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Sir, if you insist, we might have a problem.


Many years ago, in pursuit of bagging a significant development and supply order, we travelled to Detroit to meet with a five-member team of Visteon, a division of Ford Motor Company at that time.


Discussions concluded favourably. Both parties were in agreement on everything, except the time frame for development and delivery of samples. They demanded that we deliver in 8 weeks, and I insisted on taking 14 weeks. The situation became deadlocked, and it looked like the deal was in danger of falling through.


My export manager, Harsh, whispered to me in Punjabi, "Sir, we can't afford to lose this order. I beg you, please, to agree to whatever they demand and bag the order. We can always come back later, make some excuse and ask for a time extension."


I knew, if everything went according to our plans, we could deliver in 7 weeks, but experience had taught me that development projects often tend to encounter delays. One should always provide a cushion for the unexpected. The Indian environment was riddled with unstable inputs and processes, particularly in logistics.


Under pressure, I decided to shave the safety margin from 7 weeks to 4 weeks, still a risky step.


First impressions are last impressions. If we were delayed in delivering on the first project, then it might be a long time before we get another chance to make Visteon a long-term customer.


I said, "Gentlemen, the best we can do is 11 weeks".

The team leader at Visteon said, "No, it's got to be delivered in 8 weeks, and this is the best time I can give you".


Finally, with an air of resignation, I responded, "I am sorry, Sir, if you insist on 8 weeks, we might have a problem".


The buyer, a giant of a man, roared, "Mr Singh!" as he slammed both his hands on the conference table and shot straight up from his chair, towering over us. It appeared that by being too cautious, I had blown our chance to win the order.


Then his face broke into a large grin, and he offered me his hand for a handshake and said, " Mr Singh, I have had numerous encounters with people from your country, and they always tell me, 'No problem, no problem,' but you know what? We always encounter problems. You are the first person from India who says he might have a problem. I like it that you are realistic and honest about commitments. Let's do business together."



ps. Credibility is the foundation of a successful relationship. Our team rose to the challenge and delivered the sample in 7 weeks. Our motto became, 'Always promise less than you can deliver and always deliver more than you promise.' Our discipline and awareness helped fuel our growth and strengthened our reputation as a reliable, trustworthy organisation.


The question most people would like to know is, 'How are you able to meet deadlines 99.6% of the time?' That, my dear readers, is the subject of the next article, 'I will have it ready by Monday'.


Written and posted 4th May 2006 - Pune, India.

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