Speak the language of your clients
Richard has found that in his line of work, communication can be a major stumbling block. When you’re talking to C-suite people about technology, things can get lost in translation, and confusion is common.
That’s why Richard says it’s so important to find some common ground with your clients and remember that who you’re talking to may have a completely different way of understanding the business.
For example, talking to C-suite people about the nitty gritty details of expanding a tech stack might not resonate. But if you switch your approach to talking about the business benefits and the impact on revenue and growth, then you can finally get on the same page. That way, you can have a much more productive conversation where everyone knows the company’s goals and strategies for getting there.
Advice for technology consultants
Richard’s advice for technology consultants is to understand where your clients are currently at and what their existing tech stack looks like.
You could recommend a great solution that’s served clients well in the past, but if it doesn’t connect well with a client’s existing tech stack, then it’s not the right choice for them.
Instead, it should be taken on a case-by-case basis to ensure that each client gets tailored advice from consultants.
The channel in five years’ time
While we can’t predict the future, we asked Richard what he thinks the channel will look like in the next five years.
In his opinion, we’re going to see a greater amount of consolidation from a TSD perspective – on top of what we’ve seen already in the past 12 months. He also believes that we will see more of that on the suppliers’ side as well.
Richard’s advice is to make sure you’re learning about all the changes to come and how they could affect you and your clients. He also suggests speaking with your suppliers and TSDs to get a heads up on how and when these consolidations are likely to happen.
From there, you can move the conversation toward how you can continue to support the client in the future as well as now.
For more insights from Richard, tune in to the full episode today – and keep an eye out for upcoming discussions.
