Steve Newton of Tripkicks captures Fortune 100 companies’ business with videos made in mmhmm

When Covid hit, Tripkicks, a business travel technology company, had to reimagine their business model. While the travel industry reeled from whirlwind changes and spooked customers, Tripkicks sprung into action by reconfiguring their offerings. They switched to helping business travelers navigate the wildly varying rules and requirements for travel around the world. Their pivot wound up being a desperately-needed service in an uncertain world.

Altering their business model only solved part of the problem. Steve Newton, Head of Sales, wondered how he could convince customers to come on board with Tripkicks without the face-to-face meetings he had relied on. That’s when Tripkicks began enhancing their sales calls with mmhmm.

“When we were going through Covid and we realized that we were going to this virtual world. I had to find a way to stand out and be different. mmhmm was that way to be different from day one,” said Newton.

"I know that we wouldn't be where we're at today if it weren't for mmhmm’s help.”

Steve Newton

Head of Sales, Tripkicks

Before Covid, Newton had always secured new business by fostering relationships face-to-face. Without the nonverbal cues and real-time adjustments he used to make in-person, Newton had to figure out how to make his conversations come to life over video.

“Before mmhmm, the one thing I hated was going between deck and demo. I think everyone hates a deck, especially for the initial first call,” said Newton. With mmhmm, he found he could show his presentation while staying on-screen, walking through important information with potential customers.

“What I found so attractive was that blend of the demo and the deck, allowing the entire call to be interactive,” Newton said.

To build brand awareness, Newton and his team also used mmhmm to create the Positive Travel Alert, a weekly video series highlighting the good news in the travel industry each week.  “I'd use mmhmm to put it all together. I loved it! I felt like The Daily Show or a news reporter.”

Posting on LinkedIn, he was able to garner tens of thousands of views and 100+ likes on his videos while also reaching new potential clients – all with a customer acquisition budget of $0.  “Not just partnerships, but client success has really been driven by mmhmm,” said Newton.

Covid was a defining moment that helped Tripkicks understand their potential. With Covid in the rearview mirror, Newton and his team have returned to their original business offering by bringing accurate emissions data, sustainability certifications, and diversity, equity and inclusion information to people who use Concur Travel, a popular enterprise travel booking system.

The team often finds that using mmhmm helps them close deals with some of the biggest companies in the world. They record custom demos for late stage clients, doing visual walkthrough videos that address each customer’s specific needs.

“mmhmm shines greater on the bigger and the more complicated opportunities and deals where we don't need to send them another PDF, we don't need to send them another e-mail outlining the answers to their questions. We need to show them what we're talking about,” said Newton.

Newton knows that helping prospects get to know the sales team is as crucial to closing deals as the product itself. Information is important, but customers sign up when they want to build ongoing relationships with the people behind Tripkicks. mmhmm ensures that prospects get to know the people behind the brand with every video call and recording.

“None of our clients have gone through a demo that didn't include mmhmm. We started from zero and now we're here, and it was all through mmhmm,” said Newton. “I'm totally sincere that it's been a game changer for us. I know that we wouldn't be where we're at today if it weren't for mmhmm’s help.”