At Eldridge, we thrive on tackling toughest industrial ventilation challenges. Our company culture is built on a problem-solving mindset, and for long-time employees, it’s second nature. Our seven patents showcase our innovative approach to ventilation issues.
To ensure future Eldridge technical salespeople embrace this problem-solving ethos, we’ve documented key elements of our approach. In this blog post, I’ll share a couple of these crucial components to the Eldridge Problem Solving Process.
Why, How and What
The Eldridge problem-solving method addresses three key questions:
- Why is the customer facing a ventilation issue;
- How should we design a system to resolve it; and
- What equipment will guarantee the solution’s performance?
We begin with the why. Some companies start with the what, showcasing their product catalog. We’ve seen the consequences of this what-first approach when customers call us to fix what others have sold them.
Starting with why requires our sales team to prioritize the customer. This means actively listening to their problem description. After hearing the customer’s why, our sales team asks probing questions to gain deeper insight. It’s similar to a doctor’s appointment – the physician listens to symptoms, then asks questions to uncover the root cause. By starting with why, we address the underlying issue, not just the symptoms.
Here’s a simple example of our approach to the why question. A technical salesperson listens to a customer’s complaints about noisy belts and slow-moving fans. Instead of jumping to conclusions about loose belts, our salesperson digs deeper, asking about belt tension maintenance. When the customer admits they’ve never checked the tension and lack the maintenance staff to do so, we’ve uncovered the real issue behind the problem.
How Isn’t Always Instant
Our sales team rarely leaves a customer meeting with an immediate solution to a complex ventilation issue. Most cases require using formulas to calculate proper flow, pressure, humidity, and noise levels. However, some ventilation challenges can’t be solved instantly through scientific methods alone. In these cases, we rely on collaborative teamwork.
Our technical salespeople don’t work in isolation. When faced with a tough problem, they bring it to the design team, seeking collaborative solutions. This approach taps into diverse thought processes and experiences, often leading to innovative, “outside-the-box” ideas. Our most groundbreaking patented product, the Eldridge ENJET, emerged from this creative thinking process. We’ve learned that excellence in ventilation problem-solving requires a team effort where every idea is valued.
Conclusion
Eldridge has been in business for 78 years. We recognize that our problem-solving culture didn’t develop overnight. We owe our success to our predecessors who challenged conventional thinking with innovative ideas. For future customers who’ll need our expertise to create successful environments, the current Eldridge team is committed to passing on our problem-solving approach to the next generation of technical salespeople.
This collaborative approach not only solves immediate issues but also fosters innovation and continuous improvement. By valuing diverse perspectives and encouraging creative thinking, we ensure that Eldridge remains at the forefront of industrial ventilation solutions. Our commitment to teamwork and innovation continues to drive our success and benefit our customers across various industries.