Have you ever heard someone say they love to work with a boss who is very difficult to deal with? Or who always screams and sets crazy deadlines, or who is not understanding? I don’t know about you, but we have not. The truth is that employees want to have a boss who is competent and easy to work with. And the same goes for companies and their clients. People thrive when relationships are positive and valuable, and when design companies or manufacturers like Jaycon have these relationships with their clients, it’s likely that both parties will get the most out of any project.
With that said, our team wanted to share with our readers what service companies like Jaycon look for in clients when they approach us for our services. We believe in only taking on clients who are aligned with our values as these are the clients we are able to have the most positive impact upon. We also believe in helping our clients to grow their business and believe that every partnership we have is a way for us to learn and grow as an organization.
We believe that bringing in a new customer is kind of like being in a relationship. The questions we ask potential clients are very similar to the questions anyone who is progressing into a serious relationship must ask their significant other. Don’t believe us? Well, take a look at the questions we consider:
- Do we both bring something to the table?
- Are we able to communicate effectively?
- Do we value them and do they value me?
- Do we trust each other?
- Do we have an open mind?
- Are we open to learning and growing together?
Do we both bring something to the table?
Ultimately, any relationship is about give-and-take — if one person is doing all the work and the other one is not, one of them will feel it’s unfair. To set the tone right, it’s crucial to match each other’s expectations by matching the company’s offerings with what the client is trying to accomplish. In Jaycon’s case, we are looking for clients who have been in business for a while and have a long-term strategy for their current and future products.
Are we able to communicate effectively?
Clear communication is the backbone for any relationship to thrive. With that said, Jaycon takes pride in being responsive and available to our clients at all times during the manufacturing or design of their projects. We understand not all projects go smoothly, and sometimes you may need to be understanding of the nature of the product development process. Waiting days for a client to respond to a change order but having them expect the same exact delivery date despite their lengthy decision-making process isn’t fair to the company. No one wants chaos or stress because of faulty or late communication. Clear and on-time communication will save both parties headache, time, and money.
Do we value them and do they value me?
Most companies are not born overnight — they take time and sweat-equity to be fully established. Procedures, policies, and the optimal amount of money to charge for their products or services are set after a long trial-and-error process until they arrive at the perfect offering. And although our team still believes in the old motto that the customer is *always* right, we believe that the best customers to work with are those who are willing to pay a fair price for the work our employees have done to fulfill their project goal. Clients who like saying “but my request is only a few more hours” or “a few extra units” or “it’s only a modest request” are simply not valuing our employees’ time and efforts. We value our clients’ time and respect their ideas, and believe this should be mutual.
Do we trust each other?
Trust or a lack of thereof ultimately can make or break any relationship. Whether it’s with your doctor, life partner, teacher or a design and contract manufacturer like Jaycon, trust is what keeps our society functioning properly. At Jaycon, we trust that the information our clients give us to execute their project is truthful and that they will pay the dues for our work — on the same token, we hope they trust us with our capabilities to perform and deliver their project. If we for whatever reason can’t deliver a project effectively or efficiently, we will work out an outcome that is fair for both parties.
Do we have an open mind?
Someone who is open-minded is someone who is willing to listen and to accept different ideas or opinions. At Jaycon, we always listen to what our clients have to say and provide them with different courses of action as we move forward with their project. We expect the same — having clients who are open-minded allows for more creativity and synergy. And the same mindset goes for scheduling — unrealistic deadlines and an unwillingness to work together can lead to delays, mistakes, and loss of money.
Are we open to learning and growing together?
Jaycon’s engineering team’s motto is “to know more than yesterday and to always be a team player.” With that said, we are always striving to tackle more challenging projects because we believe in the learning power of our organization. We enjoy stepping out of our comfort zone and have never failed to deliver a project because of a new technology we worked on. We believe that when our clients are open to learning, they open their horizons to different possibilities, which can help shape not only their company but the entire industry in which they operate.
As you can see, all these questions can easily be applied to any relationship in which you enter with someone, whether personally or professionally. It’s been proven time and time again that people with strong relationships are more prone to living longer and being happier. The same applies to business relationships, especially for those in a service business like Jaycon, where we are dealing with clients on a daily basis.
The bottom line is that we want our clients to succeed, and by matching their values with our values, we know we will be onto greater things.
This article was published by the Jaycon team. Learn more about how we can take your product design and hardware idea to the next level here.
Originally published at https://jayconsystems.com on April 25, 2019.
