Who do you trust with your technology?

It can be one of the most important parts of your business. It can constitute one of your most substantial investments. And if it fails, it can cost you credibility with your customers, your investors and your team.

So, who do you trust with something like that?

It’s a question we think about all the time because we know what our clients have encountered on their journey to us: companies that make promises they know they can’t keep, vendors who overcharge and underdeliver, tech professionals who give clients what they want instead of what they need.

We know trust isn’t a given. We know it’s earned, built over time. And we’re willing to put in the effort because we know what happens when we do: We forge powerful, lasting relationships and turn clients into advocates, colleagues and friends.

So, how do we do it? It all starts with good work…

Do good work

When we start work with a client, we make a lot of promises.

We promise to build a platform that will work for their business. We promise to create a system that supports their business goals. And we promise to give them what they need, not just what they want.

But here’s the thing: We also deliver on those promises, every single time.

The best way to establish trust is to do what you say you will — to be reliable and consistent. When you do that, you earn trust over time. That lays a strong foundation for future clients that come in the door: They’ve heard we do good work. Now all we have to do is deliver, which is what we do best.

Be open and honest

Sometimes, doing the best work for our clients means telling them things they don’t want to hear.

Take, for instance, Mountain Khakis, a retailer who engaged us to custom-build its e-commerce site. The company came to us knowing what it wanted: a custom back-end system. But as we dug into the project, we realized Mountain Khakis didn’t need something custom. Instead, an off-the-shelf system could give them everything they needed and, in the process, save them time and money.

So that’s what we told them. And in the end, that’s what they chose. We lost a client, but we did what was right for the business.

Companies hire us for our technological and business expertise. They know what they want, but it’s our obligation to show them a better way, if we find one. We come to each project open-minded and committed to honesty and transparency at each stage of the process. That kind of communication can be difficult in the short-term, but it’s always better in the end.

Manage expectations

When you can’t see what’s happening, how do you know it’s happening?

That’s the problem with technology: It’s not like building a house. You can’t see it rising from the ground up. You have to trust it’s coming together — that the framework is solid and the construction sound.

And it’s easier to trust when you’re told what to expect, and when it will be done.

Delays happen. Problems arise. New discoveries push us in new directions. And every day — typically multiple times a day — our clients get insight into where we are in the process. Over time, it’s taught us how something as simple as managing expectations can make all the difference.

Respond when something goes wrong

In nearly every project, something happens that we don’t expect. And those moments are both challenge and opportunity.

Take Boardroom Insiders, for example: We built an entirely new platform for the company. And the transition from old platform to new wasn’t seamless. There were problems and glitches. But we were on call until every last issue was fixed. That resonated.