Every conversation with a prospective or current client can shape the relationship, reveal useful information and influence what happens next. When leaders focus too heavily on their own agenda, however, the discussion can quickly become transactional, leaving one or both sides without a clear sense of value or progress.

Knowledge, accuracy and deadlines matter. But I have also learned that clients remember how they felt during the process. A client’s project might be only one of hundreds on our internal workflow. But to that client, it might be the most important thing they are dealing with right now.

Scott Ford, President of California Builder Services, shares his insights with the Forbes Expert Panel. From letting core business values drive decision making to communicating transparently with team members, effectively charting a path forward in a constantly changing business environment requires letting go of perfection and adopting a people-centric mindset.

Founded in 2014 by the dynamic mother-son duo, Alice Ford and myself, the company has grown to become a trusted entity within the real estate sector, catering to clients throughout the state.

Starting a new business comes with financial, technical and employee-related hurdles that one may not think to plan for ahead of time.  Scott Ford shares his experiences.