In the U.S., it is often rare to go without power. But in emerging markets such as Sierra Leone, it isn’t uncommon for businesses and locals to have their power source go out several times a day.
“We take power here in the U.S. for granted,” says Aaron Seymour USP&E Salesman who visited Freetown recently. “Power goes out in the city probably every couple of hours. It could be out for 20 minutes to an hour at a time. If you don’t have a generator you can’t get work done.”
In addition to the power plant work that’s taking place for the London Mining Company there. Operations and maintenance is an immediate need that Seymour noticed. Building trust is key In order to simply do business successfully in Sierra Leone, and other countries alike. It’s the kind of trust that comes along with the people of the town being able to communicate with whom they’re doing business.
“There are hardly any phone calls, no Internet communication, so it’s very much a personal business over there,” Seymour says. “And, they like to do business with people that do business with them.”
When the locals see one of their very own employed for USP&E, entrusting their business to the power plant solutions provider becomes easier. USP&E employee Patrick, who is a local resident, has played an integral role in leveraging his business contacts to get other USP&E team members through the door, Seymour says. Because driving in Sierra Leone is different than in the States and there are often language barriers, Patrick also serves as the designated driver when employees come to town and the translator.
“It’s vital to have people in the country where you do business,” Seymour says. “for them to know the face is the biggest game breaker.”
Why is trust important?
Once the locals have decided they can trust you, having a good business rapport doesn’t hurt your case. For instance, London Mining has a big presence in Sierra Leone and since USP&E has been doing business with them, the word has trickled down to other businesses in the area. “They spoke very highly about what they heard as far as loyalty to our work,” Seymour said. “And they want that for their local businesses.”
USP&E’s reputation definitely precedes them in such a way that the people of Freetown, Sierra Leone, are aware of their commitment to providing the city with its most needed commodity—Power.
There are still many parts of Sierra Leone that are without utilities . Making it difficult to get even the smallest chore done let alone business activities. Fortunately, they know that they can count on USP&E to deliver what they say they will— providing good service while showing the people that they really care.
“I think we’ll have worked there for as long as we want,” Seymour says. “We’re committed there for the long-term because we see the need and there’s no one else to fulfil it.”
We don’t just work in Sierra Leone.
USP&E is a South African-based global technology solutions provider that focuses on the engineering, procurement, construction, operations and maintenance of diesel and HFO-powered generators across the globe. For more information, go to https://www.uspeglobal.com