Connecting with Customers
Continued
CATZ: I am the executive sponsor for the U.K. government, and because I've been very involved with them and have taken the time to understand their needs, we were able to develop for them a very special and revolutionary program that allows different government entities throughout the U.K. to acquire products from us and to benefit from our best practices in streamlining and transforming all these different groups. That's one of the most unusual executive sponsorships, because it actually covers many, many groups. I work personally with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Foreign Office and a number of other groups that are using our technology to transform their organizations. I get personally involved in their implementations and I'm updated on the state of affairs. And to the extent that development needs to participate in something, I watch to make sure that it's going according to plan.
PROFIT: How often do you talk to any single customer?
CATZ: It all depends on what the customer needs and wants. It's not me calling every week or anything like that. It's really the idea that I'm always available, checking in once in a while, but available if they need something, whether it's looking into a support matter or making sure the right resources are in place for them when they need something unusual or special. It's entirely customer driven. They're all very busy themselves and it's a matter of being available when they need help or guidance.
PROFIT: How can executives train themselves to think this way about their customers?
CATZ: There's an expectation that when you become a senior executive that you got there in part because you're really listening. It's very, very important to listen to your customers. They're it. They're doing you a favor by telling you what they think and you can't get to this position without listening to the issues and engaging in creative problem solving, because that's what this is really about.
PROFIT: Is there a flip side to this kind of relationship? What happens when the customer asks for something that doesn't make sense for Oracle?
CATZ: I think it's very important that customers do share their issues—their concerns—but it's also important to understand that sometimes being a good partner does mean saying no. But what that really means is getting into the reasons behind a request, and understanding why the customer needs some particular thing. One of the most valuable pieces of information we can give our customers is that their request is completely unique. And so it's very likely that their request is going to end up being very expensive for them to maintain, and though we are willing to help them build it, they might want to benefit from the experience of others. So we tell them that, honestly, there are issues or processes in your organization that you may want to reconsider because others are doing the same basic accounting and aren't spending as much. Sometimes being a good partner is being honest even when it's not that pleasant.
PROFIT: Obviously this degree of involvement at your level is a huge benefit to the customer. Can you talk about what Oracle gains as well?
