Letter on the Third — June 2021
Dear Datamax Family,
I admit I don’t have the greatest singing voice. When I do have to sing, I’m usually told to just move my lips.
Joking aside, I do love a great song. I do appreciate and respect the precise, coordinated efforts of an 80-piece orchestra. It takes every section, every single person holding an instrument on stage, to make the listener’s experience a great one. If one drummer starts too early (or too late), if one violin comes in out of key, the overall sound – and experience - is negatively affected. Everyone must do his or her part.
What does orchestration mean at Datamax?
Orchestration at Datamax means everybody here working together and knowing their part when they need to perform. From sales cold calling, to set up and delivery, to subsequent service calls, imagine how many hands touch each customer along the way. Talk about coordination! It’s also worth remembering: Mistakes happen. Sometimes we just hit the wrong notes. When someone slips, we pick up that person and continue to cheer them on. I call that the Gift of the Goose. We also learn from our mistakes and work to ensure it doesn’t repeat itself. I call that failing forward.
How do we orchestrate an experience worth raving about?
To me, there’s a big difference between a finely-tuned orchestra and just another group of musicians. Whether we’re visiting with an old customer or meeting a prospect for the first time, we should ask “what do you want to accomplish through technology?” “How do you intend to use the technology? What are the expectations?” and “What’s on your three-year horizon?”
When you ask those questions, you find out a lot more than just saying, “you have a 50-page-per-minute machine, here’s our version, and here’s our price.” In delivery, it’s asking “do you need something adjusted or moved? Is there something more we need to do?” When a technician takes a call, it’s finding that customer, telling them everything is working, and finding out if there are any more questions.
Perhaps nothing affects the customer experience more than the individual impressions we make. How consciously do we strive to be a known resource to our customers? That’s what I want people to say about Datamax. Not, “their prices are cheap,” but “they’re adding real value.” Much like the final, dynamic strain of a symphony performance, it’s the kind of impression that resonates. One that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, well after the last note’s been played.
The Best is Yet to Be.
