In this episode of The Consultant's Way Podcast, hosts Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska speak with Tristan Humbles, Global Head of Professional Services (PS) at Natterbox. Tristan shares insights into the changing landscape of professional services, particularly in the context of SaaS and telecom sectors.

Tristan highlights how macroeconomic pressures have increased the need for risk management and shifted client expectations, leading to longer, more complex engagements. High-level executive involvement has become essential to ensure alignment and continuity from project inception through to completion, placing PS teams at the center of these transitions. Tristan underscores that embedding PS teams early in the sales process or strategically integrating them with sales efforts ensures seamless client experiences and helps mitigate risk.

Building strong relationships is pivotal for PS success. Tristan emphasizes that proactive relationship-building and positioning PS teams as trusted advisors foster smoother project implementations and minimize potential issues. This approach requires strategic planning, clear communication, and balancing billable activities with client support.

The conversation also explores the evolving role of PS in client retention. With a focus on reducing churn and enhancing long-term client value, PS teams have found themselves increasingly involved throughout the customer lifecycle. This involvement aligns with clients’ demands for faster project deployment and iterative implementations to quickly demonstrate ROI and adapt to workforce changes.

Tristan concludes with key takeaways: engaging early to build trust, ensuring consistent client alignment, and proactive risk management. These strategies empower PS teams to effectively manage complex demands, reinforcing their importance as strategic partners for client success. The discussion also points to the need for organizations to reevaluate PS delivery models and profitability, as PS becomes more integral in maintaining client satisfaction and driving long-term revenue.

In this The Consultant’s Way Podcast episode, Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Brent Wesler, VP of Strategic Technology at PIF Technologies. Wesler provides insights into his company’s approach to document-based workflow automation, emphasizing that while he operates in a highly technical role, his focus is on guiding clients through transformational changes, blending technology with consultative advisory.

Wesler addresses a common pitfall in consulting: technical experts being viewed merely as solution providers. Instead, he advocates for a consulting mindset, where understanding a client’s unique challenges comes before offering solutions. This begins with an in-depth discovery phase, where Wesler and his team assess a client’s real needs, ensuring that the solution aligns with business goals. He explains that this approach avoids prematurely jumping into solutions, often saving resources and reducing the chance of misalignment.

Managing client expectations and project risk are key topics in the discussion. Wesler shares his practice of conducting paid discovery phases for complex projects, allowing his team and the client to understand feasibility and ROI before committing to full-scale implementation. He emphasizes that for smaller consultancies, focusing on niche industries helps build credibility and deep expertise, making it easier to meet client needs and manage risks effectively.

A recurring theme in Wesler’s approach is balancing technical execution with a deep understanding of the client’s business. His hands-on experience adds credibility, enabling him to relate to client challenges, but he also highlights the importance of training his team to carry this consultative approach. This way, the organization doesn’t rely solely on a few individuals for client relations.

McMann and Paluska echo Wesler’s focus on specialization, agreeing that successful consulting hinges on combining industry knowledge with technical skills to become true advisors. Wesler’s approach showcases how thoughtful consulting practices can lead to effective, scalable solutions that drive real client value.

In this episode of "The Consultant’s Way Podcast," Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Jason Mele, who shares insights from his extensive experience in event tech and marketing tech, particularly in managing professional services in complex organizations. He highlights the constructive role of friction between departments, such as product development, sales, and professional services. Rather than seeking complete alignment, Mele believes in using the natural tensions to explore innovative solutions that benefit both the customer and the organization.

Mele explains how professional services often mediate between product teams, which focus on long-term roadmaps, and sales teams, which are driven by immediate customer needs. He shares examples of how he has successfully balanced these priorities, positioning professional services as a valuable partner to the product team. By using customer projects as opportunities to test future product features, Mele turns competing priorities into collaborative successes.

A major theme is the trust and collaboration between professional services and sales. Mele emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with sales teams, showing that professional services can add value during the sales process by helping scope and deliver complex projects. He also discusses how professional services teams often have deeper customer knowledge, making them essential in expanding and growing accounts.

Mele also discusses his approach to fostering collaboration within his team, encouraging cross-functional brainstorming to elevate everyone’s skills. By creating a collaborative environment, he has been able to turn specialists into more well-rounded generalists while maintaining their subject matter expertise.

In closing, Mele underscores the importance of viewing friction and tension as opportunities for growth. By embracing these dynamics, professional services teams can not only deliver better customer outcomes but also contribute to the broader success of the organization.