13 Years and Counting – Witnessing the Development of the Expert Network Industry
With Agnes Lee, Senior Vice President, Client Service
Meet Agnes! Agnes has been with Guidepoint for 13 years. From Project Manager to Senior Vice President of the Client Service Team, she has excelled in her roles at Guidepoint. We spoke to Agnes about her time here and her extensive experience in the industry.
RAISING THE BAR ON SERVICE
As competition has heightened in the industry, service expectations have significantly increased. Speaking from experience, one of the keys to excelling in any client service role, according to Agnes, is by developing trust with your clients:
“Being a service provider clients can trust while setting industry standards with high-quality service is one of the keys to long-term success.”
She added, “And to achieve that, we consistently deliver quality service and become someone our clients can rely on, so they don’t have to look elsewhere.” From her own observations, the service quality of the leading expert networks has significantly improved over the years with faster expert recruiting times and more precise screening processes to identify the most relevant experts. As a result, clients are eager to extend collaborations after changing jobs or industries, and continuously work with expert networks like Guidepoint to add value to their research.
ADDING VALUE TO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS
“We find experts that provide them (the clients) information and data that are not easily accessible.”
Since the early 2000s, the expert network industry has grown. More and more organizations are making subject matter expert consultations an essential part of their primary research practices. “Clients are able to steer the conversation in any way they need to and get immediate answers to their pressing questions during a 1-hour phone call”, said Agnes. Relevant information on any topic can be acquired instantly, without having to spend long hours sifting through general reports or investment research.
This holds true for a wide range of clientele including investors, consulting firms, and top regional & global corporations. Agnes explained how organizations of different natures can take advantage of expert network services, “Our institutional clients can consolidate the buy, hold and sell decision-making process and make better judgment calls using highly specific knowledge provided by our experts from various industry backgrounds.”
REASONS FOR SUCCESS
When asked about the key to success, Agnes said having a devoted attitude is the most important:
“You need to go the extra mile. Putting ourselves into our client’s shoes to understand their needs – this changes a lot of mindsets of how we work with clients.”
Having spent 13 years in the industry, Agnes still keeps an open mind to understand her clients’ ever-changing research needs. “Getting a basic understanding of clients’ research projects and objectives is crucial. It allows us to offer advice when clients need guidance on managing the volume of expert profiles. The majority of client projects are important and have tight deadlines. We must be there to support them whenever they need us, even if that means working outside of normal office hours,” said Agnes.
In addition, creativity in a client service role cannot be overlooked, Agnes mentioned:
“Be creative in finding the right expert. Think outside of the box and make sure what we have for clients is really the best solution.”
Working in this ever-evolving field, Agnes believes creativity will differentiate the best from the mediocre. She shared the importance of communication within the team and how to find better solutions through collective efforts, “Listen to the teams, incorporate their ideas – there may be a way to level things up.:
