I spent 20 years at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), the company founded by Ross Perot. Ross was famous for saying that it takes years to build trust with your clients, but you can lose it in a minute.
Reflecting on nearly three decades at GDA Speakers, I know just how true that is.
We have one local nonprofit client we've worked with consistently for more than 11 years. During that time, we faced one of an event planner's worst nightmares.
A speaker had to cancel because of an unexpected health issue that required surgery. The event had already been promoted. Sponsors had committed. Everything was in motion.
I called the Executive Director to deliver the news. I'll never forget her response.
She took a deep breath and said, "This is not the call I wanted today."
Then, without missing a beat, she asked, "What are we going to do?"
That question has stayed with me because it reflected something far more important than the cancellation itself. It reflected trust.
As we worked through possible solutions, I found a speaker I felt genuinely excited about. When I shared the recommendation, my client wasn't familiar with her. Instead of dismissing the idea, she trusted me enough to listen. She let me explain why I believed this speaker was the right fit and what she would bring to the event.
In the end, it became the perfect solution, and the client was thrilled.
I love this story, not because I feel like a hero, but because it reminds me what great partnerships look like. We both focused on solving the problem instead of assigning blame.
When people are under pressure, it's natural to become skeptical of every new idea. Stress has a way of narrowing our thinking. But the strongest client relationships leave room for honest conversations, creative solutions, and mutual trust, especially when things don't go according to plan.
No one in a service business wakes up intending to ruin a client's day. But we work with people, and life happens. Speakers get sick. Family emergencies arise. Professional obligations change. Cancellations are rare and avoided at all costs, but they do happen. No one feels that pressure more than the agent who has spent years building a relationship with that client.
We also have another client we've partnered with since 2010. Together, we've booked 114 speakers. The best part of that relationship isn't the number of events. It's the candor.
We haven't always gotten everything right. But instead of disappearing or quietly moving on, they had the difficult conversations with us. They told us where we had fallen short and gave us the opportunity to improve.
I'm a better leader because of those conversations, and GDA is a better company because of them.
- Gail Davis
Founder & President, GDA Speakers
