In 2026, clients are comparing every vendor's offerings to the capabilities of now-commonplace frontier LLMs and general-purpose AI assistants. What are some hallmarks of software companies and technology consultants who show up as genuine, good-faith potential partners, ready to help clients grapple with that evaluation? In contrast, what behaviors may not only close the door on a deal but also lead a vendor to develop a lasting, not-so-great reputation? In this short presentation, hear one technology leader's views, distilled from some (suitably anonymized) real-world examples.
