How do you influence global delivery clients and partners?

To impact your clients, you need to touch them at their parts of interest and need. This is a critical step in identifying their pain points and offering solutions even before they request for it. Through market research and industry trend, you can analyze your offerings against their need and know when a product will phase out of relevance and to quickly adapt to that change by offering a better alternative to improve their wellbeing.

Dealing with people globally and make an influence is by understanding, resonating than selling: 1. Respecting Diversity - Every country, state, department, generation has a specific culture, values and language not just dialect but preferences towards relationships. Understand those difference and adapt to their language is must 2. Resonate Need - Active listening of their problem and desire, their growth value to resonate with. Is it disruption in the market with completely new brand or product, is it enhancing customer experience to get wow response; Is it savings into their services and hence transformation 3. Adaptive selling - Promote your services and product via their journeys and personas with credibility and differentiation

Conduct Thorough Research: ?? Invest time in understanding the specific needs, goals, and challenges of your clients and partners. Use surveys, interviews, and market research to gather insights. Tailor Solutions: ?? Customize your offerings to align with their expectations. Show how your solutions address their unique requirements and add value to their operations. Banking Example: ?? Understand the compliance requirements and regulatory pressures faced by global banking clients. Tailor your delivery framework to ensure seamless regulatory reporting and risk management solutions.

In my experience, communication played a pivotal role in client communication. We engaged in frequent dialogue with the client, asking probing questions to gain insight into their perspective. Active listening was key; we made a concerted effort to understand their concerns and aspirations fully. We genuinely cared about our client's success and empathized with their challenges.

Executive stakeholder alignment is crucial for the success of a project. At the start of a project, the key stakeholder groups and executive stakeholders must be identified and an assessment made of a project's impact on these stakeholders. "Voice of the Customer" interviews and workshops should be used to understand the key issues and concerns of stakeholders. Once all of this information has been gathered, a picture should emerge of areas where stakeholders are aligned as to the project objectives and where potential conflicts could arise.

Be Culturally Sensitive: ?? Recognize and respect cultural differences in communication and business practices. Adapt your style to align with the cultural norms of your clients and partners. Flexible Communication: ?? Use various communication methods and adjust your approach based on the preferences of your audience, whether it be formal presentations, casual discussions, or detailed reports. Banking Example: ?? When dealing with clients from different regions, be aware of their cultural business etiquettes and adapt your communication to build trust and rapport effectively.

For project teams, and the broader organizations impacted by projects, cultural empathy is critical to making people feel heard and respected. Project members should actively listen to diverse points of view and "play back" what they heard to ensure that people are fully understood. Recognize that challenges can take longer to work through in global project due to not only time zone differences but also due to cultural and communication styles.

I encountered various communication styles and decision-making processes and adjusted my communication style accordingly. With the hierarchical client, ensured our meetings were well-organized and followed a formal agenda. I understand cultural traces play a crucial role in conflict resolution and navigating conflicts effectively.

Be Culturally Sensitive: ?? Recognize and respect cultural differences in communication and business practices. Adapt your style to align with the cultural norms of your clients and partners. Flexible Communication: ?? Use various communication methods and adjust your approach based on the preferences of your audience, whether it be formal presentations, casual discussions, or detailed reports. Banking Example: ?? When dealing with clients from different regions, be aware of their cultural business etiquettes and adapt your communication to build trust and rapport effectively.

We regularly provided updates, insights, and recommendations tailored to the client's specific needs and objectives. During a critical project delivery, our team faced unexpected challenges that threatened to derail the timeline. By leveraging our expertise and collaborative problem-solving skills, we not only resolved the issues swiftly but also implemented innovative solutions that enhanced the project's overall success

Project teams should remember that creating value and properly communicating that value are two different things. All too often, teams are focused on the day-to-day deliverables and don't devote sufficient time to managing stakeholders. It's the responsibility of project leadership to schedule time with executive leadership and other stakeholder groups to communicate project progress and value created. A strong governance function will ensure that leadership and key stakeholder groups are informed and updated on a regular basis so that they clearly understand the value created through the project.

Engage Regularly: ?? Maintain regular contact with your clients and partners through meetings, check-ins, and updates. Build long-term relationships based on trust and mutual benefit. Leverage Networks: ?? Use your professional network to connect with key stakeholders and influencers who can advocate for your solutions. Banking Example: ?? Regularly engage with banking regulatory bodies and industry associations to stay updated on trends and establish your presence as a thought leader in the industry.

In my opinion, nothing can take the place of face-to-face interaction with project team members and executive leadership. For global projects, that may mean meeting at a company's global or regional headquarters for periodic updates, or it could mean meeting in locations where service delivery typically occurs. In the absence of physical travel, regular update meetings can build trust and foster the communication needed to ensure project success.

Build a Compelling Narrative: ?? Craft a persuasive story that aligns with the strategic goals and values of your clients. Use storytelling to make your message more relatable and impactful. Emphasize Benefits: ?? Focus on the benefits your solution provides, rather than just the features. Highlight how it solves their problems and helps achieve their goals. Banking Example: ?? Create a narrative around how your technology solutions can streamline compliance processes, mitigate risks, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

My experience shows that data and information are critical to persuading individuals to pursue a course of action. Benchmark data is very useful to identify key areas for improvement and transformation. Data collected can be visualized through various means, including bar charts, scatter diagrams, and heat maps to quickly communicate the meaning of data collected. This information must be translated to the value being created for the stakeholder, recognizing that different stakeholder groups will view project value creation in different ways.

Listen Actively: ?? Understand the concerns and objections raised by clients and partners. Show empathy and validate their points of view before addressing them. Provide Reassurance: ??? Offer clear, evidence-based responses to alleviate concerns. Use examples and data to back up your claims and demonstrate the reliability of your solutions. Banking Example: ?? When clients express concerns about data security in regulatory reporting, provide detailed information on your security protocols, certifications, and past success in safeguarding sensitive information.

Continuous Improvement: ?? Regularly review and refine your strategies and approaches based on feedback and changing market conditions. Stay agile and responsive to new challenges and opportunities. Stay Informed: ?? Keep abreast of the latest industry trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements. Use this knowledge to proactively address potential issues and position yourself as an industry leader. Banking Example: ?? Stay updated on global regulatory changes and emerging technologies in banking. Use this knowledge to offer forward-thinking solutions that keep your clients ahead of the curve.