IRSI is a good one!

Well hello all,

Glad you could join me again. I am trying to collect all my thoughts and experiences from the recent ISRI conference and somehow cobble it into a ball of meaning and insight, but there is JUST SO MUCH. If you were in attendance you know what I mean; it's a huge conference with a huge exhibit area, right on the Las Vegas strip, in the heart of casino country... let's just say the environment is intended to be nothing short of overstimulating... But even through all of that, this year more than the couple of years before, I got the distinct feeling that people were there FOR BUSINESS. This was not a pleasure-cruise, this is money at stake

I was there to support our exhibit and provide demonstrations, so I was pretty much working the whole time while at the booth for Verichek. There was a diverse range of people and interests represented there, beyond metals analysis, of course. I came away with some new ideas for better addressing some under served markets with my products, which is always a good thing for business, and I heard from a lot of people about what is important to them.

It wasn't always "well you know, what I find important in the metals business..." though that did essentially happen a couple of times. But the very interesting things were what people responded to unconsciously... the way they wrinkled their brow or pursed their lips when certain things were mentioned. If you watch people carefully, you can see the wheels turning.

And for the first time in maybe the last 3 or so years, the price was not THE primary concern. Oh sure, they wanted to know what the price was, but the ballpark numbers didn't evoke the response they did a year ago, though they are essentially unchanged. The slight widening of the eyes wasn't there... the uncomfortable shift of weight.

The discussion didn't lead with price and the questions weren't about how we could whittle away the cost or throw in extra warranties or finance it on a 200 month lease, it was much more...substantial... than that.

Finally the conversation is returning to performance and value, the things they should have been all along!

When people begin to understand the value of an instrument beyond the price of the instrument, it becomes apparent that the value is greater only IF you apply the device in an effective manner. The small scrap yard that doesn't see but a few hundred thousand per year in revenues may not think an analyzer is of enough value, but if they dig deeper they find that they can add value to the equation in other ways, perhaps offering metal analysis services to even smaller yards for a fee, or sharing equipment among yards to spread the cost and still obtain the benefit of having an analyzer to accurately identify and value their products.

One thing everyone seems to be realizing though, their competition is analyzing materials and making it pay. If they can save a penny more because of accurate valuation of their materials, or offer a little more to their customers, they are going to win... sometimes staying competitive is the best reason; there is no standing still, if you aren't moving forward you're falling behind.

Have a great day and I will see you next time!