Tata Enhances Partnerships With Clients Across Cultures

The Client

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is one of the largest information technology (IT) consulting firms in the world. A part of the Tata Group, India’s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 116,000 of the world’s best trained IT consultants in 50 countries delivering services to 1,000 clients. Its annual revenue hit $5.7 billion in a recent fiscal year.

The Issue

Tata’s regional sales managers traditionally have had strong technical backgrounds. But to consult with American clients more effectively, Tata also needed to enhance the communications skills of its American-based Indian sales representatives, especially given the cultural differences. Regional sales managers needed to understand where the obstacles were and become aware of how Tata could become more valued and integral partners in their clients’ businesses.

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“Due to your communication with everyone involved ahead of time, when you met personally with the team for the first time it was as if you were already a part of our team.” “You helped management and participants alike embrace individual strategies for improved communication with colleagues and clients. You ideas were the ideal springboard for our organization to discover more solutions. You delivered exactly what we needed.”

Pramod Chandrasekhar

Regional Manager, Human Resources

The Solution

TCS engaged us for our expertise in cross-cultural leadership and communication. We gathered data and interviewed participants in order to prepare a customized learning event and provide follow-up mentoring for TCS’ American sales reps based on their individual goals. We introduced new, interactive meeting facilitation methods and identified six primary areas of focus. We covered the different phases of the selling cycle with an emphasis on consulting skills, specific communications challenges, and prospecting. We then continued to mentor reps and guide them in setting measurable, follow-through expectations on their action items.

The Outcome

The engagement helped TCS more effectively communicate and partner with its clients, significantly contributing to the company’s business relationships and organizational goals. Relationships with a key U.S. based client improved and TCS was able to retain the account.