Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/727467
40 FEDA News & Views tomer to enter new markets or offer new services because it can draw on the supplier partner's deep, specialized capabili- ties. By enabling the customer to grow its business in powerful new ways that the customer alone could not have done, the supplier becomes an essential part of the customer's success. The supplier wins the war by touching the customer's dream. Win the War It is so tempting to operate close to the surface of a cus- tomer relationship, focusing primarily on the day-to-day sale of your products and services, searching out tactical gains. And, if you do achieve tactical gains, it is overwhelmingly tempting to focus on accelerating your "victories." However, the top manag- ers that succeed in the long run have the discipline to remain focused on understanding and developing the most powerful customer value proposition. When they have created this understanding, they redouble their efforts to push the value creation envelope even fur- ther, continuing to search relentlessly for new ways to create real value and trust. I'm reminded of a wonderful exhibit mounted several years ago by the Smithsonian Institution on American Ingenuity: "If We're So Good, Why Aren't We Better?" The best managers in the best companies are always relent- lessly focused on this question, and almost frantic to fi nd an even better answer. This is how they got to be market leaders, and this is why they stay in front. What is the ultimate secret to success? Remember Admiral Nimitz, and don't be satisfi ed with anything less than winning the war. tionize the channel and elevate our value-add. This will require additional time, energy and a willingness to press the limits of our comfort zones for the long-term benefi t of the end user. That said, while we are making progress on the FEDA Data Interchange (FDI) with full support of the AutoQuotes team, we are still encouraging everyone to fully support this very important data interchange initiative. (It is likely that this ini- tiative and challenge will not be accepted by all members of each association in our industry, and that is understood and acceptable.) The leaders and champions throughout our channel in the next fi ve to 10 years will be those that are willing to take a chance, present an idea, face the pushback, address the concerns, and break the historical rules to have a signifi cant impact on the future of our industry. I will leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs. Consider how to apply this message to your own business and to our channel: "It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best that humans have done. And then try to bring those things into what you are doing." Where will you look to fi nd the best humans have done and, more importantly, what will you do about it? Lose the War continued President's Message continued Lose the War continued President's Message continued