In our consulting services here at Fast Enterprises, we often have to work with people who aren't very tech savvy. How would you handle a situation like this if hired for this role?
When working onsite with clients on new software and new technologies, most front line employees working on the new system won't have the technical acumen that you possess. Because of this fact, your consulting services will have to be performed in a fashion that is easy to understand for the clients. Give your answer a personal touch by explaining your ability to work with clients on a one-on-one basis and customizing your approach with them based on their level of knowledge. From a high level, then talk about certain techniques that you've found to be useful in the past.
"In my days in software sales and consulting, I've found that the best approach with clients is to always discuss things in terms of their business results as opposed to the processes involved. I've found that clients aren't interested in how a software program works to pull information out of a data table. They want to know the steps they have to take to successfully pull the relevant information to them in their work and I try to focus my efforts on that. If I get the sense that a certain person has a good understanding of the software, I don't hesitate to brag a bit about the creative programs that were designed behind the scenes because they can definitely show appreciation for that."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Whenever I am discussing technological information with someone who is not tech-savvy, I try to either keep it as condensed and filtered as possible so that the person does not get confused or lose interest. The best way to approach this is to specifically discuss the result and not the process, but only if the person is clearly not tech-savvy.
Stephanie's Feedback
That's a great approach! You may also wish to name important skill sets such as patience and flexibility, which can come in useful when teaching folks new skills that don't come easily to them.
Anonymous Answer
My approach to this situation as a Fastie would be to explain the necessary background information required/steps involved in reaching their solution. I would avoid using technical jargon and use wording that makes sense for the client. Although, if the client is interested in the software, I would not hold myself back from sharing the back-end working, as they would appreciate it. When I used to work as a classroom technician, I was often asked to report to a classroom by the professors where a certain equipment/software was not working. I understood that some professors were not interested in knowing how the software worked in the back-end. They were just interested in knowing what they had to do to get the software to work. So what I used to do was ask them where they were facing issues and walk them through the part they are not understanding. I would answer all the questions they had and guide them to resources if they needed any.
Stephanie's Feedback
Since you used this response already for #1, I suggest updating it just a bit. To deepen your impact, I suggest you specifically focus on how you have interacted with folks who aren't super tech-savvy. How have you been able to lead and guide them?
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