunities. I self-managed my research efforts as well as prospecting activities.

Analyzed Canadian opportunities, and identified 700 potential clients interested in the Yesmail email offerings.Responded to numerous Request for Proposals (RFPs) from prospects that potentially are interested in the Yesmail product.Negotiated contracts with prospects interested in purchasing the product.

Senior Product Manager (November 2006 – October 2007)

The company acquired Digital Connexxions in October 2006. Upon acquisition, Yesmail decided to keep the Digital Connexxions’ product as a complementary product, for small to mid-tier businesses while the Yesmail product remained a solution for large enterprise firms. I was responsible for continuing to advance the product in the SMB market, and continue to establish good rapport with existing clients. I was expected to continue to work with the development team using Agile development methodology, generate user stories for enhancement development, and prioritize items based on industry trends and customer needs.

Worked with existing customers such as Conde Nast Publications, Ziff Davis, BMG, and Primedia to create strategic product roadmap.Proactively monitored industry trend for email marketing to identify possible enhancements to the product, in order to ensure the product remains competitive when compared with rival solutions.Worked closely with the development team on product requirements and answer questions during the development project life cycle, to guarantee resulting releases meet business requirements.Provided input for monthly executive product steering committee discussions in terms of product directions and email trends for SMB market, so senior management team can take immediate corrective actions where required.

VP, Marketing & Client Operations (January 2004 – October 2006)

The company was looking to build company and brand awareness. Being a small company on a tight budget, I was expected to generate a marketing strategy that can get the biggest value for the marketing budget it was able to afford. I was responsible for creating content for the website and marketing collateral, and working with designers to revamp the website, trade show booth, and hand-out marketing material. I networked with industry leaders and representing the company at different external forums. I was tasked with using low cost methods to get the company and product name out on the street.

Networked with industry leaders and represented company at various external forums such as the DMA and CMA.Authored eight best practices lists for the email marketing industry, ten Take 5 articles addressing email marketing business issues. The articles were published by CRM Today and Marketing Profs, and generated numerous leads.Authored whitepaper on multi-channel marketing Multi-Channel Marketing: Recipe for Success . The whitepaper was published by the Direct Marketing Association in 2005. It was one of the most downloaded whitepaper that year, and brought in numerous inquiries about the company.Worked closely with the sales team to measure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), benchmark promotion results, and strategize additional improvements on lead generation and how to contribute to the pipeline.Provided leadership, motivation, coaching and training to the account management team, to ensure best customer service response and achieve consistent end user experience. In working with the largest client, helped increase the revenue share monthly invoice by 100%. Formalized processes on client in-take, statement of work, project planning, client communication, billing, project close-out, on-going client maintenance and review. Member of the senior management team, to discuss and proactively advance corporate strategy.

Fidelity National Financial (January 1994 – November 2003)

(Software provider of solutions for insurance title companies.)

Senior Project Manager (January 2003 – November 2003)

The company acquired Sanchez Computer Associates in 2003. The company kept the wealth management solutions, and continued to work with clients that were signed prior to the acquisition. My responsibilities included managing inter-departmental teams in order to implement an enterprise-grade project. I was expected to create the project plan, track all aspects of the project, and ensure the project was delivered on time and with high customer satisfaction.

Developed and executed detailed project plan for the project to implement the wealth management solution suite (Mutual Funds, Equity, Fixed Income and Portfolio) for Royal Bank of Canada.The 25-person, $1 million mission critical project to install the wealth management solution suite spanned nearly a year, and involved working with numerous departments at Royal Bank of Canada.Created various documents and managed all aspects of the project: Statement of Work, Project Charter, Stakeholder Communication Strategy, Detailed Project Plan, Success Criteria, Issue Tracking and Management, Systems Testing Strategy / Monitoring of Test Execution, Release Gate Criteria, Post Project Review and Project Close-out.Completed the project on schedule, with a post project satisfaction rating of 9 out of 10.

Director of Marketing (January 2001 – December 2002)

The company acquired Spectra Securities Software in December 2000. I was tasked with developing a strategic marketing plan for the ex-Spectra products, and determining how the products can best fit into the Sanchez product suite messaging. I was expected to mentor the sales team, and arm them with sales material that they can use to acquire prospects and close deals.

Strategized with external consultants to develop comprehensive branding strategy to expand current market reach for the wealth management suite of productsConducted business intelligence activities including customer research, market segmentation, competitive intelligence, pricing value proposition and positioning.Developed collateral plan and collateral content to enhance focus, which allowed sales team to present relevant material with consistent messaging to prospective clients. Created press releases promoting benefits of the product as well as any client wins associated with the product, to generate publicity and increase brand recognition for both the company as well as the product.Developed and conducted sales boot camp training sessions to help sales force learn how to position the product and how to best present the offering to sign deals, which helped reduce sales cycle by 20%.

Senior Product Manager, Mutual Funds & Portfolio Management (January 1994 – December 2000)

Provided trade management solutions for mutual funds, equities, fixed income, and portfolio management. During my tenure at the company, I product managed the mutual fund product as well as the portfolio management product. I represented the company at the mutual fund industry committees to set industry standards. While managing the mutual fund product, I worked with the development team to design and enhance the mutual fund product, which is developed in-house. The company OEM’ed the portfolio management software from a software vendor in Montreal. As the Senior Product Manager for the portfolio management product, I was responsible for managing the alliance relationship with the software vendor, and acted as product champion to ensure the requirements from Spectra’s clients are on par in terms of importance compared to the software vendor’s own clients.

Represented company at mutual fund industry committees to set industry standards, and was appointed to be the head of mutual fund transaction standardization sub-committee. Networked with industry analysts and key players to further build company reputation.Generated overall product strategy based on research from competitive analysis as well as conversations with customers and prospects to continuously improve mutual fund product.Successfully implemented trade management products at a number of brokerage firms: TD GreenLine, Nesbitt Burns, First Marathon, Desjardins.Established close working relationship with portfolio management software alliance partner to successfully champion client enhancement requests.Developed and managed on-going relationships with technology partners to expand channel sales and increase revenue.

CIBC Wood Gundy (April 1991 – December 1993)

(Financial Services)

Project LeaderCreated functional specifications for the stock new issue system.Implemented phase one of the order management mutual fund system.

Toronto Dominion Bank (January 1989 – March 1991)

(Financial Services)

Business AnalystConducted detailed impact analysis on paperless environment and disaster recovery planning of the mission critical systems.Prepared functional requirements specifications on the T-Bills order entry system

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Investment Funds Course, Canadian Securities Institute, 2006

Strategic Leadership Development, Management Research Group, 2004

Large Account Management Process (LAMP), Miller Heiman, 2003

Effective Marketing Programs, Pragmatic Marketing, 2002

Analyzing Market Opportunities, Pragmatic Marketing, 2001

Practical Product Management, Pragmatic Marketing, 2000

Certificate in Financial Planning, Canadian Institute of Financial Planning, 1998

Canadian Securities Course, Canadian Securities Institute 1990

EDUCATION

BASc, University of Toronto

MBA, Wilfrid Laurier University (exp. 2013)

DESIGNATION

Professional Engineer (P.Eng.)

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