The conversations between third-party incentive planners and their business clients have become more candid, says one longtime incentive travel provider. The result has been more effective programs that tackle more specific corporate goals.
“The relationship has grown into more of a strategic partnership,” says Janet Traphagen, President of Illinois-based Creative Group Inc. (CreativeGroupInc.com). “I had a meeting with a major pharmaceutical provider and it was so refreshing to hear them say, ‘We are looking at our partnerships differently. We’re going to be more transparent with you.’ It’s not about three bids and buy anymore.”
Traphagen says she can’t pinpoint whether the trend started only this year or happened more gradually, but the benefits are unmistakable. “If you go back 10 years, it was much more about hardcore negotiation, cost savings and risk mitigation. Those are still important, but there is much less of an attempt to commoditize what we do.”
By having a better understanding of the role that incentive planners play, clients’ procurement departments are more comfortable sharing corporate objectives and points of pain. In short, there is more trust. “We can have much more strategic conversations at a higher level,” Traphagen says. “Because they’re bringing us into what they are trying to accomplish as a company, we have a greater probability of success and so do they.”
