By Nathaniel Pettit
National Account Sales Manager at TransBlue
With over 20 years’ experience in the facility management industry, I have worked with hundreds of businesses. No matter who I have worked with, the business relationships that have stood the test of time have been the ones where all parties involved are transparent with each other. More than a buzzword or an empty promise, to us – business transparency means clear, unrestricted honesty with clients and preferred vendors.
Facility management is a huge industry, growing larger every day, and all facility managers and service providers have their trade secrets, but how do we come together and make certain transparency a norm? It takes companies who are willing to set the standard.
Communication
Building a strong business starts with offering the best price for the services, and continues with providing a high quality work that builds trust. Quality service is beyond important, but a companies’ reputation depends on the quality of communication as well.
When looking to add transparency to your business practices, it starts with developing a true understanding of what transparency means to your company. If you’re unsure how to define this, start with a brainstorming session with colleagues and leadership to come up with a narrative together. Once you integrate transparency into that narrative, it can be further defined by your company values. Communicating clearly within your company is the first step to communicating well externally.
Implementation
Companies who are open with employees, clients, and vendors, are better able to build trust. Some companies choose to be transparent by sharing salary data. Others have chosen to allow their customers to see their supply chain. In facility management, it can include being upfront about the markup in costs for services, and how that will impact a contract. For TransBlue, it means clearly representing who we are, and what our role in the process is.
When businesses improve their internal transparency processes, it encourages employees to use those same practices with vendors and clients, and will inevitably improve both employee morale and client satisfaction.
Comment below and tell us your strategy for implementing transparency!