Interim Management in Latin America: When your client becomes your sales force

During a conference call with a potential client in Chile, we were discussing the initiatives that EPUNTO Interim Management is set to roll out to strengthen our presence in Latin America.

Whilst we were reviewing the competitive advantages of interim management, and in particular the unique position that the Spanish firm EPUNTO Interim Management has achieved by deciding to enter the Latin American market, our potential Chilean client took on board several of our points and arguments.

This particular client recently entered the Chilean market and, according to him, it would have made a huge difference to have had an interim management service from the outset, when first entering this market.

“The difference is very clear: it takes less time and costs less to achieve the objective and fulfil the business plan. When your company enters a new market, the adaptation period is critical. Having the right person is important, but if we add to this the value of having local support from a company like EPUNTO, we have a winning combination: management + control = success.”

The client’s parent company is based in Spain, from where operations in the new Chilean market were initially managed. The professional we spoke to emphasised the importance of management control, particularly when dealing with operations in unfamiliar and distant locations.

“ … it is very important to be clear about how much time company managers have available to support our overseas branches. Therefore, having someone 11,000 km away who carries out their work whilst reducing the need to rely on head office, and who is ‘audited’ locally by a company that guarantees service quality, allows you as a manager to optimise your time and, let’s face it, sleep more soundly.”

At another point in the conversation, the discussion turned to the level of specialisation of the Interim Manager, their knowledge of the assigned task and the resulting short learning curve ahead of them, which maximises the ROI of the assignment.

“The value lies in having a professional who specialises in exactly what our company needs from the very first minute they start working with us. Unfortunately, we live in a results-driven era, so achieving results in the shortest possible time is highly valued. An Interim Manager contributes a great deal in this regard: effectiveness and efficiency.”

Despite the benefits that interim management can offer in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and versatility, in Chile – as in other Latin American markets – this service is not widely available. This is a point highlighted by the professional with whom we held this conversation.

“In Chile, as far as I know, this service does not exist. We have the typical traditional headhunters who can handle the recruitment process to hire someone, but their work ends the moment that candidate starts working at the company. And that is not enough.”

Finally, our client’s thoughts on what advice he might give to a potential user of this service centred on focusing on the main market and the core business, and the ability to delegate tasks to specialists – professionals with extensive experience in specific fields and roles – who will be more efficient at achieving specific results, thereby preventing key business personnel from losing sight of what really matters.

“I’d tell them to find out all about the pros and cons. Business development involves increasing our sales volume, client portfolio, new markets, and so on, but without neglecting what we’ve already achieved. If we lose our focus, we lose everything. That is why, just as we hire marketing experts, for example, to help us with our branding (even though we could do it ourselves by investing our own time), we must rely on high value-added services when we want to develop our business, both at home and, even more so, abroad.”

… and what if it were a multinational?

“Multinational companies are far more complex and static. They gain muscle but lose flexibility. Interim management gives you flexibility and agility, which is why I am convinced that, whilst perhaps not at a global level, at a departmental level at least, multinationals will also adopt this type of service for the processes where it is suitable.”

It is interesting to see how a service such as interim management, virtually unknown across an entire region (Latin America), can be so useful and cost-effective in so many professional scenarios and for such a variety of organisational structures. It all revolves around efficiency, effectiveness and versatility. A short learning curve to carry out specific tasks within set timeframes, with one clear objective: the result.