The HR and L&D sectors are built on a foundation of outsourcing. Often, the secret ingredient to ensuring those products and services add value is… the person buying them! So, this week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, we ask: what are the characteristics of a client who has a high likelihood of gaining value from their supplier?   Ross G and Gemma are joined, from our sales team, by Lara Kidd and Samantha Nicks. We discuss: ·       why the client is so important to the implementation of any HR or L&D technology ·       actions the client can take to increase the likelihood of success ·       advice for people in a buying position. In ‘What I Learned this Week’, Gemma discussed Douglas Stuart’s novel Shuggie Bain. Ross G discussed David Grann’s non-fiction book The Wager. For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtoolsbusiness.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.     Connect with our speakers    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with our speakers on Twitter: ·       Ross Garner - @RossGarnerMT or on LinkedIn ·       Gemma Towersey - @GemmaTowersey or on LinkedIn ·       Lara Kidd – LinkedIn ·       Samantha Nicks - LinkedIn