I've never participated in a triathlon or an ironman competition, and for good reason. I run three times a week, but I only bike for leisure to the ocean and back, and I definitely don't swim in it.
It's 55 degrees for goodness sake. I'm only an ironman in spirit.
Last Friday HRchitect launched the latest in their educational webinar series -- the HRtechnology(R) IRONMAN (of which we are a media partner). The IRONMAN pitted software vendors against one another in a race to prove who can swim better, bike stronger and run faster.
Of course it wasn't a literal race; it was more like the vendor beauty pageants they did last year.
Like the beauty pageants, the IRONMAN virtual events are helpful when you are an "HR Buyer" and want educate your organization if you're in the market for HR software systems. (And of course to gather intel if you're a competitor.)
The first IRONMAN last Friday was the Mid-Market Talent Acquisition Systems IRONMAN. The competitors were iCIMS, nowHIRE, SilkRoad technology and Newton Software. They gave their pitches and the virtual audience voted.
The event categories included:
Swimming
The first of three skills. Competitors need to get ahead early by using this portion to discuss company history, overview, specific identity, financial viability, marquee clients and leadership team.
Biking
Stamina is required during the biking portion of the IRONMAN and competitors will race against each other by showcasing their product's functionality, technology/integration, usability and configurability.
Running
As in any competition, it is important to finish strong! Competitors will fight it out to the end by stating key differentiators of their solution and their company.
Media Interviews
The race isn't over when the finish line is crossed. Each competitor will face hard-hitting questions from the media (i.e. - our audience).
And all in less than 15 minutes per vendor in total.
I've witnessed many of these online competitions and I must say that this was one of the best to date.
The quality of:
- Visual presentation
- The comprehensive software system review
- Verbal presentation delivery
Were some of the best I've seen. Kudos to the marketing and sales folks from each vendor!
Who was the winner? It was my pick -- SilkRoad technology. Congratulations!
You can watch the archive here. Look for more HRtechnology(R) IRONMAN competitions this fall.
Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now join HRmarketer on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!)
Labels: HR technology, HRchitect, marketing, sales presentation
I've never participated in a triathlon or an ironman competition, and for good reason. I run three times a week, but I only bike for leisure to the ocean and back, and I definitely don't swim in it.