Are You An Order Taker or Solution Maker?

Do you accept requests from people and the dollar signs flash over your eyes, or do you view them as a way to add value to your colleagues/customers?

This is what fellow blogger Eric Brown is asking in his post Are you building an “order taker” or “solution maker” environment?

Eric’s post is IT-oriented, but the principle applies to any job or business: what’s your motive?

When I read Eric’s post, it got me thinking about my experiences with suppliers whose motive is to sell more stuff. They weren’t interested in making me a happy customer. They weren’t concerned with whether what I was asking for was, in fact, right for me. They didn’t care less if I was making a mistake when ordering something – even when they knew it wasn’t the best value, or even compatible with what I had bought from them in the past.

These people are coyotes, scavenging off the naive, uninformed or vulnerable.

Then I think about the people who have told me that I don’t need that… this would be a better and cheaper option… it’s best if you did this yourself with what you have already invested in.

These people are angels. They have integrity. They know what I needed, and when I needed it. And they cared about making my life and work better.

Have you had experiences of coyotes and angels?

Guess which I would rather buy from?