In 20 over years of business I have only had to say goodbye to four customers because they were impossible to trade with. They were, quite frankly, horrid. And I simply closed their accounts.
This is hard but sometimes necessary. That is not to say that the rest of our client relationships have always run 100% smoothly – after all in business, s**t happens. But I always try to problem solve in a mutually beneficial way – where we can all share in the positive outcome.
Before you say it – this is not hippy nonsense. This is collaborative working – and we employ it with not only our clients but our team here of both couriers and office crew too. It makes for a pleasant working atmosphere, and a willingness for both parties to exceed expectations on commitment to joint projects. And that is sound business, because productivity is improved. Improve productivity and your bottom line improves.
Life is about partnerships. Here at Diamond we embrace that. Partnerships between Diamond HQ, its Clients, its Franchises, its Carriers and its Couriers. You don’t have to divide and rule, conqueror and defeat and, actually, if that’s the way you are going to do business then I choose not to do business with you.
And that’s brave in 2013. But not all clients are good clients – and who’s got time to work with the bad ones? In the end they are most likely to cost you more in customer service and administration and are inevitably the worse payers etc, etc. It’s just not worth it. And I want to make sure my supplier relationships are as strong as my client rapport. I want my suppliers to be super successful as this means I get to use them for years and years. This means they need to make a profit A different way to do business which is why I try not to screw people down in price. I am prepared to pay reasonably for good work. And a profitable business is sustainable. And again – I have great rapport with the companies I work with – and I truly feel they work 150% for Diamond every time. It’s great. It’s efficient. It helps me work more productively.
So join the revolution. Start thinking collaboratively. Start thinking team work in your crew, with your clients and your suppliers. It makes work life a whole lot more pleasant and it encourages people to go that extra mile. And remember it’s not just the feel good factor – it’s about improving profit. And it does. My balance sheet improvement proves it!