The very first day at work, Christina found that her office consisted of a huge room with multiple phone stations where people were making calls one after another, and would hound the debtors and practically threaten them to get information related to debts. 

Christina was immediately taken by the harsh tone that the collectors used with those from who they aimed to collect the unpaid debts. She was determined that there had to be a better way to collect the money, there had to be a better approach to deal with the people. People in the collection office thought Christina had gone crazy. This was not how it worked, and any other approach will never work with the people here, they said.

In the year 1993, with the different approach in mind, Christina founded her own company-Bridgeport Financial Services. 

At Bridgeport, the fundamental belief was that agents will have more success treating people with respect, rather than insulting and threatening them. The objective of each call was to learn everything about the person’s circumstances: Did they have the means to pay the debt? Would they honor a payment plan? Was the reason for failure in making payment a short-term situation? etc. etc.

Unlike the previous office, where the incentives were given for the amount of money the agents collected from the debtors, Christina found an approach other way round. At Bridgeport, the incentive was given based on the number of “thank you” cards sent by the agent. This is harder than it sounds for two reasons:

1. First, she had to hire people with the belief that there had to be a different way to treat debtors, and 

2. To engage people in a conversation and to create an environment to speak the truth knowing that the call was to ask for money. 

Note: It was only possible because Christina hired the people with the same “belief,” which further created a very unique culture at Bridgeport. 

Well.. but what about the other results? what about success rate that the most businesses pursue? you may ask..

Bridgeport Financial collected 300 percent more than the industry average, and the best part was that most of the individuals and companies who were initially being pursued by the collectors ended up doing more business with the original company (the company from who the took the loan in the first place; the company that hired Bridgeport to collect the debts from debtors). It was almost unprecedented in the collections industry. 

Remember, all this could happen because of Christina’s belief-WHY (“WHY-a different approach), and most importantly, she found a way to find and measure “HOW” she could achieve it?

We all can create this unprecedented growth & transformation story, only if we are ready to challenge are own belief and find out ways and support as to HOW to realize the belief.