An interview with Liz Carter, VP Corporate Marketing, ServiceMax from GE Digital, on her experience with Dreamforce.

When did you attend your first Dreamforce and what was it like?

In 2011 I worked as a contractor at Salesforce as part of the Dreamforce team, and it was amazing to see it all come together. It was very cool to see it get built from the inside, there is so much work that goes into making it a successful event for thousands of people. I think what Salesforce has done really well is to build a huge community of people who anticipate the event every year and are genuinely eager to attend. They’ve outdone themselves every year.

Liz Carter, VP Corporate Marketing, ServiceMax from GE Digital

The event was, and still is, the CRM event to go to. My role was building out the campground, or the space in the expo hall. Salesforce went to great lengths to showcase the breadth and depth of the products they offered and their broader ecosystem of partners.

I came to ServiceMax shortly after that. ServiceMax is built on the Salesforce platform, so Dreamforce was a huge avenue for us in finding customers, and building relationships with Salesforce and the rest of the ecosystem. Participating in the event helped create an incredible amount of awareness and new customer opportunities. Salesforce had built a huge ecosystem of ISVs and partners, and by participating in Dreamforce we could leverage all of those relationships.

What are you excited about this year?

I’m always excited to get back to Dreamforce to meet with our customers, many of whom are also big Salesforce customers, and hear about the latest developments for them not just within the company, but on a personal level. I’ve known several of our customers for more than 5 years now and it’s a great chance to catch up. It’s always good to reengage with the broader ecosystem of folks too. We pride ourselves on our strong relationships with our partners and customers.

There is so much to see at Dreamforce. What’s a good strategy?

The show floor can be very overwhelming. Pick the three to five vendors or technologies that you are most interested in seeing and prioritize them. Go with a list and then browse. You may not be able to see everything but you’ll at least attend what is most important to you.

Also, don’t underestimate the lines. For some of the most sought-after speakers, lines can start forming 30 minutes to an hour before the start. Plan accordingly.

Finally, don’t forget to reach out to your partners and other vendors prior to Dreamforce. They can be incredible assets in networking whether over lunch or at a special event. Many companies also hold special activities off-site during or after the main sessions and networking is a great way to find out where/ when they are and if it’s something you want to prioritize.

Why does ServiceMax sponsor and exhibit at Dreamforce?

Field Service Management (FSM) and CRM go hand in hand. Where CRM focuses on the customer, ServiceMax focuses on the asset, the equipment that is being serviced and maintained. ServiceMax from GE Digital participates in Dreamforce to help ensure that the attendees know about the benefits of FSM platforms. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet with our customers and other companies to discuss the strengths in ServiceMax and reiterate our commitment to the industry as a leader in service.

Any last words of advice?

Bring comfortable shoes and water.

Check out what we’re doing at Dreamforce 2018! Meet us at booth #341 to learn how Predix ServiceMax can turn your data into impactful results using the Industrial IoT and proactive maintenance strategies. Don’t miss Rajesh Rao’s session, “Design Patterns: ISV Recipes for Success (Wed., Sept. 6 at 11am PT). @ServiceMax #DF18

ABOUT ServiceMax

Avatar photoServiceMax is the only complete field service software solution helping companies of all sizes manage contracts, scheduling, and parts, while also providing solutions for social, portals, and analytics — all delivered in the cloud to any mobile device. We deliver software that brings together the right data at the right moment to delight customers and drive business results at the crucial point of service. We’re rethinking field service, and delivering cutting edge technology to help companies perfect service delivery, drive revenue and growth, and delight customers.