Clientize - Infocus Article

In Focus Magazine

As President of her firm called Clientize, Margaret Grisdela is known by many as the consummate networker. She is the Founder and President of the Technology Forum of South Florida. She holds a B.A. from Wayne State University and a M.B.A. in Finance from The George Washington University. Ms. Grisdela is a member of the Florida Direct Marketing Association.

IFI: This may seem like a free advertisement for Clientize, but we’re curious. From gathering prospect information with forms to extending marketing reach with email, you’ve started a company that specializes in client/customer interaction. What drove you to focus on this sort of ASP model?

Grisdela: Companies are spending a lot of money to get visitors to their web sites. When visitors get there, companies don’t know whom they are. There’s a joke that goes: “Knock! Knock!” “Who’s there?” “Don’t know.” You don’t know who’s coming to your web site? We’re giving web sites easy interaction with their visitors. We will be hosting all the data for our customers.

IFI: What are the advantages of your service?

Grisdela: Our customers can focus on their core competency. They don’t have to worry about having a database administrator or someone who can do an HTML page. They just tell us what they need and we get it done for them.

IFI: For years we have worked to promote what is now being called the InternetCoast. We are proud to carry the InternetCoast banner and what it represents; progress, diversity, and opportunity. What are your thoughts as you reflect on this movement?

Grisdela: I’ve been encouraged to see what’s going on here in South Florida with the InternetCoast initiative. South Florida has a very strong high-tech base. The tech field is much larger here than the people appreciate. We have 5,800 high-tech companies here and 76,000 people working in them. Technology is a field where there are a lot of opportunities for everybody.

IFI: We have met and presented some wonderful people working behind the scenes to make the InternetCoast initiative work. We have formed some great alliances, partnerships and friends. From your perspective, how has the InternetCoast initiative helped bring this community together us far?

Grisdela: As a community, people know each other better down here. There are opportunities for people to find partners, customers, and vendors more readily through some of these networking opportunities. So, I think that is good.

IFI: We believe that we have to reach youth and bring them into the whole equation and often act on our desire to include them. What are your thoughts regarding our youth and technology?

Grisdela: We need to make sure that students here are getting good quality education, getting computer and Internet experience from their early schooling days.