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DECEMBER 2016
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59
Powerful Partners
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FEATURE
Aaron
KUCHERAWY
Manager of Customer Success
commonsku
Toronto, Ontario
Nominator and distributor partner:
Mitch Silver,
vice president marketing, Printable Promotions
When Aaron Kucherawy joined industry
business services company commonsku, he
brought to the job several years of serving
internal customers at consumer brand
companies including Enterprise Rent-A-Car
and Coca Cola Bottling Company United.
Those skills, combined with his tech expertise
and youthful exuberance and curiosity, have
proven to be the magic mix for Kucherawy.
“Whenever we have a question about
the commonsku platform, Aaron not only
answers the question, but asks us
why
we want to know, and takes the time
to understand speci cally what we are
trying to accomplish,” says Mitch Silver,
vice president of marketing for Printable
Promotions. “Aaron is super responsive and
speci c with his answers to questions. If he
doesn’t know the answer, he gets back to me
quickly.” Silver also likes some other traits
Kucherawy brings to the table as a partner.
“Aaron’s creative problem-solving abilities
were instrumental in adapting our business
processes to the commonsku platform,
and his upbeat, friendly personality and
sense of humor helped us stay relaxed and
positive during a tough software transition.”
At the end of the day,
it’s their business and they
get to make the decisions.
Hopefully I have helped
them make better decisions
more often by getting them
to think about their options.
Is there something your clients
do that makes it easy for you
to provide exemplary service?
They understand the areas
where I can help them
and add value (strategy,
management, technology)
so our conversations tend to
focus on the right topics. They
know I travel for a living so
they often send me outlines
of the discussion topics via
email and then we schedule
a call to discuss. This gives
me time to research the topic
a bit and be prepared for the
call. They share ideas and
don’t mind me sharing them
with others. I learn a lot from
them, and the Facilisgroup
community is all about the
sharing of information to help
everyone be more successful.
What advice do you have
for others who want to
achieve a true partnership
with their clients?
Trust and respect have to be
earned, and that takes time.
So be patient, ask lots of
questions, listen and then add
value where appropriate. It’s a
lot easier if they feel like you
understand them and their
challenges, and it really helps
to have been in their shoes.
You need to be able to relate to
them on their level if you want
a true partnership to blossom.
What are the most important qualities in a good business partner?
When I think of a good business partner there are three qualities: honesty, great communication
and being supportive. A partner is someone who wants to be successful
with
you. In any
relationship, being upfront with each other always helps, talking openly and not shying away
from conversation all lead to being successful. Helping each other be successful and celebrating
when they are successful also helps.
What do you do that sets you apart from others in the way you work with clients?
Not to say others don’t do it, but I really am myself when I work with clients. Talking to clients on
the phone or in person, what they see or hear is what I am like inside and outside the of ce.
Is there something your client does that makes it easy for you to provide exemplary service?
Absolutely! Working with Mitch has allowed me to set expectations and help guide his team as
they moved over to our system. He is never afraid to ask a question or ask for my opinion, and is
always receptive of my feedback. Plus, we trade the occasional hilarious email.
What advice do you have for others who want to achieve a true partnership with their clients?
Be yourself. Talk to people you partner with, get to know them and let them get to know you.
Partnerships are about working together, and the results get better the more you care about the
other person’s success.
AARON KUCHERAWY ON PARTNERSHIPS