The Broadhurst Report

A Bargain for the New Year

By Guy Broadhurst

With the New Year we are supposed to make a pledge to ourselves to be a better person, loose weight, earn more money, or. . . well, you fill in the blank. Whatever works for you, I have decided not to make any new resolutions of my own! Instead, I would like make one that is also shared by my customers and my competitors.

Let's all just get along and be honest with each other.

We've all heard this before, from any number of people and companies. But so often, actions speak louder than words and I have to tell you, some days it just seems like its all in one direction. I've mentioned before that Océ has adopted a set of Core Values, these were established at Board-level and filtered throughout the company. Initially they were designed to set guidelines on how we treat each other but they developed into how we also treat everyone we talk to--customers, prospects, partners, suppliers and competitors. Besides that, I am a Christian person, and I value my integrity. Ultimately it's up to me how I treat my peers, customers and for that matter every living thing around me. I suppose my biggest fault--I know I have many--is that I tend to be direct and to the point and for some people that can be hard to take. I push back and ask questions, I know value when I see it, and I don't expect a lot for free. But I do look for value.

But this article isn't about me, its about how we should all do more to treat each other honestly, fairly and with respect.  What a concept!

Recently, a potential customer told us that we had their business, and we had planned to move equipment, unnaturally from our factory through customs and to the customer site, a task that required many people to be involved in three different countries. In addition, we were asked to install before week's end, a 3-day turnaround!. We set it up and later the next day the customer decided to play ball with their previous vendor after we were told the business was ours. Now, I wasn't upset that we lost the business, but the way we were treated. Still, I am not feeling sorry for myself or the company. It's just that the world of business is hard enough without this type of behavior--which truly doesn't benefit anyone. For my part, it was exciting to work with new customers and I value a good run at anything. And overall, when we go head to head with other vendors we win more than half the time. Yet I hear so many stories like this that I wonder how some people sleep at night.

I recently heard of a print provider that was anxiously awaiting delivery and installation of a new piece of equipment, only to be told they would have to wait longer because the machine they ordered had been suddenly sold to another firm. Since most production printing machines are typically built to order--it's not like buying a car-- a move like this can have a significant impact on a print provider's business. The device in question may well have been needed to support new business, so the company probably had to jump through a few hoops to make up the loss of capacity until a replacement could be delivered.

Then there is honesty. The television show House features a cranky, arrogant, vituperative doctor who is charged with the diagnosis of some truly bizarre ailments. In asking patients questions about their condition and medical history he finds, as he frequently claims, "Everybody lies."

Well, maybe not everybody, but my personal guess is in nearly a third of the daily cases I deal with someone is being careless with the truth. This is sad. It can be a customer under- or overstating their print volumes, the complexity of applications, the size of their physical plant or skill of their employees. It can be competitors over promising the capabilities of their technology or the ability to meet the customer's expectations and schedules. While telling the truth can, at times, be painful or even lose a deal, it is always so much better than deceptive claims, empty promises and outright untruths. All too often I hear about changes in pricing and service contracts from what was initially agreed on during the sales process. One company recently told me they were quoted and agreed to a certain price only to have a contract arrive based on a multiple of the agreed upon amount.

So my request --or our mutual resolution if you will-- is that we are more straightforward with each other and remember that the longest and strongest relationships are based on trust and honesty. Besides, don't you get more when you simply get straight to the point and stick there?