FOCUS – a word so common, how is it so fancy?
Focus, a word you hear often used when trying to be polite when what you really want say in a most verbose manner is ‘pay attention‘ or ‘get your head in the game‘. Parents use the word repeatedly to reinforce the need for the kids to finish homework. Coaches use the word profusely and with much volume on the sidelines to ensure players attentions are directed to performing the right drill or executing a play to score. Supervisors and managers throw the word ‘focus’ around the work place when asking employees and team members to put heads down and get tasks completed on time. Teachers, mentors and personal development guru’s use the act of focus as staple in lessons. So why would a building design company, like Focus Design Builders, want to be associated with such a word?
Of course we can always rely on Merriam-Webster’s definition of ‘Focus’: the subject on which people’s attention is focused; a main purpose or interest – to provide a little insight in to why a company would choose the word. Such a simple word and phrases to describe, most definitely not a word which brings to mind something fancy. No, it’s about the nitty gritty, teeth grinding, eyes narrowed ability to get stuff done.
And so again, a question arises as to why would an educated, world traveled, experienced builder want to name a building and design company after a simple word, focus. To state the obvious, the company uses a simple word to extend it’s deep values about how to treat others. To provide clients with one place to come and receive service and value unlike any other builder. To direct or focus dedicated, transparent, unparalleled relationship experience with clients, treating them more like family and to point the project team’s attention towards a main purpose – focused service. It is this strong set of values, coupled with the desire to continually improve quality and seek innovation which has provided a roadmap of successful projects and reputation for the company to be sought out for several large and complex buildings. For example, the team is the main general contractor building an entire new campus for Welch College, located just outside Nashville,Tennessee.
Success causes growth and a need arose to continue to meet the needs of clients by providing commercial real estate services. And so, finding a partner in Peter Kima, a successful real estate agent in his own right, who shares the same values as Focus Design Builders could be called a match meant to be. Kima Commercial, LLC was launched in the fall of 2015 and has already shared and served several clients, showing not only good things happen when good people get together, the focused influence and experience is felt long afterwards by clients.
Focus Design Builders is not only a partner with Kima Commercial, they are an integral contributor to the above average service provided by the team. Paul Eitel, CEO of Focus Design Builders used his experience with clients to help shape the mission statement for Kima Commercial “to build relationships through effort and results”. Paul’s determination and success building a new company after the 2008 downturn is strongly reflected in the “focus” to be better than the competing commercial real estate firms. To be better by building the same culture of above average service, by building executive long term relationships, by contributing and giving back to the community, by being ‘focused’ on the client needs and less on the commission.
And so, how can a common, simple word like ‘focus’ be so fancy? Think about it for a moment, put yourself in the shoes or seat of a client who is meeting the first time with Kima Commercial and Focus Design Builders. They don’t need a big, showy office or expensive leather conference room chairs to impress. They don’t over complicate the introductions or make you wait. What they do is spend more time learning about you as the client, asking questions and finding out real needs, desires. Not wasting time on fluff or sales pitches. They are interested in the ‘main purpose or interest’ and providing from the very beginning of the relationship, a real transparency to learn more about you. Dale Carnegie wrote in his ground breaking book on relationships, How to Win Friends and Influence People, ‘to develop a genuine interest of others’. A basic principle used at both Kima Commercial and Focus Design Builders. Why? Because they know if they ‘focus’ on you and provide executive level client care, you are being treated better than others and in turn, it’ll make you feel ‘fancy’. And who doesn’t like to be fancy once in a while.