Milan Dalal
A typical day is about being ready for the unexpected. From proposals to urgent requests for information our clients appreciate they get a responsive service.
The thing I really enjoy, and that sets us apart, is bringing the different experiences and challenges we have encountered to recommending a solution. When it’s your own business it’s hard to see the wood for the trees and I find the best value we deliver is giving clients objective, independent advice from someone they can trust – not dissimilar to what they do for their own clients. Sometimes the challenge is managing expectations. People can have a pre-determined approach to something and we wouldn’t be doing them justice if we didn’t challenge to make sure they get the best results.
Often the most rewarding part is really teasing out the results from a thought leadership study, client feedback or brand analysis. The easy part is just presenting back the results and that’s where so many firms stop. We’ve always been a bit curious about the ‘so what’ and that’s something the team learn from day one. When you’re able to clearly articulate the meaning and implications, you know clients will engage and debate and makes the whole relationship more rewarding.
The great thing is our clients don’t regard us as just another ‘supplier.’ As one [accounting] firm client said recently: “I get approaches from consultancies all the time but I know straightaway they don’t truly understand the challenges our sector faces. It just reinforces why we like working with Lighthouse.” I felt a warm glow all over!