| Having trouble finding the answers
to your questions? SAMA has compiled some of its most frequently asked
questions in the areas of Membership, Knowledge Resources, Meetings
/ Events and Marketing to help you find the answers even faster. Of
course, we always welcome your calls, so please don’t hesitate
to contact us at 312-251-3131 (simply press zero and your call will
be routed to the appropriate person). |
| Please choose a category from the list below or simply
scroll down the page: |
| |
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| Q: Can you tell me about the SAMA Membership
Levels and what I or we as a company would receive with each? |
| A: SAMA’s Tiered Membership structure is cumulative:
with the exception of the discounts, each membership level (Gold,
Silver, Bronze & Individual) includes the benefits listed for
that level as well as the benefits for each preceding level. To view
full details, click
here. |
| Q: Is there a ?Pay-One-Price? membership for my whole company?
|
| A: Yes, you may become a “Gold level”
Corporate member by paying one price for membership privileges for
your entire company. Contact Matt Fegley at 312-251-3131, ext. 10
or e-mail fegley@strategicaccounts.org
for details. |
| Q: What is included in the Competitive
Advantage Resource Materials package? |
A: Unlocking Profits (50 copies)
The Trust Imperative (50 copies)
Harnessing Global Potential (50 copies)
CD-ROM, Annual Conference Proceedings 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (2 copies)
Hyperlink to Conference on the Web, Annual Conference Proceedings 2002 On-line
Annual Compensation Survey (2 copies) |
| Q: Is SAMA membership more beneficial for
Strategic Account Managers or the head of the SAM program? |
| A: SAMA provides information and networking opportunities
for both account managers and those charged with managing your strategic
account program. For example, there are “account manager”
and “program director / VP” tracks at the Annual Conference.
Additionally, we encourage every Director / VP to attend the Executive
Leadership Symposium and bring their boss. As a result, the Leadership
Symposium has hosted a number of CEO’s and Presidents of Fortune
1000 companies. |
| Q: Can resource credits be applied toward
SAMA events? |
| A: No. Resource credits are limited to the acquisition
of resources only. For a complete listing of SAMA resources, click
here. |
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| Q: Do you have any regional chapters? |
| A: No. SAMA holds annual meetings on a national
and international scale. Additionally, SAMA will host “Best Practice
Forum” meetings in a number of cities in North America and Europe
throughout the year in an attempt to bring the learnings “closer
to home” for those who are unable to physically attend the national
or international functions. These local meetings will help build a
“grassroots” network of interested individuals who can continue
to network informally. The vast majority of benefits available from
SAMA are accessible online – from the rich library of resources
to the deep network of peers who can be tapped via the SAMA Peer Directory. To learn more about the
Best Practice Forums, click
here. |
| Q: How does the SAMA billing cycle work? |
| A: SAMA provides a full year of membership beginning
the month we receive your payment and running until the same month
the following year. We are happy to provide a group invoice to a company
with more than one member. |
| Q: Is membership transferable? |
| A: Yes. You may transfer a membership from any
member in good standing to any other individual who meets membership
requirements in the same company at no charge. |
| Q: If I leave my company, can I take my membership with me?
|
| A: When an individual pays for his or her own membership, he or she is entitled to take the membership with them to their new company. Contact the SAMA membership department for details.
|
| Q: I signed up for the conference when
we were bronze members, but someone in my company didn’t renew
between the date of registration and the actual meeting date: Do I
still get the bronze rate? |
| A: Yes. A company must have the required number
of members at the time of registration. As a bonus, if you sign up
at one level, and other people from your company join SAMA and raise
your company’s level of membership to the next highest tier,
you will be refunded the difference in registration price. |
| Q: Can I try out a 24-hour membership? |
| A: No. Unfortunately, the nature of the membership
makes a trial period impossible. Benefits including the entire library
of resources, and the membership directory are downloadable, and
can be gathered in a single day. Therefore, we require that all
interested parties become members to access any membership benefits.
