Networking is making its biggest advances as a result of the desperate need for innovation. Walls are coming down, on both the marketer and service provider side, to examine new ideas and rehash old concepts previously ignored.
Bringing together the proper parties quickly and efficiently to provide proposals and solutions has pushed the traditional RFP process to the proverbial corner. Companies don’t have the time to compile documents with hundreds of questions outlining their requirements down to the smallest detail, and services providers don’t have the time to prepare and present extensive responses on all areas of their solutions, especially when many RFP’s do not lead to a change in provider at all. Most RFP’s validate the existing program or exact lower costs from the current provider to maintain the business.
Replacing RFP’s is a more open and honest discovery. Relationships cultivated over a period of time allow for frank discussions of scope and costs. The big picture is outlined, pricing is determined, and with a certain degree of trust involved, decisions are made. Many of these networking relationships originate at the major trade shows.
This year the DMA08 in Las Vegas came and went with a whimper. The Exhibit Hall seemed slow from the outset, evidently the number of different options in Vegas made it easy to conduct business without going to the exhibit hall. The DMA did a great job of setting up shuttles to the show and taxi-cabs were abundant so it wasn’t hard to get to the hall, still, more conversations occurred between vendors trying to network and partner with each other rather than talking to potential customers.
But with the Exhibit Hall trudging along for two and a half days, meetings outside the hall or after hours were robust and productive. DMA members continue to value the face to face meetings and introductions through networking at the shows. Lots of contacts are made with new customers as well as vendors that serve the same account. It is no secret that bringing together list brokers and services providers in one forum can improve interaction and the overall support of an account. By improving communication between suppliers, a cataloger can shorten timelines, reduce errors, gain insights, and improve response rates. The DMA easily facilitates that communication.
Pushing forward in spite of the difficult challenges has galvanized existing relationships as often as it has formed new ones. Changing thinking has opened new doors and avenues for success. Going down these paths is not without risk, but standing still creates its own consequences. The best results come to those bold enough to reach for them.
Justin Jackson is an Account Executive with Donnelley Marketing with over 10 years of experience in consultative sales in the multi-channel arena. Email any questions to Justin.Jackson@Donnelleymarketing.com or check out the website: http://www.workone2one.com/. Sign up for a free e-newsletter and receive a free business profile.
