When Webex had their IPO at the turn of the century and people really started paying attention to web conferencing, I figured that business travel would start declining markedly. After all, while videoconferencing had already been available -- albeit at a high price and via largely proprietary, challenging-to-use systems -- web conferencing essentially allowed us to share the same material, e.g. PowerPoint slides and white-board drawing, that we'd share if were in a client's meeting room or office. It seemed so much simpler and cost-effective than going through all the hassle of packing and driving and flying and lodging and dining. When analyzed on paper, it certainly appeared so.
But the death of business travel has been greatly exaggerated. So long as humans are still making decisions about how money is spent (how much, with whom, by when, etc), other humans will still need to get out and connect with them face-to-face. How else can you build a client's confidence such that she will choose what you're offering over someone else's offer? Much as industry tries to mechanize purchasing, e.g. via Ariba or other such platforms, and remove the human factor and its accompanying emotion from the buying equation, the fact is that people are making the decisions and these people are ever-influenceable (yes, we all are). The people who want to sell to them therefore need to create reasons and opportunities to get in front of those human decision-makers and connect to build confidence and trust.
A prospective client recently told me over dinner, "I'm trying to be dispassionate in making my decision." I understand why, because he needs to be able to justify his choice to his management and they will expect to see his analysis of how what I'm offering compares to what my competitors are offering. But what all that analysis will not show is which person and team that client has the best gut-feel about. And that guiding sense, combined with solid analysis of the data, is what is most likely to lead to a choice that delivers what the client wants most of all: success. The quality and commitment of people, i.e. humans, behind the offer will determine -- more than company name, industry analyst rankings, the technical tools involved -- the success the client sees.
But the death of business travel has been greatly exaggerated. So long as humans are still making decisions about how money is spent (how much, with whom, by when, etc), other humans will still need to get out and connect with them face-to-face. How else can you build a client's confidence such that she will choose what you're offering over someone else's offer? Much as industry tries to mechanize purchasing, e.g. via Ariba or other such platforms, and remove the human factor and its accompanying emotion from the buying equation, the fact is that people are making the decisions and these people are ever-influenceable (yes, we all are). The people who want to sell to them therefore need to create reasons and opportunities to get in front of those human decision-makers and connect to build confidence and trust.
A prospective client recently told me over dinner, "I'm trying to be dispassionate in making my decision." I understand why, because he needs to be able to justify his choice to his management and they will expect to see his analysis of how what I'm offering compares to what my competitors are offering. But what all that analysis will not show is which person and team that client has the best gut-feel about. And that guiding sense, combined with solid analysis of the data, is what is most likely to lead to a choice that delivers what the client wants most of all: success. The quality and commitment of people, i.e. humans, behind the offer will determine -- more than company name, industry analyst rankings, the technical tools involved -- the success the client sees.
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