However, an interested prospective member may be able to request
a sample article or copy of Velocity™ to ensure that
the information they seek is indeed available. Also, the titles
of all of the contents of the library are available to non-members.
|
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| Q: Are you going to put me on some sort
of list and sell it? |
| A: Under no circumstances are SAMA members’
demographics released to any party outside of the membership. On a
limited basis, SAMA members may be surveyed by SAMA’s research
partners for the purpose of creating studies intended to broaden the
knowledge base of the strategic account management community. |
| Q: Can I use the peer directory to look
someone up at a company I’d like to sell to and ask that person
to help me approach the company? |
| A: SAMA takes extraordinary measures to prevent
solicitation by fellow SAMA members. All members read and acknowledge
a statement requiring that they not use the database for the purpose
of selling. As a safeguard, the member database is seeded with watchdog
names so that anyone found to be sending promotional materials will
have their membership revoked. |
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| Q: What does the whole area of “Education &
Resources” encompass? |
| A: SAMA’s Education & Resources include a wide
range of resource materials on subjects related to strategic account
management: books, CD-ROMs and audiotapes, meeting and training presentations,
articles, research reports, Velocity magazine issues and articles,
Focus: Europe newsletter issues and articles and free-standing
papers from practitioners, consultants and academics.
SAMA members listed in the Peer Directory are resources on a variety
of SAM-related topics and issues. You may search the member database
to find the names and contact information for peers having experience
and knowledge in specific areas of SAM. Searches on individual subjects
also will list peers in the search results table.
Practitioners, consultants and academics who have presented at
SAMA meetings and / or taught SAMA University workshops also are
listed in search results. Enter a name in the keyword search or
select one or more subjects and the corresponding names will appear
in the results table.
Additionally, SAMA provides an extensive variety of Internet links
on SAM-related subjects. These links will appear in resource searches
with corresponding hyperlinks to other Web sites, specific Web pages
or papers.
SAMA is not responsible for the privacy
practices or the content of any third-party Web sites, including
those for which we may provide a link on our site. Any information
provided by a user to such third-party sites is subject to the privacy
practices of that third-party and not SAMA. Nor is SAMA responsible
for the quality of the products and services made available at any
such third-party site. |
| Q: What resource materials are FREE to
SAMA members? What resources are available for purchase? |
| A: SAMA offers members free access to hundreds
of documents on-line, following log on with e-mail address and password.
Documents free to members only include presentation materials from
previous meetings and workshops, all Velocity and Focus newsletters issues and articles, most of the research study reports
and a wide range of miscellaneous papers and articles.
A number of resources are available for purchase by nonmembers
and SAMA members; prices are discounted for members according to
level of membership. Resources to buy include books, CD-ROMs, audiotapes,
journal / newsletter reprints and the annual report of the Survey
of Strategic Account Management Compensation Practices. Additionally,
nonmembers may purchase subscriptions to Velocity™ magazine
and the Focus newsletters as well as back issues and
articles of both of these publications, and selected research reports.
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| Q. What is strategic account management
(SAM) and how do you recommend I begin to learn the fundamentals of
SAM? |
| A: Go to What
is Strategic Account Management to find SAMA’s definition
of strategic account management. You may also want to read through
the in-depth definitions of 36 related topics in the Subject
Glossary - this will give you an overview of all of the areas
impacted and encompassed by strategic account management. |
| Q: I need help finding some resources,
does SAMA offer personal help? |
| A: If you can’t find what you need on the
Web site, contact SAMA's Membership Manager, Sarah Foresman,
at 312-251-3131, ext. 27 or foresman@strategicaccounts.org. |
| Q: What’s the quickest way to find
resources on a particular subject? |
| A. Select the desired topic in the Subject search
field to produce a list of all resources on that subject. If you don’t
see the subject you want listed, select a subject logically associated
with your topic. For example, if you’re searching for material
on “customer loyalty,” you can locate relevant documents
by selecting “customer satisfaction,” a topic to which loyalty
is closely related. |
| Q: What resources (including research)
are available to the academic community, and specifically to students? |
| A. SAMA’s library of knowledge resources
is available to academics through membership, the same as practitioners
and consultants who join the organization for the education, training,
resources and networking.
