You may have read that on December 20, we announced that The TAS Group had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire InfoMentis. Well, I’m delighted to say that on December 31 2010, we closed the transaction, and I looking forward to entering 2011 with a larger and stronger team that I believe is good for customers of both companies.
On December 21, I sent the following letter to all employees at InfoMentis and it was suggested to me that I should publish it in a blog post. It talks about who we are, and in many ways that’s as important to our customers as what we do or how we do it.
So, here it is, unedited.
My Letter To Our New InfoMentis Colleagues
So, together we’re turning the page of a new chapter. I’m excited to see this story unfold, and I just wanted to say welcome to The TAS Group.
When we set out on our journey, just five years ago, we talked about fundamentally changing the market, how our customers should be served, and what a ‘sales training vendor’ should be expected to deliver to their customer. Delivering sustained customer value has been a focus of ours, and we tried to differentiate our offering by using that basic tenet as a foundation for everything that we do. For my part, I had a strong belief that in a market under-served by technology, surely a technology supported solution would have an edge – given that it brings a number of inherent advantages, flexibility, measurement, easier adoption etc. All of that has turned out to be true, but only when coupled with world-class supporting services.
When I first met InfoMentis in 2009, I felt that we had found a soul mate, a company whose dedication to its customers and quality delivery was surpassed only by the core values of honesty and integrity – two assets that never have a place on a balance sheet, but whose worth cannot be overstated. Wendy – you had me at hello!
But here’s the thing. I believe that, in certain parts of the market, there is a shift happening. The bar is being raised for our competitors. Our customers are becoming more sophisticated and less tolerant of the mediocrity that has been delivered by many sales training providers. This is our opportunity to dominate – to become the de facto provider of sales effectiveness solutions; solutions that deliver sustained value to our customers. Our opportunity continues to grow, and our initial vision continues to hold true and strong.
At The TAS Group, we think we’ve figured out some of the things that have to happen to achieve a dominant market position, but we’ve a lot yet to learn. InfoMentis resolves much of that unsolved equation, and the combined forces of our two companies will together find answers to many of the outstanding questions. At The TAS Group, I think you will find a hunger to excel, a ‘rightful impatience’ to make our mark, to delight customers, and to build a valuable company. I’ve seen that mirrored in InfoMentis, and I know the combination is unstoppable.
Since we originally set out the vision for The TAS Group, we set out some of the values that are core to the company. As we focus on building a world-leading company, we can on occasion forget some of the values that have got us to here. Sometimes we lose perspective, and forget that while we don’t always understand the reasons why someone does something, the fact that we don’t understand doesn’t mean that they are wrong.
Here’s an extract from that value statement that I’d like to share.
Integrity & Respect: A reputation is something that takes years to build and a moment to lose. Integrity is something that is non-negotiable in our dealings not only with all stakeholders (our customers, employees, partners, vendors, partners, and investors), but in everything we do both at work and in our personal lives. Similar to integrity, respect is non-negotiable. While small, The TAS Group, Inc. has employees and partners in many countries who come from different backgrounds and who have widely varying professional and personal experiences. We consider this diversity a strength and an asset of The TAS Group, Inc. In order to successfully leverage this diversity, we must treat each other and all stakeholders with the utmost respect. This will be a key factor in our success.
I’m truly excited about this combination of resources. I’m looking forward to learning from you all and getting to know each of you. I’m sure you’re proud of InfoMentis and there’s a lot to be proud of, and I think that is fabulous. There is so much happening that I’m sure I’ve not covered everything I wanted to say – but primarily I just wanted to say welcome.
I look to your continued dedication and commitment to maintain the momentum, and I look for your honest feedback to keep me on track.
I’m always available – and all of my contact information is below.
Thanks
Donal