The Story

“Well, folks, we are gathered here today to hear three presentations from competing firms for renewing the fleet of our computer system. We hope a new system will tie together all our agents and allow us to communicate much more effectively with each other.” Chet Greeley was proud that his Company, Greeley Realities, has arrived at the stage where they could afford the latest technology for his people. While it had come as some surprise to them, some 28 people were now seated in the air-conditioned comfort of a hotel banquet room sipping coffee, munching on croissants, getting set for the presentations and wondering how their work would improve with a new system.

The first two Power Points went very smoothly. The presenters were masters of their trade and used audio-visuals to show off the power and versatility of their product. One of them had his company’s a system all hooked up and he used one of the agents as a model to show how easy it was to communicate with the Greeley data base.

When it came time for the third presentation, the audience was ready for quality, since the presenter’s company was known for its innovative methods. John Hanson’s presentation was simple. He flashed up a slide with the words: “You’re not ready”; he then sat down. You could have heard a pin drop. People glanced over at Chet, who was staring blankly at the screen. A full thirty seconds later, Chet got to his feet and, looking squarely at John, began to applaud. One after another, the rest of the group stood up and joined in.

The other two presenters looked at each other, picked up their equipment, and left without a word.