In the early days of TechSoft Systems, I remember sitting down to write a proposal for a large prospective client. I had done the research, I had talked with my staff, and I had crunched the numbers. The proposal we developed was a work of art. It was savvy, eloquent, even poetic. It stated all of the reasons why the company should work with us, and it clearly positioned our company as the best of all options in quality, price and service. I mailed the proposal and expected a call within a couple of days. But the call never came.
I ran into a contact from the company at a social function a few months later. I enquired about the progress, thinking that the decision had simply been delayed. “We hired someone else,” he said. “We were really impressed by their questions. They learned our business, how we operate, the terminology we use. They already felt like insiders.”
That day was a pivotal point in my company’s history. No longer do I go to a customer with answers. I lead with questions. No longer do I expect them to understand the language I use; I seek first to understand theirs. Being a leader means showing respect for someone else’s situation, their culture and their creativity… and recognizing that if the solutions were easy, they would have already developed them.
Respect for our clients is a critical element of the TechSoft Systems culture. We are candid, we admit mistakes and we have learned enough organizations’ internal acronyms to fill volumes. The respect we have shown our clients has come back to us in the form of customer loyalty and referrals. We know that our clients have other options, and we are grateful when they choose to work with us.
Clifford Bailey
CEO of TechSoft Systems, Inc.