Courtney

“… for any effective communication you need to have developed interpersonal skills.”

The Covid Lockdowns Jumpstarted Courtney’s Career

And She’s Found a Fitting Dual Role Helping Bryley Clients and Improving Marketing Communication

I’m sure you remember that school was difficult and trying for the classes of 2020 and 2021. Early-on courses moved online. Then restrictions were changed multiple times. Commencements were put off. Courtney had been studying Business Administration and Interior Design at Bay Path University (you can read her appreciation of the design of Bryley’s Clinton headquarters here). So in that unprecedented time Courtney Leonard decided to step out into the professional world. Courtney began this phase of her life as a print production lead for Staples where she quickly became a supervisor.

The past year Courtney has been in Client Services at Bryley where she was recently promoted to a combined role as Client Experience Specialist and Marketing Coordinator. This means that in addition to helping clients directly, Courtney will focus on improving the process for handling communications with clients and prospective clients.

Giving real information goes a long way in helping people know they’re being taken care of

Courtney said, “I love working with clients and I come from a creative field, so these dual roles are really a good fit for me.” Courtney said there was a benefit to being able to see customers face-to-face at Staples; at Bryley her client services calls are done on the phone and via email, so the past year she’s further developed her people skills, to better read the emotions and respond to a person she can’t see. “There are similarities between my work with printing clients and Bryley’s IT clients,” Courtney said, “sometimes you’re the one who has to return someone who’s stressed-out to being level-headed again. And I love that process of listening and being able to find answers for clients so they are reassured.” Following are Courtney’s thoughts about her roles excerpted from a recent conversation:

I’ve been told by friends and family members that I have a peacemaker personality. I feel like I have that ability to be that sympathetic person that lends an ear. And by lending an ear it gives me a chance to determine how I’ll respond to the other person. Working in retail [as at Staples] is very demanding. People want something right then and there. So I base my response on their emotions – I want to understand what they’re going through so I can diffuse the situation. So if they’re stressed, I want to be calm for them. If they’re upset, I want to be sympathetic to what they’re going through and understand what resolution they’re looking for: for instance at Staples, if we got a print order wrong, I’d say, ‘I’m terribly sorry for that, what can I do to make this right for you?’ to bring us into a conversation together. At Bryley it’s a little different. Here, I try to understand what the client is experiencing so that I can provide them with current updates on their situation and have someone follow up more in-depth later on. I think giving them real information goes a long way in helping people know they’re being taken care of.

The Marketing Coordinator role is a newly created position that Vice President of Marketing Roy Pacitto and I are now working out together. So far I’ve been involved in coordinating vendors to get the best work for Bryley’s clients and prospects. One of my hopes is that Bryley’s presence on social media is more consistent and integrated with marketing and client services overall. This is the role where I see myself, especially, wearing the Business Administration hat – testing initiatives and analyzing the data so we improve. But also, for any effective communication you need to have developed interpersonal skills. Marketing is an aspect of good communication, which leads back to my client services skills. Whether it’s social media or emailing, it’s a two-way street – like all good communication, people want to be heard and understood, not talked at.