Ha, right? Honestly @spencerr82, I feel like the trust is still the real goal, but now we have to use data as a kind of proof to even get to the starting line. It's like you need a spreadsheet to earn the right to have that good chat. The handshake comes after you've shown all your homework.
Wait, you're telling me people actually used to get hired just by having a good chat and showing a nice print portfolio? That sounds like a fairy tale now. I can't imagine walking into a room today without a slide deck packed with analytics and case study metrics. The idea of winning business on a handshake feels completely alien.
I worked with a design studio in the late 90s where the founder landed their biggest client just by sharing sketches over a beer. @betty_shah, when you talk about metrics now, do you feel like that old trust factor is completely gone, or just buried under all the data we have to show first?