Have Gun, Will Travel: Why Hustlers Win Deals

Most companies say that they are “customer centric” but in most cases it’s pure BS and just a mantra that is ignored or not followed. It’s what you are supposed to say. This is clear by how they spend their time. 

Yet the best founders and CEOs spend much of their time seeing customers. This is the trait of a great early stage Founder to that of a CEO running a multibillion dollar corporation. They are on the road a lot meeting customers or helping close deals. They set an example for the rest of their organization who is always watching them & what they do. 

Yes, during the pandemic and the Covid lockdowns you could close very big deals or investments via zoom. Companies closed their offices and allowed people to work from home. But Covid is over, companies are trying to get their employees back into the offices. 

And from what I see and hear from my companies, people are asking to meet in person now. Especially if the customers have been spending a lot of money. Or expecting to make a decision on a large expenditure. Relationships matter even if your product is awesome & solves their problem well. 

If one CEO is unwilling to travel to get the business, she will lose to the one who will travel. So get on that plane. Zoom is a great way to meet first and qualify them. But you have to meet them in person to close.  This is a people business and people like meeting people.