Client Listening is about much more than ‘feedback’
There are lots of fun and stimulating nuances when it comes to developing or improving a good client listening programme. Here are three thoughts to consider:
1) One of the raisons d’etre for any client listening programme is to fight the tendency of firms to make incorrect assumptions about what their clients want and who then, in many cases, go to great lengths to design and deliver something that turns out to be irrelevant (or at best, not that compelling).
This has come into relief recently where firms have been keen to offer clients what seemed like relevant advice in areas such as employment and commercial (for example force majeure, etc)…and where it turned out that clients were expecting something much cleverer and more considered.
As anyone with a good client listening programme will know, clients are willing to talk about law firms generally and other firms on the same panel. Comments over the last 3 months suggest that some firms (astonishingly) haven’t even tried to differentiate between clients who have significant in-house legal capability and those which haven’t. GC’s and other in-house counsel have commented that they don’t need (or don’t perceive they need) external lawyers to advise on employment, commercial, etc, issues, but instead, that they would appreciate (and would have appreciated) a more focussed approach dealing with matters such as prioritising and allocating legal jobs and tasks and the risk management issues around this.
Clients are capable of providing a massive amount of strategically valuable information about which services they need, which services they are likely to need in the future, and how they would like to see these services delivered. Those firms that use this capability will develop and retain deeper and longer lasting relationships.
This also brings us to point 2.
2) Always think about what you want from a client listening programme and which goes beyond the question set that you have devised. Think of your client as a business advisor or a consultant – if you were paying them to advise you on what changes to make to your business, what would you ask them and what would you expect of them? Add at least three key questions that cover this and leave plenty of room for follow up. Your clients aren’t just assets because they pay you for advice – they are also tremendous sources of wisdom and client listening definitely isn’t just about feedback on services.
3) It is always important to be mindful and sensitive. Perhaps this is accentuated in the current climate…but it doesn’t matter because this is important all the time. Bear in mind that you may be refreshed and enthused…but there may be a 100 reasons why your client is not. Similarly, there will be nothing more disappointing for a client who is ebullient and optimistic about new opportunities, than the grim reaper turning up to apparently engage about what the future looks like! Think about points 1) and 2) above and allow these to guide your thinking – they will keep you on the right track.
So, plan properly and strategically, be mindful, and make sure that you have the right people asking the questions. Your clients will appreciate the additional TLC – perhaps more so in the current climate…but again, let’s not get too hung up on that – this is important behaviour at any time.
If you would like to discuss how you can implement or improve a client listening programme then please get in touch and I’ll be happy to discuss and share experiences.
Darren Francis is a director at RTZ Upstream and PepperBD