Vantage Partners

The complacent incumbent. They relish their favored position because they know it’s a huge pain for the client to replace them. Or they think no competitor knows the client’s business better than they do. They coast on being the incumbent. Until one day … they’re not. In our recent survey with professional services providers and their IT clients, we asked why clients replace incumbents. We discovered the top two reasons why incumbents may get blindsided by a competitor in the renewal process. You can find out in our short blog here: https://hubs.ly/Q02YYPHW0 (And we offer 4 ways to maintain your incumbency edge. A hint: It requires work – and a plan.)

Tim, a senior account manager for a global IT firm made perhaps the most disastrous thank-you ever. And unfortunately, it was directed to his account’s CTO. “We really appreciate the business you’ve given us over all these years.” Nothing harmful in that, really. But he didn’t stop there. “There aren’t many like you anymore!” Want to know what happened next? Find out here: https://hubs.ly/Q02YYPf60 And if you want to craft a better plan for engaging with the C-Suite, we have some suggestions. ??

In the most recent issue of Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN) Focus on Training magazine, Bridgette Bousquet White shares three steps to effectively leverage AI tools (that also work when collaborating with colleagues.) https://hubs.ly/Q02Y2yLR0

At Vantage we understand the importance of being heard. As valuable as our teams are to our clients, we recognize that voting is a privilege and a responsibility. Our offices will be closed on November 5th to allow our employees the flexibility to vote in the US Election.

Embracing the future of work means recognizing that while generative AI largely boosts individual efficiency, true success hinges on leveraging those efficiency gains with human collaboration — organizations must prioritize stakeholder alignment to unlock the full potential of AI investments. Logan Kessler writes about the opportunities gained by prioritizing alignment, here: The Secret to Optimizing Your Generative AI Investment https://hubs.ly/Q02Ws_1s0

“He who rejects change is the architect of decay.” That was former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson responding to his detractors during the turbulent '60s and '70s Great Britain. It’s not easy to recognize and grapple with change. And not addressing it indeed has drastic consequences. Our recent report, Winning Deals and Improving Margins, based on a pulse survey of professional services providers and their IT clients, found that not anticipating and managing change is a significant barrier to realizing deal value and improving margins. And anticipating change right from the get-go — in the framing of the deal itself — involves more than just savvy negotiating. It calls for a new approach to how companies adopt change management skills across the entire organization — Sales, Contracting and Delivery. In our latest blog, we suggest a few ways professional services organizations can align themselves around change. And not be unintentional architects of their own decaying margins and client retention. You can read it here: https://hubs.ly/Q02W3QtM0 #ProfessionalServices #ChangeManagement

Our mini-clinic at next week’s Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals BioPharma conference will discuss the best ways to track, monitor and illustrate alliance management value. Tuesday at 9:45 – join us!

We want to extend our thanks to Vantage Partners for their incredible support as a Platinum Sponsor at the upcoming ASAP BioPharma Conference. Their partnership is invaluable, and we are grateful for their continued and long-standing commitment to advancing our mission. Together, we are making great strides in fostering collaboration and driving success in alliance management! Thank you, Vantage Partners! Don't miss out! There is still time to register for the conference and join us for this exciting event. https://lnkd.in/eAAZDrTm #ASAPBioPharmaConferenceSponsor #alliancemanagement #Collaboration

We've all been warned that "curiosity killed the cat" — usually by someone more invested in leaving things as they are, who can't be bothered by your persistent questions! But when it comes to negotiating, curiosity is your best friend. Want to know why? It's in Danny Ertel's latest article for Forbes Business Council: Curiosity Can Make You A Better Negotiator: Four Ways to Cultivate It. #Negotiation #ProfessionalServices #NegotiationTraining #StrategicNegotiation

Looking forward to participating in this great event. If you are attending and would like to connect, please reach out!