Academic students constitute the only category of nonmembers eligible
for restricted access to SAMA’s knowledge resources. Typically,
a student contacts SAMA when researching source material for
a graduate level paper. SAMA’s policy is to request a description
of the paper and specific topic areas within strategic account
management to be covered. The student may request individual
documents through e-mail and / or solicit recommendations of
relevant resources from SAMA’s Education & Resources department.
In exchange, the student submits an electronic copy of the completed
paper for possible inclusion in SAMA’s on-line library for
members. Students seeking documents from SAMA may contact Elisabeth
Cornell, Director of Education & Resources, at 312-251-3131, ext.
16 or cornell@strategicaccounts.org. |
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| Q: I’d like to contact some other
SAMA members who are knowledgeable in certain areas of strategic account
management. How can I do this? |
| A: Networking and benchmarking with other SAMA
members is an essential tool in launching, restructuring or improving
your own SAM program and SAMA provides multiple opportunities for
members to reach out and talk with others in the SAM community.
The member database is provided on-line for the benefit of members
wanting to locate others in their geographic area as well as individuals
having similar positions or employed in specific industries. Search
the database by name, title, company, city, state, country, region,
industry, annual sales, peer directory or combinations of the above.
Click on Resource Search and select Peer Network under Resource
Type. Then optionally select one or more corresponding subjects
to display the names of SAMA members who have volunteered to be
networking contacts on subjects about which they have knowledge
and experience. You can contact these people directly and introduce
yourself as a fellow SAMA member. Should you wish a recommendation
from SAMA staff of a person to contact or if someone you’d
like to contact is not currently in the Peer Directory, check with
Elisabeth Cornell, Director of Education & Resources, at 312-251-3131,
ext. 16 or cornell@strategicaccounts.org.
Also, SAMA’s forums, conferences, symposiums and workshops
all are specially structured to provide attendees with opportunities
to network and exchange experiences, both inside and outside meeting
sessions. |
| Q: How do I find out about available SAM
speakers, consultants and trainers and their areas of expertise? |
| A: SAM speakers, consultants and trainers who are
members of the organization are listed in the member database; others
are listed as professionals who have presented case studies, subject
sessions and / or skill building workshops at various SAMA events.
Using the search fields, you can locate consultants by entering
a name or selecting a subject area. Search results for a name search
will list the person along with their bio as well as list the titles
of any authored resources that may include presentations, audiotapes,
reports and articles. Search results by subject will list out all
speakers, consultants and trainers who have presented on that subject
or authored any related resources, along with any other documents
related to that subject. To narrow your search just to the names
of speakers, consultants and trainers within a specific subject,
select Speakers, Consultants and Trainers in the Resource Type after
making your subject selection.
Referrals are a benefit of membership and include recommendations,
upon request by members, to speakers, consultants or trainers who
have a working relationship with SAMA. On an individual basis and
based on the stated needs, SAMA will suggest three different experts
or firms (if possible) and provide their bios and contact information.
The individual member then contacts the experts directly to determine
the best fit for their requirements. To request a referral, please
contact Libby Cannon, Program Development Manager, at 260-927-1774
or cannon@strategicaccounts.org.
|
| Q: My company wants to provide on-site
training for our strategic account managers – can SAMA help with
this? |
| A: For individual members, SAMA can provide referrals
to selected consultants and trainers that a member can contact directly
for consideration of their training needs. Corporate-level members
may request additional help from SAMA to assist them in obtaining
customized training courses from selected consultants and trainers
as well as additional recommendations for group training. |
| Q: Can SAMA direct me to other Internet
resources on SAM-related topics? |
| A: To locate other SAM-related resources on the
Internet, use the search function to select Internet from the Resource
Category and select your desired subjects from the Subject Category.
The search results will provide you with a list of hyperlinks to all
relevant sites and Web pages. Internet links are a new feature of
SAMA’s knowledge resources and some subject areas are more extensive
than others. Look for new links to be added on a regular basis. |
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| Q: I’m interested in getting more
involved in SAMA. What kind of volunteer activities are there? |
| A: Volunteering is a great way to “give
back” to your professional organization as well as enhance
your own learning and understanding about strategic account management.
