Davos 2014 for Sales Professionals as well

For those journalists who attend loads of conferences and regularly rub shoulders with both the good and great as well as the rich and powerful, Davos is merely part of the annual news circuit.

Those journalists  who are miffed because they were not invited or not sent by their editor to cover this year’s Annual World Economic Forum at Davos tended to criticise it as a junket not relevant to we ordinary mortals.

Those who do attend but are unable to secure interviews with the A listed CEOs tend to write lightweight gossip pieces about the champagne receptions or celebrity ‘tosh’ as if Davos was a pre-cursor the Oscars. They are also tempted to provide their own story rather than report on what Davos did cover.

This year’s ‘story’  was only that 15% women delegates. This was a perfectly valid observation but they could have also reported on the many discussions on Women’s role in business in the world as well at the contribution of women at the conference but perhaps that was too much hard work to attend such events at Davos. It must be easier to scroll through twitter and conjure up a story with a coffee and Danish to hand in the comfy vestibules of Davos.

As a Z-lister , (perhaps out of envy) I do get rather fed up about the lack of content such journalists supply me. They seem to just sneer for the sake of it or want to prove they are the intellectual equal of a CEO , Banker etc which if they had not taken to journalism as a profession they too would  also be a high networth CEO. ( of course one or two in TV are. Any anchors come to mind ?  !)

However  for most 'journos.' that is about as delusional as Walter Mitty . Just because they might  once have been president of their University political debating club they believe that is equivalent to the grown up  world of real politics or business with real dilemma and responsibilities. Those in real power have  to take decisions and live with the consequences.


Perhaps Roger McGough's clever poem on leadership is worth re-reading

The Leader

I wanna be the leader

I wanna be the leader

Can I be the leader?

Can I? I can?

Promise? Promise?

Yippee I'm the leader

I'm the leader

OK what shall we do?

Roger McGough

Deference to our ‘betters’ , respect for our leaders is not fashionable today. To show respect is viewed as subservient.

Yet the reality is that we plebs can attend Davos through the webcasts.

 We can read the programme of events. 

We can view some of the discussions and if we are lucky can even put our own questions to some of the world’s business leaders via twitter.

OK we don’t get to some of the ‘top secret’ meetings – (neither do the journalists) but we do get to hear these leaders talk for longer than the facile snippets of edited garbage purporting to be coverage of the World Economic Forum and what it does.

Because every sales professional has a part to play as ambassador for their company ,I recommend that you attend Davos via the webcasts to hear what some of the top business leaders are thinking.

For example Doing business the right way which includes CEO on the panel Pepsico’s  Indra Nooyi one of the 15% of women at Davos.

 Seek out the programme and tune in to find out what many of the world’s top business leaders consider to be the strategic priorities they see for their staff, customers and stakeholders.

I find Davos useful and interesting. As one slaving down in the engine room of the ship of business, it is a privilege to be asked to join the captain on the bridge once in a while - even it is only via a webcast.

Related Links

 Davos 2014 programme and Site