How Clarity Partners with Clients

Interview with Alicia Shevetone, Director of Strategic Sales – Clarity Consultants

How do you define a successful partnership?

Great question! Since at least two entities are needed to form a partnership, let’s address this in two parts. First, the client typically views Clarity as a successful partner when we have demonstrated proficiency in grasping their requirements, executed quickly to offer them relevant talent, remained engaged to ensure their project was progressing well, and remained in close contact post-project to stay abreast of strategic initiatives and offer recommendations as appropriate. Second, Clarity is satisfied that a partnership is successful when the client confirms the above has been achieved. Additionally, when a client is truthful about their timeline and budget, transparent and swift in their communications, and appreciative of our efforts, we know we’ve crossed the chasm between vendor and partner.  

How vital is open communication when working with clients to build and maintain a partnership?

It’s integral. Unless we are given a very clear picture of their environment, deadlines, and expectations, our chances for success dwindle. Some clients are so well intentioned that they will refrain from asking for certain things, fearing that they’ll be perceived as “difficult.” In actuality, the opposite is true. The more information a client can provide as to their perfect consultant (or billing arrangement, time card approval process, interview process, etc.), the better equipped we are to ensure their satisfaction.

How much communication is needed when working with a client?

We try our best not to over-communicate. We know that our clients receive as many voicemails and emails as we do; we never want to increase their workload. However, our first project with a new client will invariably require increased communication, until we learn their priorities and procurement process. During the search phase, we may need to reach a client quickly to get additional clarification about a requested skill. For this reason, expeditious response to our emails and calls is appreciated. You can expect the same from us!

What does Clarity offer to help their clients meet their needs?

We will always make an effort to customize our processes to meet the unique needs of our clients. Whether it’s adapting our consultant identification process to verify specific skills, providing timely feedback for a consultant who has been deployed, or enhancing our time card approval procedure so the client can associate deliverables with hours worked, we’re committed to serving our clients.

What advice can you offer new clients that have not worked with Clarity previously?

Our best partnerships are characterized by clients who have a firm handle on what they need and when. Projects tend to struggle when a manager is gung ho about seeing consultant profiles “ASAP,” and then stalls. Our consultants are rarely available for long. If a client does not respond with feedback for longer than 24-48 hours, they might lose out on their favorite candidate. It is important to stay in close communication with your Business Development Manager once consultant profiles are presented for review, to ensure that we secure the right resource.

How do you reassure new clients that Clarity is working in their best interests?

Our longevity in the Learning and Development consulting space is a testament to our commitment to customer satisfaction. Especially when forging new relationships, we tell our clients that our goal is to create an enduring partnership and to become their firm of choice for all learning-related consulting initiatives. By keeping their best interests at heart, we reinforce that we’re focused not only on the project at hand, but also on the totality of their long-term success.

What happens once a client’s need is filled by Clarity?

Once our consultants are in place, we check in frequently to ensure that their onboarding is going well, and that the project has kicked off satisfactorily. If the project involves instructional design, we are in close touch to ensure that the quality of content is in line with the client’s expectations, and that deadlines are being met. Upon conclusion of a project, all clients receive a customer satisfaction survey, which enables them to rank our performance in several key areas. If the feedback on a survey warrants additional attention, it will be escalated to management so that outstanding issues can be quickly resolved. We’ll then stay in communication to explore additional partnership opportunities, and advise as appropriate.

What tips would you offer a client when opening a project request with Clarity?

It’s always helpful when a client is prepared with the basic information, such as desired skills, anticipated start date, duration, and target bill rate range. However, it’s our job to make the process as easy as possible for the client. If a client doesn’t have all the answers, we’ll be patient until they do. We like to ask a variety of “intangible” questions as well. We’ll drill down on the corporate environment, organizational structure, and even the client’s management style. The more we know about what’s going on at their company and how they like to operate, the better our chances of a successful placement.

What should clients expect when working with Clarity?

They should expect us to have our eyes on both the strategic and the tactical at all times. Having served the learning community for over 17 years, our goal is to manage as much of the logistics of procuring an external resource as possible, allowing our clients to focus on what they do best.

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Additionally, when a client is truthful about their timeline and budget, transparent and swift in their communications, and appreciative of our efforts, we know we’ve crossed the chasm between vendor and partner.

Unless we are given a very clear picture of their environment, deadlines, and expectations, our chances for success dwindle.

...our first project with a new client will invariably require increased communication, until we learn their priorities and procurement process.

We will always make an effort to customize our processes to meet the unique needs of our clients.

Our best partnerships are characterized by clients who have a firm handle on what they need and when.

By keeping their best interests at heart, we reinforce that we’re focused not only on the project at hand, but also on the totality of their long-term success.

It’s always helpful when a client is prepared with the basic information, such as desired skills, anticipated start date, duration, and target bill rate range.

They should expect us to have our eyes on both the strategic and the tactical at all times.