SAMA has a strong volunteer base and is always looking for new contributors
to our knowledge community. Based on your experience and expertise,
please consider any of the following ways to volunteer your talents
and contact the corresponding SAMA staff member for more information:
Contact Elisabeth Cornell (cornell@strategicaccounts.org)
to:
- Join the Peer Directory as a peer contact on various SAM subjects
- Author a paper on a SAM topic for inclusion in SAMA’s on-line
library of resources
- Contribute a company document (illustrating a SAM process or
best practice) to SAMA’s on-line library of resources
Contact Katherine Gotsick (gotsick@strategicaccounts.org)
about:
- Sponsoring an upcoming event or project
Contact Libby Cannon (cannon@strategicaccounts.org)
to:
- Recommend a speaker, consultant or trainer
- Submit a proposal to present a session or workshop at an upcoming
event
|
| Q: How can members who are speakers, consultants,
trainers or academics volunteer and get more involved in SAMA? |
| A: SAMA members who are speakers, consultants,
trainers or academics are eligible to volunteer for the same activities
as company practitioners, as described in the above question, with
the following cautions: networking and participating in The Peer
Directory must be conducted without
soliciting or marketing services directly to any members, in order
to preserve our open, knowledge-sharing community; also, most SAMA
research surveys are targeted to the strategic account professionals
(the practitioners) and are not open to participation by speakers,
consultants, trainers or academics. Any surveys relevant to the
latter audience will be specifically promoted to this group.
SAM subject experts and trainers are highly valued for the knowledge
they contribute to the membership through meetings, presentation
materials, articles and papers. Their expertise and offerings to
companies implementing a SAM program, developing SAM processes and
improving SAM performance is readily apparent through the content
and quality of the knowledge they share and the professionalism
of their presentations. |
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| Q: What is the process for submitting a
speaker proposal for a session at an upcoming SAMA meeting? |
| A: SAMA accepts proposals throughout the year for
upcoming meetings. For individual meetings, there will be a Call For
Practices providing detailed information about the event and asking
for submissions of proposals for specific sessions and workshops.
Proposals typically provide a brief overview of the proposed session
along with the key learnings and an outline of the major areas covered
in the session. Please complete a Call
For Practices Submission Form. For more information, contact Libby
Cannon, Program Development Manager, at 260-927-1774 or cannon@strategicaccounts.org. |
| Q: Does SAMA partner with other companies,
consulting firms or academics to conduct some of its research studies? |
| A: Yes. If you’re planning a research
project in an area related to strategic account management and wish
to discuss potential collaboration with SAMA, please contact Tony Monterastelli, Manager of Resource Development, at 312-251-3131, ext.
34 or monterastelli@strategicaccounts.org.
SAMA is particularly interested in research designed to elicit
SAM current and best practices as well as explore new and leading-edge
thinking in the areas of SAM infrastructure, process, performance,
technology tools, program metrics and customer-supplier partnerships. |
| Q: Can SAMA help me market my new publication
on strategic account management? |
| A: SAMA does not promote, market or distribute
any publications other than those of the Strategic Account Management
Association. However, we provide a bibliography of SAM-related reading
on our Web site and also showcase noteworthy books on a rotating basis.
We strive to keep current on the works of thought leaders in strategic
account management and related business areas and appreciate news
of any recent publications. If you have a new publication coming out,
we would appreciate receiving a review copy. Please send to:
Greg Bartlett
Resource Specialist
SAMA
33 N. LaSalle St., STE. 3700
Chicago, IL 60602 |
| Q: I have questions about purchasing resources
online, whom can I contact at SAMA? |
| A: For help with buying resources online or over
the phone, please contact Sarah Foresman, Membership Manager,
at 312-251-3131, ext. 27 or foresman@strategicaccounts.org. |
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| Q: Does SAMA have a registration
deadline for its conference / programs? |
| A: SAMA does not have registration deadlines, you
can register anytime for an event and also register on-site. Please
keep in mind that some classes fill up quickly, so please register
as early as possible. |
| Q: If I registered and can no longer attend,
am I able to send someone in my place? |
| A: Yes, substitutions are allowed. Please keep
in mind that if your replacement has a different membership status
additional fees may apply. |
| Q: If I cancel my registration after the
“no refund” date, will I be able to apply the money to another
event? |
| A: Unfortunately you will not be able to apply
the money to another event, but we encourage you to send a replacement.
