Responsive Service: 3 Tips for Addressing a Client's Needs

ivision has a set of eight Client Engagement Values (CEVs). These are the core principles behind how we operate and how we service our clients. This blog series will highlight stories from our employees on how they interpret and embody these CEVs, whether in their career at ivision or in their personal lives.

I am responsive to the obvious and not so obvious needs of our clients

At ivision, we believe that becoming a trusted advisor means going the extra mile and passionately conducting ourselves through client engagement values (CEVs). It’s that additional effort and white-glove service that sets us apart from other service providers. Our CEV “I am responsive to the obvious and not so obvious needs of our clients” means not only satisfying a requirement or need, but thinking outside the box to cover all bases and set someone up for success.

As an account executive, I work with our clients to deliver solutions that are right for their business. Sometimes that means going above and beyond what they think they need and presenting additional offerings that will fully address their unique business challenges. To be completely responsive to a client’s needs, I’ve found that there are three important factors:

Listening

Hearing what someone is saying and listening to what they are saying are two different things. Listening requires comprehension to not only understand what’s being said, but what’s not being said as well. As a trained sales professional you learn in the field that while taking notes is key, asking questions (and more importantly, the right questions) can lead you to observations that provide a fitting solution.

Managing Expectations

Quick and effective answers are highly sought after. Occasionally, though, it’s a slow and steady response that produces the right outcome. It’s our job as sales professionals to set the expectation that a considerate and conclusive solution might take longer than expected. People will forgive and appreciate the time that is put into a thoughtful response, so long as those expectations are set from the beginning.

Proactiveness

Being proactive can expose the “not so obvious” needs of a client. Building and maintaining a relationship is further flourished through constant communication, which can help you gather intel needed to improve a client’s business and environment. Mistakes can also happen. Professional services is a people business, but it’s how you respond to those mistakes and proactive correcting them that will set you apart from any other provider. At ivision, just as you might find at a luxury hotel like the Ritz Carlton, we continuously aim to deliver white-glove service to our clients.

Being responsive to the obvious and not so obvious needs of our clients isn’t just a mantra, but a way of life. At ivision, we don’t just preach our values – we live them.