HEAVY DUTY: ON TECHNOLOGY

Ken Duval spoke at length, covering a number of subjects including mergers and their affect on businesses, the industry, and technology, but his comments on the Internet were particularly noteworthy.

“Without a doubt, the most confusing part (of today’s market) is the perceived importance of technology.”

While he joked that the laptop computer has turned good salespeople into lousy secretaries, he was more serious about the impact of the Internet.

“Websites can provide a marvelous opportunity,” but only if the customer is still taken care of. “If I ask my customer to learn my system, I’m only asking for trouble. It’s not revolutionary, it’s another tool for your business.

“The bottom line on technology is that business is still business. The more high tech you are, the more high touch you must be.”