ITCAN is a Singapore-based technology services and solutions company led by president and CEO Amit Sujan. He is credited with building a multiple award-winning business with regional offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and India, with over 1,200 employees.
No stranger to setbacks, Sujan provides an insight into his philosophy for successfully facing business challenges.
What are some challenges faced by your company and how do you solve them?
Sujan: ITCAN has encountered various challenges in recent times. These have included the global financial crisis, foreign manpower restrictions and more.
However, we believe that every challenge brings an equal opportunity. During difficult times, we work to ensure that key stakeholders share common goals, encourage staff to stay motivated and inspire them to rise to the challenge and deliver results beyond expectations.
Our philosophy of doing more in difficult times has helped us consistently achieve a 30 per cent growth, year-on-year, in these market conditions. Last year, for instance, while the financial crisis loomed over our industry, we distributed 3kg of gold as a reward to our staff for their outstanding performance. I believe in the importance of looking at every challenging situation as an opportunity and not a limitation.
How do you network or build new relationships for your business?
Sujan: We believe in targeted networking. We join corporate events conducted by strategic partners so that our engagement results in more meaningful discussions. We are also members of CEO clubs that organise forums that bring together key stakeholders who are also decision-makers in their companies. While networking, we get the opportunity to understand other companies better and tailor our services for mutual benefit.
In addition, being one of the most well-known IT organisations in the region gives us valuable visibility in relevant business directories.
How do you like potential business partners to reach out to you?
Sujan: Personal interaction is always the most meaningful way, though I am open to receiving emails and calls as well. As a company, we stay in touch with prospective customers to be able to extend our services to them promptly when the demand arises.
How do you try to improve the sales of your product?
Sujan: I believe if your clients become your salespeople, the prospects for growth are unlimited. So serve your customer well enough that he takes pride in referring you to someone else.
What is your most effective tip for improving your own productivity?
Sujan: My motto is EVER – Encourage innovation, Value teamwork, Empower team leads and Reward performance.
What do you think about a business card management service such as Sansan?
Sujan: It’s a brilliant idea as it creates a common platform that can be shared between sales, accounts, service delivery as well as the management teams.
It also helps to have contact information updated and available at all times, with no need for anyone to look through a sea of cards when required. Sansan helps automate a fair bit of work and enhances productivity and performance greatly.