➣ SOFTWARE BUYING STRATEGIES FOR AIRPORTS AND GOVERNMENTS ➣ Airport departments want software that’s simple yet powerful, delivered by a competent and honest partner. However, post-Covid, the challenge of finding that next software partner has changed; in some cases dramatically. Airport software buyers are now researchers, explorers, experiencers, networkers and self-educators – and it’s significantly impacting the traditional software purchasing process. The Price Only mantra of yesterday has been replaced with Trust, Verify, Perform & Relate. If you are not selecting your vendors and partners with these in mind, you’re possibly linking your airport with a company that won’t be there for you when you need them most.Here are a few core purchasing strategies that you can use right now:➊ Trust: Have you heard of the company you’re pursuing? Did they show up on your web search? Do you trust the sources that drove them to your list? What is the degree of trust that other airports/peers place in them? ➋ Verify: Reach out to your established and trusted network to ask them those same questions? Would they hire them again? What would they do differently this time around? ➌ Perform: When it comes time for contract negotiations, spend some time memorializing your expectations, the timing in which you expect things to occur, and what happens if they don’t. Even if all of it doesn’t get added to the final agreement, you’ve given them your expectations, much of which should be able to find its way to the final agreement.➍ Relate: During the interview process, how do you relate to the salesperson? Could you see them becoming someone in the future that you’d call just to say hello, or ask for help? If you travel and run into them, can you have conversations (even share a glass of wine) with them without them always trying to sell you? Do they ask questions about you, your family and your airport that don’t always revolve around what they’re selling you? If you or your airport need some help along these lines, let’s connect. Whether or not we decide to do business together, I am confident that our call will be full of insights and actionable steps that can help you select the right software vendor the very next time.Click or copy this link to your browser and pick a time that best works for you: https://calendly.com/spencerstewart 805-245-9050 | SStewart@GoCivix.com