EDA Journal Vol 11. No.1 Winter 2018 | Page 9

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY It is usually part of a long-term repositioning and/ or growth strategy and being close to your client through that entire journey allows you to be better positioned to be there when a relocation or expansion investment decision is on the cards. SHOW ME THE MONEY Do you need to have the ability to offer financial incentives to be successful in this space? Simply put, yes. However, the more accurate question is, do I need to use financial incentives? The answer, maybe not. You need incentives to get a seat at the table, however it is true that in many instances the non-financial incentives will out-value the financial, and in the longer term, the client may not even wish to pursue financial incentives. But it is without question that when asked by the client or the site selection consultant whether you have financial incentives available, a negative answer will almost always see discussions terminated before they begin. Just like any recruitment process with many applicants, finding a way to shorten the list of candidates is necessary, even if we don’t like it. I don’t think anyone would argue that when all is said and done, the actual amount of incentives (particularly here in Australia compared to what can be obtained overseas) may not even be in the top five decision making factors of the client. Issues such as high-speed internet and access to