“Good. Your draft didn’t make those distinctions very clear. Please correct them before Monday.”
Brandon shifted.
“Of course.”
Daniel opened a tablet.
“There’s another issue. Your proposal recommends eliminating several smaller vendors from future bidding because you believe they lack the resources to serve our larger customers.”
“That’s correct.”
“What criteria did you use?”
“Revenue, staff size, existing client lists, market reputation.”
“Did you assess delivery quality?”
“Not across the entire group.”
“Customer satisfaction?”
“Not systematically.”
Daniel rested the tablet on his knee.
“One of our most reliable software support partners has fewer than twenty employees. A larger competitor has nearly ten times that number and twice the customer complaints.”
Brandon listened.
“Size can indicate capacity,” Daniel continued. “It doesn’t automatically indicate quality.”
“No, sir.”
“And presentation isn’t proof of competence.”
Brandon glanced toward the door.
He understood the connection.
Daniel didn’t soften it.
“This evening, your girlfriend assumed I couldn’t belong in the room because I wasn’t dressed the way she expected.”
Brandon nodded.
“I understand.”
“But my concern about your promotion isn’t her behavior alone. It’s whether your judgment follows the same pattern when you’re selecting partners.”
Brandon stared at the tablet.
For months, he’d been working toward the position.
Head of Strategic Partnerships.
A major salary increase.
A larger team.
