Success in the Tech Industry, and the Image it Requires

Image defines winners and losers

If you're in the tech industry, hopefully you know that the image your company projects means success or failure. If you don't know that, you need to change industries. Companies that are known for doing shoddy work doesn't get keep customers, and potential customers must be naive and uninformed to pay for their services. Companies that provide unfriendly, inaccurate, or shady customer service will loose customers before they've even stepped in the door. Operating a successful company isn't knowing what to do as much as knowing what not to do.

Starting off on the right foot

When I was in college, I had a teacher that told us at the beginning of the class that we were all starting out with a 100%, because we had no grades. Everyone can relate to the thought that you'll build a taller tower if you start building up immediately, not by digging yourself a hole. If you're opening a new restaurant, you want to start out with excellent food, and wonderful waiters. If you fail on either of these points, people won't come in for a second visit, they'll write you off as a failure. You will build a bad image for yourself before you have a chance to build a good one. You'll start off in a hole, which is not a good place to be in any sense. Sadly, people talk about bad experiences far more than their good ones, so the best thing to do is avoid providing a bad experience.

If you're a tech company you need to operate with the same thinking. The services you provide need to be quality ones. The customer service and human to human interaction you provide should be exceptional. The image you build with your first customers needs to be excellent. If there is a negative experience (there will be, we're human), you need to right that wrong and take responsibility. It's easy to play the blame game. It's harder to take responsibility and do your best to fix the situation, but the customers that you want to keep will notice this.

First impressions are everything, make it a good one

It boggles my mind how some tech companies do well. You walk in their door, and you see computer's torn apart everywhere. Their network wiring looks like a rat's nest. Web design companies that have websites that don't look good, are outdated, or simply don't have a site at all.

Here are my thoughts on operating a successful tech company:

1. Put the customer first, it will pay off in the long run
People don't like to feel like they're being had, or manipulated. Take the hit, either in time spent on a project, or financially to make the customer happy. This will pay off when they call you for their next project, or recommend your company to a friend.


2. Take responsibility, even if it wasn't your fault, or you weren't involved
The company you're working for hired your to take care of their issues in your field of expertise. Grab the bull by the horns and take responsibility for the project or issue. Fixing a screw up, or taking a project's weight off their shoulders is the best way to prove to them that you are worth their money.


3. Take pride in your image, polish it until it shines
If you have a website, make sure it's up to date and looks good. This means testing it in the main stream browsers. Have business cards with your logo that look clean and are catchy. If you're advertising via some other means, take a little extra time or spend a little extra money to have something professionally designed. This will show customers you care about your company, and you are willing to take that extra step for your company and it's clients.


4. Convey the above messages in any way you can through your marketing
For tech companies, this will mostly mean your website. Tell potential customers why you're better than the rest. The easiest part of tech is the technology, dealing with customers is the hard part. Let them know you're focused on fixing their problem and gaining their trust, whatever it takes (within reason of course).


5. Don't be afraid to say no to a customer, but have reasoning to back it up, and have an alternate solution
This will show the customer that you have their best interest in mind, and that you know their success means your success. If you're a web designer and a client want's to do something that will destroy the design, tell them no and tell them why it will destroy the design. Suggest a different technique or method of achieving the same goal, but in a better way. To make professional, informed suggestions/actions is why they're paying you in the first place.