Don Crescimanno started as a salesperson in the computer business in 1966 when, in Don's words, "computers were doing only very boring stuff - payrolls, taxes, massive inventories and scientific projects."
Computers may have been doing boring things, but Don still had to find ways to sell them.
In an effort to create some variety, Don came up with several exciting uses for computers, including marketing, and social networking. In 1975 he designed a data base/word processing software for a desk top computer. It enabled a sales person to make thousands of contacts a week versus the ten to twenty formerly made in the same amount of time. The goal of the system was a face-to-face contact with a qualified prospect.
Many people are involved in the buying decision for expensive and complicated computers. As a salesperson, Don recognized that you have to network with a client's business and get everybody interested - from management through purchasing, design, applications and engineering personnel.
Once sold, these same people become part of his network and were prospects for additional equipment and programs.
IT'S PARTY TIME!
Don developed a unique concept which generated the necessary networking process - a networking party of prospects.
Engineers, mathematicians, physicists & programers were all invited to the supplier's special conference room for an elegant buffet - the perfect setting for lively discussion of applications and problem solving - and for networking.
In his new environment, Don had to start from scratch. His problem was one he'd faced before - he needed to know his prospective customers' problems and goals prior to the introduction of product.
How does one get to know customers face-to-face prior to the initiation of the sales cycle?
ELECTRONIC NETWORKING
Don had already realized that people enjoy meeting others with like minded interests. Keeping this in mind, he put together social functions - inviting successful business and professional people. He became a people broker. The critical ingredient in Don's events was not the place, the food or the entertainment. It was the interesting, motivated people invited.
These events became a real hit and a great source of prospects for Don.
As these events became more and more popular, Don realized that he needed some assistance. He notes, "My computer data base allowed me to keep track of our highly mobile Honolulu business and professional population. However, manually calling fifty to a hundred or a thousand people a week started to drain my resources of time and energy
"I looked into the possibility of voice mail and voice mail boxes. The existing commercial equipment was just too expensive. Turning to my technical training I put together my own equipment and software to serve my own special and very personal needs.
"With what I believed to be a good product and efficient equipment I launched Cat-Net (Calendar Announced Tele-Net-work)."
CALENDAR ANNOUNCED TELE-NETWORK
Cat-Net is a for-profit social networking system. It provides members with a voice calendar of events in many areas of interest, and it can be accessed from any touch tone phone 24 hours a day.
The content of the Cat-Net Calendar is based on Don's careful review of newspapers, magazines, TV, newsletters, and the public and private sources of Cat-Net members. Every member can update his or her personal calendar of business, professional and social events for an entire week with a three minute phone call.
Additionally, Don invites members to events by three means: first by calling the Cat-Net Calendar (voice mail), by being invited by Don's sophisticated automatic dialing computer or by mailed invitations. Members must have their own personal answering machine. The sponsoring individuals for events need an answering machine for accumulating the R.S.V.P.'s.
Membership in Cat-Net is by referral. Membership information is not offered through general advertising. The desire is to attract select individuals anxious to participate. Those seeking membership can contact an existing member for sponsorship.
Don asks individual members to exercise care and judgment when inviting guests to functions. He says, "We are creating an organizational personality which is the sum of its individual parts." Membership is revocable if a member abuses the computer access system. There is an annual membership fee to access the Calendar and to receive weekly event an nouncements and invitations.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Don says there are an average of 550 events going on in Honolulu each week. Additionally he may stage as many as 200 member events a year including private parties, theatre parties, cruises, art openings, club and restaurant openings and charity events.
Perhaps the most popular Cat-Net events are the Tuesday night business mixers. These events consist of between 150 and 400 business people and professionals attending a mixer cocktail party at a different restaurant location every week. Here people network and gather both leads and social contacts.
Members pay a modest admission charge and pay for their drinks. The restaurant provides the hors d'oeurves.
SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday evenings are the time for social entertainment functions, plays, concerts, art openings, movie premiers and stage events. Thursday evenings are also very popular with professionals and business people.
Other events include beach and boat parties, dinner parties, wine tastings, holiday parties, anniversaries and theme parties (which are always a special challenge to Don).
We asked Don to describe a couple of typical events to which one might be invited. Don described a wine tasting party hosted by a friend and member. It's a sumptuous wine tasting held every year with more than 750 people invited to Don's friend's home for hors d'oeurves and wines from around the world.
"He has money," Don says, "and the place to hold such an event, but he is unable to spend the time required to select and invite the guests. So he leaves it to my discretion. These gatherings have now become the basis for his social and business calendar for the ensuing year."
Sailor John is a retired sea captain who enjoys taking as many as fifty guests out for a picnic sail on his 89 foot catch. He enjoys sailing, but he really enjoys entertaining. Owning an auto parts distributing company doesn't allow John the time to round up 25 to 50 guests for his weekend sails, so he relies on Don and his network to provide the guests.