|
| Q: Will I receive confirmation of my registration
for SAMA programs? |
| A: Yes, a confirmation of your program registration
will be emailed to you once you have paid in full. This letter may also serve as a receipt. |
| Q: What is the dress code for SAMA’s
meetings and events? |
| A: The dress code for all meetings and events is
business casual. |
| Q: How do I register for the Annual Conference? |
| A: You can register for the Annual Conference by
completing all three pages of the Registration Form, which can be
found in the SAMA
Conference Brochure, and mailing or faxing the form directly to
the SAMA Office. Or you can register online. |
| Q: What is the Annual Conference Team
Plus Program? |
| A: It is designed to maximize the experience of
companies bringing ten or more employees to the Annual Conference.
The benefits include discounted registration fees, a single point
of contact for all your teams special needs, a streamlined process
for registration and hotel reservations, reserved meetings space
and much more. For more information, contact Director of Membership, Matt Fegley via e-mail or call 312-251-3131 ext. 10. |
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| Q: What does the Annual Conference fee
include? |
| A: The Annual Conference fee includes: sessions,
session materials, breakfasts, lunches, receptions, dinners and entertainment
events (does not include the hotel room, golf outing). |
| Q: How do I make my hotel reservation for
the Annual Conference? |
| A: You can secure a hotel reservation for the SAMA
Annual Conference by completing the Hotel Form, which can be found
in the SAMA
Conference Brochure, and faxing directly to the hotel fax number
provided. Or you can register online. |
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| Q: I am interested in writing an
article for your quarterly magazine, Velocity®. Whom should
I contact and when would my article be due? |
| A: Article proposals may be submitted at any time. There is no guarantee that any unsolicited article will be published. If your article is chosen to be published, you will be contacted and given exact details on your due date. Velocity® is published and distributed electronically the third week of January, April, July and October. Articles being published are generally due two to three months in advance of the publication date. Contact Tony Monterastelli, Manager of Resource Development, at 312-251-3131, ext. 34 or monterastelli@strategicaccounts.org for further information. |
| Q: I am interested in placing an ad in
your quarterly magazine, Velocity®. Who should I contact and
when would my ad be due? |
| A: Velocity® is published the third week
of January, April, July and October. Ads are generally due (in either
electronic form or on film) one month in advance of the publication
date. An ad insertion order must be signed and executed in order to
guarantee space in a particular issue. Contact Katherine Gotsick,
Director of Operations at 312-251-3131, ext. 13 or gotsick@strategicaccounts.org.
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| Q: My company would like to be a sponsor
at one of your events. How should I get involved in sponsorship opportunities? |
| Prospective sponsors are strongly encouraged to
contact Katherine Gotsick, Director of Operations at 312-251-3131, ext.
13 or gotsick@strategicaccounts.org
to discuss sponsorship opportunities. SAMA’s sponsorship opportunities
are “non-traditional” and therefore, prospective sponsors
need to communicate openly and understand the basis of SAMA sponsorship
before committing to be a sponsor. |
| Q: Are there different levels of sponsorship?
|
| A: Yes. SAMA’s Annual Conference provides
the best opportunities for sponsors to reach the widest number of
prospects and also offers the widest variety of sponsorship opportunities.
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond sponsorships are available
and each has levels of benefits that correspond to the level of the
donation. Contact Katherine Gotsick, Director of Operations at 312-251-3131,
ext. 13 or gotsick@strategicaccounts.org
for details. |
| Q: My company / organization is holding
a meeting that we would like SAMA to sponsor. Does SAMA sponsor other
events? |
| SAMA generally does NOT sponsor or endorse meetings
or products. However, we will entertain inquiries on a case-by-case
basis. Contact Matt Micou, Marketing Manager at 312-251-3131,
ext. 18 or micou@strategicaccounts.org
for details. |
| Q: I am a Marketing / Communications vendor
(Press Release Distributor, Multi-media Designer, Lead List Generator,
etc...) and believe I could help SAMA achieve its marketing goals.
