Elevating IT Consultancy with Human-Centric Approach | Valeriana Colon from Connect Centric

Ernesto Quezada: Welcome to Pathmonk Presents, the place where business owners and marketers share their insights on digital growth. In every episode, we discuss real strategies, why they worked, and also why they didn’t. Get insights from real experiences and save yourself a whole lot of time and money. Let’s get to it right now!

Before we get started with today’s episode, let’s have a quick look at what Pathmonk is all about. If you are winning leads, demos, or sales through your website, then Pathmonk might be interesting for you. Pathmonk is an extension to your website. It watches each visitor as they’re moving through your page and builds up their interest in your product or service in real-time to deliver a great uplift in conversions from your website.

Usually, the buying journey can be divided into stages: awareness, consideration, and decision-making. Pathmonk figures out in which stage a given visitor is by watching every action that they do on the website and provides them with micro experiences such as notifications, case studies, and introduction videos, helping them move to the next stage in the buying journey towards a conversion.

Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Valeriana from Connect Centric, Strategic Growth Leader. How are you doing today, Valeriana?

Valeriana Colon: I’m doing great. How are you?

Ernesto: I’m doing great. Thank you so much for being on with us today on Pathmonk Presents. I’m sure our listeners are tuning in wondering what Connect Centric is all about. So let’s kick it off with that. Valeriana, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more?

Valeriana: Well, Connect Centric is a bespoke IT consultancy. We combine IQ with EQ to increase IT quotient. That’s the know-how to future-proof organizations because IT strategy is only as good as your ability to execute. Our logo is a heart because we are human-centric. We take a holistic approach to process and strategy improvement, and that’s why our two organizations vibe well together; you guys do automation, and we do IT.

Ernesto: Awesome to hear that. So that our listeners get a good understanding of Connect Centric, what would you say is the key problem that you guys like to solve for clients?

Valeriana: There are a few different problems we work on. Our top three problems of our prospects these days are technology integration and system compatibility, IT process efficiency and cost management, and cybersecurity threats and data protection. We serve large enterprises and associations, focusing on finance, health, government, federal energy, education, and industry associations.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. Is there a vertical segment or an ideal ICP for Connect Centric that you guys like to go for?

Valeriana: We love industry associations and nonprofits, especially international associations. One of our major partners right now is an association. We like to align our mission with the mission of our partners. We bring consultancy to a new paradigm with the IQ and EQ balance. We are proactive, empathetic, transparent, and we accelerate, enhance, and optimize stalled-out digital transformation projects for our partners.

Ernesto: Awesome to hear that from you guys at Connect Centric. So how would somebody usually find out about Connect Centric? Is there a top client acquisition channel?

Valeriana: We do a lot of word-of-mouth through our client success stories, industry conferences, and associations. We are members of Chief and ITSMF (Information Technology Senior Management Forum). We also like being a resource on LinkedIn, posting strategies and connecting with people there.

Ernesto: Important. For our listeners who are tuned in, you can check them out at connectcentric.com. What role does the website play for client acquisition, Valeriana?

Valeriana: Our website is designed to lead our prospects through the sales funnel from awareness, discovery, evaluation, and purchase to loyalty. Even our long-term partners use our website as a resource. It’s more client-centric, focusing on their needs with relevant resources. The challenge is that you have 50 milliseconds to make a decision on whether someone will stay on your site. The average length of time spent on a website is about three minutes. So, we focus on call-to-actions and lead magnets to keep people engaged.

Ernesto: That’s important. Are there any tools or tips or methods that you would recommend to our listeners regarding website lead generation?

Valeriana: When talking about website lead generation, design with a purpose. Put valuable information up front, consider the customer experience, and make data-driven decisions. Use automation for a custom experience to keep visitors engaged. Talk about their needs and how you can serve them, using analytics to understand where they spend time on your site.

Ernesto: Great tips and methods from you, Valeriana. Let’s switch gears a little bit and talk about you as a leader. What are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Valeriana: As someone who works with a small business, I wear multiple hats every day. My number one priority is engagement. Are my partners, prospects, and internal team set up for success? I check in with them, offer support, and then focus on strategy and process improvement. I work with developers and leadership to ensure goals are being met. I also specialize in documentation and training as a learning scientist, utilizing my PhD.

Ernesto: Great to hear that, Valeriana. Let’s jump into our next section, which is our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Valeriana: I thought that was the rapid fire! All right, I’m ready. Let’s do this.

Ernesto: First off, what is the last book that you read?

Valeriana: The last book I read was a fantasy book called “Hollow City” by Ransom Riggs. For a marketing-focused book, I recommend “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip and Dan Heath. It gave me an aha moment in marketing.

Ernesto: Great read for our listeners. Next, what is one single thing that your company is focused on the most at the moment?

Valeriana: We’re focused on process improvements and strategy, especially cloud computing. We’re moving a large government organization and an industry association to cloud services.

Ernesto: Awesome to hear that. If there would be no boundaries in technology, what would be that one thing you want to have fixed for your role as a marketer today?

Valeriana: I would put up guard rails for AI to guide its development, bridge human and technology collaboration to reduce fear of AI replacement, and leverage neurodiversity to drive innovation in tech.

Ernesto: If there is one repetitive task that you could automate, what would that be?

Valeriana: Data analysis automation would be huge. Another wish is for developer documentation automation, where a tool could document customizations and create reports in real-time.

Ernesto: Lastly, you have a lot of experience in the marketing world. What is one piece of advice you would give yourself if you were to restart your journey as a marketer today?

Valeriana: It’s not about you or proving yourself. It’s about elevating and showcasing the success of your partners and prospects. Use your skills to shine the light on others.

Ernesto: Great advice. We’re coming to the end of the show, but I want to give you the last word. If someone forgets everything about the interview today, what is the one thing they should remember about Connect Centric?

Valeriana: Remember that we combine IQ and EQ to elevate your IT quotient. We infuse the human element into technology to make IT more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Ernesto: Important. Thank you so much, Valeriana, for being on. To our listeners, check them out at connectcentric.com. Thank you for tuning in, and I’m looking forward to our next episode at Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Valeriana.

Valeriana: Thank you for having me.