Client Work Matters: Trends To Watch in 2024

As we stand on the cusp of a new year, we know you’ve already been gearing up for a transformative journey in 2024. To make the most of these months ahead, make sure you’re keeping an eye on the trends that are most likely to impact your work and provide opportunities for growth.?

The upcoming year promises a significant transformation in the way businesses operate, from the use of technology and data to enhance productivity to the innovative application of generative AI. Although professional services and trends in small and mid-sized businesses are continually changing, 2024 is expected to bring about some notable patterns to keep an eye on. Check them out below!

1. Continued productivity optimization

Business owners have always wanted to optimize productivity, but that wasn’t always an easy goal to achieve. Now that we have the technology and data to measure and adapt business operations, collaboration, resourcing and more, productivity has once again come to the forefront.

An IT consulting firm might use automation to achieve intelligent ticket routing and alerts and give its team access to an integrated knowledge base to reduce the number of queries they need to do to resolve client issues.

2. Innovative uses of generative AI

In 2024, we’ll see fresh uses of generative artificial intelligence. Its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and offer key insights will revolutionize how many businesses operate. While there are lots of obvious ways a product-based business might optimize its supply chain with AI, for example, it can be less apparent how a client-based firm could use machine learning models to the fullest.

Let’s explore how an agency might apply generative AI:

• Content creation: Tailored blog posts, social posts and personalized email campaigns are just a few applications of generative AI for content.
• Design: AI can assist a team in rapidly creating visual content, such as illustrations and layouts. This can save a creative team time and resources while allowing them to focus on polishing in alignment with quality standards.
• Marketing strategy: AI is powerful when it comes to analyzing large datasets. Agencies can gain deep knowledge about market trends, customer preferences and competitors.
• Operations: AI can automate scheduling, resource allocation and workflow management and cut operational costs.
• Social media marketing: User engagement insights can optimize social media management and even generate responses to user comments, making social media strategy more efficient and effective.

3. Investment in data solutions and security

Data has become the lifeblood of business decision-making. In 2024, expect to see a significant investment in data solutions and security as business leaders seek even more expanded real-time analytics to support everything from project timeline and budget estimation to client communication protocol and reporting.

All businesses will need to ensure their data solutions are efficient and secure, but there are many other considerations in professional services. Consider an accounting firm. In addition to predictive analysis and automated reporting, they should have advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication and a cloud-based accounting platform. Not to mention a plan for regularly educating clients about security practices.

4. A deeply personalized customer experience

Using the data and insights from advancing technology, service providers have the power to improve customer support in 2024. Starting with understanding demographics, preferences and behaviors, the business intelligence at your fingertips today makes it possible to elevate the client journey from the first touchpoint. Personalizing customer interactions in the new year will be about providing the perfect balance between AI and a human touch.?

Think about how an engineering firm could use a combination of tech and creative strategies to develop even stronger client relationships. They might use 3D modeling software and virtual reality to give clients a highly realistic preview of final products or build a custom analytics dashboard for each client that displays a cost analysis, time-to-completion estimates and performance metrics.

5. The permanent transition to agile business models

Business leaders learned the importance of resilience during the pandemic. Now, an agile business model can help them adapt to changing circumstances in the future. Small businesses can especially benefit from being flexible.

And what does agile mean in practice? Today, it’s tightly woven into digital transformation. If your business is not tech-forward, you’ll be less capable of withstanding any global or industry-wide storms.

Platforms that grow with your business are key to ensuring that you don’t waste time rolling out new tech and getting your team accustomed to the user experience.?

Inspired to take on the new year with your team? Check out these additional resources to get your creative juices flowing for a successful 2024!

• The Technology Adoption Strategy You Need To Stay Ahead This Year
• Top 5 CRM Trends Shaping Customer Interactions in 2024
• 5 Business New Year’s Resolutions for Service Firms