At PracticeMatch, we strive to always be referred by our clients as trusted partner. This is our goal throughout the consultative needs evaluation process and throughout your time as a client. We believe in establishing strong partnerships with our clients by maintaining accountability, and agreeing and then helping you achieve a fair ROI. This cannot be achieved without open communication, transparency, and mutual trust. Here are some steps you can take to help foster a productive relationship:

Clearly Define Expectations:

Clearly communicate your expectations regarding performance, deliverables, timelines, and ROI goals. Define key metrics and targets together, ensuring they align with your organization's objectives. This clarity will provide a foundation for accountability and mutual understanding. It is also critical that you allow your vendor to challenge your definition of success, but they need to provide facts on why.

Select the Right Partners:

As you decide on how you want to continue to partner with, or whom else you might want to bring into your organization, it is critical that you look at the track record of delivering quality results that align with your organization's goals. A well-aligned partner will be more invested in achieving a fair ROI and delivering value.

Establish Regular Communication Channels:

At PracticeMatch, we establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) around regular communication with our clients. We will schedule regular outreach but ultimately this schedule is defined by your organization and must meet your expectations to ensure we know all your challenges and opportunities. Your scheduled meetings should include a review of performance, metrics on ROI, and address any concerns. Effective communication ensures both parties are on the same page and can proactively address issues.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting:

Implement a system to monitor performance and track ROI from all vendors/partners. Establish clear reporting mechanisms to regularly receive updates on progress and results. This data will help evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership and identify areas for improvement or adjustment. It’s critical to understand the source your candidates are coming from and the quality of the applications.

Foster Collaboration and Feedback:

 Encourage open collaboration to foster a productive working relationship. Do not hold back with constructive feedback as this is the only way changes can be made to help meet any issues and be open to receiving feedback as well. Engage in discussions to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation together. Many of our great ideas and subsequent enhancements have come directly from suggestions our clients have made!

Performance Reviews:

Once again at PracticeMatch, we ask our Client Account managers to Conduct at minimum, a quarterly business review with each client to show performance related to ROI targets and engagement, to share success and ensure we are aligned with any critical needs. This is also the time both parties need to be transparent so adjustments can be made.

Nurture Long-Term Relationships:

 Approach your relationships as long-term partnerships rather than one-off transactions. Invest in building trust and ensure both parties understand each other's organization and goals and develop personal connections. Long-term partnerships allow for deeper collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement:

Foster a culture of continuous improvement by actively seeking feedback, sharing best practices, and exploring opportunities for innovation together. We encourage our partners to suggest new ideas or approaches that can enhance ROI and drive better outcomes.

We believe by following these steps, you can cultivate strong partnerships that prioritize accountability, transparency, and fair ROI while fostering a collaborative environment that drives mutual success.

Nicole Stefanik is the Director of Client Services, and she is responsible for ensuring the entire client services team delivers exceptional quality service to all our clients. She began her career with PracticeMatch 7 years ago as a Client Trainer, then quickly was promoted to Client Account Manager. Over the past 6 years in that role, she has been instrumental in assisting not only her team, but various teams within the organization, with developing processes and initiatives, to enhance the client and internal experiences, respectively, before being promoted to run the department. She is a graduate of Temple University, and currently resides in the Philadelphia suburbs with her family.