No formal meeting. No paper. They wanted everything (actually a massive presentation) rendered down to short paragraphs and simple exhibits with detailed attachments for reference. The goal...accuracy in communication, ease in decision-making, complete documentation, and speed.
Now while I would normally take a "decline to meet" as negative, I see where this is actually a vote of confidence. They trust the work but want it delivered in a way that fits how they do business. With email they can follow the presentation sequence, ask questions, get answers and document everything along the way.
I get that we are living in a time of transition...a consumer-driven economy where we serve customers in whatever way they want to be served...through a cloud in cyberspace or by walking through their door (and everything in between).
But let's not miss the forest for the trees...for every client that asks for paper, there are a dozen or more that want a complete online platform to meet their needs that they can access by tablet or phone.
So what should we be doing right now? Several things...and these are immediate priorities...
1. Maintain a professional online profile - people are much more likely to do business with a person or organization that looks awesome online. And they will hold back from doing business with those who look subpar.
2. Be open to "paperless" - yes, there's a learning curve but, trust me, the 30% increase in productivity, profitability and consumer wow is well worth it. This is something that should serve both the internal organization as well as clients.
3. Be active online - share an article (or rewrite one in your own words), post a video, white paper and/or testimonials. Online platforms (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook) favor active users. Like the telephone, the best results come when you use it.
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