What Principal Consultants, vCIOS and Directors of Technology Have in Common

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Any IT company worth its salt has someone who digs deeper for clients.

They excel in relationship management, education, planning and forecasting.

John Mattox, iVenture client strategy manager,
John Mattox, Client Strategy Manager

These special people go by many names. Principal Consultant (PC) is what we call it. You may know it as virtual chief information officer (vCIO) or director of technology.

We asked John Mattox, our client strategy manager, to share his perspective on the PCs he manages every day.

For John, PCs must ask themselves, “What don’t I know?”

Because whether you call them a vCIO, PC, director of technology  — even IT wizard, the responsibility is the same: to be the client’s confidante and trusted guide for their long term technology needs.

An iVenture PC uses these skills masterfully:

#1 Play Nice

Client Relations

As an iVenture PC, the commitment to forming long-term relationships is vital. Working with c-level employees and business owners means you have to act as part of their business, not as a vendor.

Long-term client relationships are vital. The goal is for clients to view you as a team member, not a vendor.

It takes time to build this trust. But, we’ve found it makes having tough conversations easier.

It starts with seeing from the client’s perspective.

  • How do they view IT?
  • What are their business goals?
  • How does IT fit into the grand scheme?

Once you understand their hesitations and motivations, choosing the best course of action is clear. Planning is next.

#2 See the Future

Planning & Forecasting

PCs aren’t psychics, but they do see the future. At iVenture, we live by our roadmaps. These are 3-5 year plans that PCs develop for the team to execute.

It’s not easy to look at a client now, see ahead 5 years AND plan how to get there. It requires PCs to step into an executive mindset. Put yourself at the decision table.

Firecrackers — a big project followed by nothing — doesn’t work. Clients are left overwhelmed and unwilling to do it all over again. Instead, PCs have to see the value of roadmaps and stick to them.

#3 Value vs. Sales

The Difference

When PCs hear “sales,” alarm bells go off. Sometimes, sales has a bad reputation. It implies offering clients products or services they don’t need. Or even cold-calling.

We understand that worry. Our PCs don’t sell, they provide value. Specifically, our PCs talk about products and services when it directly benefits clients. There’s no product pushing allowed.

We expect PCs to paint a picture of the future, determine what products/services are needed and set up a manageable purchasing cadence. The relationship between clients and PCs relies on this trust.

20 years in business has taught us a lot. Our job positions are well-defined — we know what we want and employees know what to expect. Every PC in our Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa offices knows the value they bring to our clients. If you’re ready to bring that value too, apply today.

iVenture Solutions is an award-winning managed service provider delivering superior IT solutions to clients across Florida.

As a leading-edge IT firm for small and medium-sized businesses, we provide a diverse range of services covering the entire scope of IT including maintenance, support, hosting and more.

Through rapid response time, reduction of chaos and the right people, our expert team of IT professionals will fulfill your technology needs. At iVenture, we give you more time to do what matters most.

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Start changing the way you approach IT.
Harness efficiency and expertise.

iVenture’s award-winning team delivers managed services, cloud and cybersecurity to Florida’s best businesses. Whether you need end-to-end IT or a boost to your internal IT team, we’re ready.

Set up a call with iVenture now to learn more about our premium IT solutions.

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