Six-module CS summer series transforms team from order-takers to strategic partners, reinforcing company's investment in human intelligence

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / September 24, 2025 / AI Digital, the leading end-to-end programmatic consultancy, recently completed its CS Summer Series, a six-part curriculum that equips client service (CS) professionals with practical skills and a strategic mindset to operate as true partners to clients. Designed and delivered by CS leaders Liza Bortnikova, Katie Hardwick, and Rachel Pakzadeh, the initiative reflects AI Digital's commitment to investing in people so teams can collaborate better, anticipate needs earlier, and deliver measurable outcomes for brands.

"This series gave our team the tools to step into client conversations with greater confidence and strategic insight, so we can set clearer expectations, align faster, and keep work moving toward outcomes that matter," said Katie Hardwick, a VP of Client Service.

Across six focused modules - confidence in communication, team play, foresight, handling objections, negotiations, and the CS identity shift - the series blended hands-on techniques with the broader behaviors clients value from strategic partners. The curriculum emphasized running outcome-oriented meetings, setting clear boundaries around scope and timelines, and showing up with commercial awareness and empathy.

• Confidence in communication: CS team members practiced leading conversations with equal business stature, mirroring client style and pace, and closing with crisp next steps, ownership, and timelines. The goal: clearer expectations, stronger relationships, and healthier retention.

• Team play (internal advocacy & collaboration): Framed as the "strategic glue" of cross-functional work, this module focused on shaping outcomes collaboratively, communication hygiene, creating psychological safety, and respecting global norms so teams move as one.

• Foresight: Participants learned to spot early signals, stay curious and commercial, and build a "no surprises" culture (internally and externally) to reduce risk and build trust.

• Handling objections: Objections were reframed as engagement, with techniques to pause, listen, probe for the ‘why,' and re-anchor on outcomes and value - not just price or scope.

• Negotiations: The team practiced principled negotiation-balancing client needs with capacity, protecting scope, translating pressure into partnership, and guiding toward win-win outcomes.

• The CS identity shift (from doer to driver): A shared vision for CS as confident communicator, foresight-focused partner, and indispensable growth driver - moving from reactive executor to strategic advisor.

Why it matters

Client expectations keep rising, budgets are scrutinized, and work now spans multiple teams and time zones. The CS Summer Series tackles these realities head-on: elevate communication, align early, and prevent surprises. When CS operates as the connective tissue (linking client needs, operational execution, and growth goals) partnerships deepen and programs run smoother.

"Client service is often viewed as executional. We're being intentional about redefining it as a driver of client value," said Rachel Pakzadeh, Vice President at AI Digital. "By investing in our people, clients benefit from stronger collaboration, better foresight, and consistent delivery."

The training also reinforces proven patterns from industry research included in the program materials: strong communication correlates with clearer expectations and long-term revenue impact; cross-functional trust improves retention; and proactive, no-surprises service strengthens loyalty.

A practical playbook for better outcomes

The CS Summer Series was built for immediate application. Teams are already applying techniques such as:

• Meeting leadership: Start with intent, guide the flow, and close with documented next steps.

• Scope protection: Anchor pricing and timelines early and prevent creep by clarifying what's included and what requires a new agreement.

• Risk signaling: Surface early indicators of misalignment or churn risk so the full team can respond before issues escalate.

• Value reframing: When pressure mounts on price or pace, re-center on shared goals, performance, and partnership.

These habits align with AI Digital's broader mission: pairing human intelligence with AI innovation to deliver outcomes clients can see and measure.

What's next

AI Digital will share practical takeaways from the series in an upcoming CS partner playbook on the company blog, with additional insights on LinkedIn in the weeks ahead. For more information, contact pr@aidigital.com.

About AI Digital

AI Digital is a leading end-to-end programmatic consultancy that combines strategy, AI technology, and insights to drive measurable business outcomes for mid-size agencies and brands. With headquarters in Miami and a global team of over 300 strategists, AI Digital delivers precision targeting and transparent advertising solutions across all media channels. Learn more at www.aidigital.com or contact us at pr@aidigital.com.

SOURCE: AI Digital