Who should I contact to discuss marketing project opportunities? |
| A: SAMA is always interested in hearing about ways
to improve marketing efforts. Contact our Director of Membership,
Matt Fegley, at 312-251-3131 ext. 10 or via e-mail at fegley@strategicaccounts.org
to discuss potential opportunities. |
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| Q: My company would like to appear
in your MegaLinks section. Is this an option? Who should I contact? |
| A: We are constantly building our MegaLinks section
by adding companies and organizations that share a common vision and
purpose with SAMA. If you believe that adding your company to our
Links section would interest our audience, please contact Scot Goodhart at 312-251-3131 ext. 19 or via e-mail at goodhart@strategicaccounts.org. |
| Q: My company is interested in adding a
link to SAMA’s Web site on our own site. Would you be interested
in gaining exposure to a wider audience in this way? |
| A: Yes, SAMA does appear on other Web sites that
address the broad issues of strategic account management. To discuss
how to best place SAMA on your site, contact Matt fegley at 312-251-3131
ext. 10 or via e-mail at fegley@strategicaccounts.org. |
| Q: I would like to receive marketing materials
from SAMA to distribute to members of my strategic account management
team. Who should I contact? |
| A: Most of SAMA’s marketing materials are
available for free download in PDF format via this Web site. However,
hard copies of all marketing materials can also be sent to you by
contacting Matt Fegley at 312-251-3131 ext. 10 or via e-mail
at fegley@strategicaccounts.org.
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| Q: I’m having trouble opening
resource documents on your Web site. What’s the problem? |
| A: SAMA uses Adobe’s PDF format for almost
all of its online documents so you need to have the free Adobe Acrobat
Reader software to view them. On your computer desktop, click Start,
Programs and look to see if Adobe Acrobat is listed. You’ll need
version 5.0 or higher. If you don’t have it, use this link to
go directly to the download page on the Adobe Systems Web site to
get the latest version of Acrobat
Reader. |
| Q: I’ve opened a resource document
but the print is small and hard to read. How can I make it bigger? |
| A: You have a couple of options. In the middle
of the Acrobat Reader toolbar at the top of the opened document you’ll
see three document-shaped icons in different sizes. Click on the largest
one and the document will enlarge. |
| Q: Do you allow members to download and
save documents to read later? If so, how do I do that? |
| A: The easiest way to “save” documents
to read later is to use MY FOLDER that appears on your personal member
page after you log on. MY FOLDER is a virtual folder for your exclusive
use to store a variety of documents in one place – online. It
gives you the opportunity to select one or more resources in the document
results table, click in the MY FOLDER checkbox for the desired document
and a copy of the link will appear in MY FOLDER. Your reading material
will be there waiting for you at your convenience. You can delete
them at any time. Also, SAMA will deliver documents to your folder
from time to time and add documents on subjects you’ve told us
you’re interested in. |
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| Q: Can I save documents to my hard drive? |
| A: Yes, simply right click on the Filename
link and make a selection according to your Browser’s options.
Internet Explorer users – choose “Save Target
As”, rename the file if desired but be sure to keep the .pdf
extension, and save to your desktop or a folder on your C: drive.
The document will open in Acrobat Reader.
Netscape Navigator users – choose “Save Link
As”, rename the file if desired but be sure to change the extension
to .pdf, then in the box below, select “All Files *.*”
and save to your desktop or folder on your C: drive. Document will
open in Acrobat Reader. |
| Q: I need personal help with my technical
problems, who do I contact? |
A: Contact the SAMA Staff below (8:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m. CST) and they will be happy to assist you
Web site Technical Issues: Scot Goodhart (312-251-3131, ext. 19 or goodhart@strategicaccounts.org)
Resource Document / Acrobat Reader Technical issues: Sarah Foresman (312-251-3131,
ext. 27 or foresman@strategicaccounts.org) |
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Fax: 312.251.3132