How to avoid a frosty reaction from clients.

Your clients' experiences are not what you think.

We're currently running our industry benchmarking survey, looking at how professional services firms around the world are gathering and using the voice of their clients.

These insights can be used to inform marketing activities, win more work, improve processes, shape talent management plans, reduce future complaints... and of course, ensure that clients see and feel the value of the services they are paying for.

This is top of mind this frosty morning because I'm on my way to Edinburgh to meet up with Shaun Jardine the author of the book 'Ditch the Billable Hour: implementing value-based pricing in a law firm'.

Shaun cleverly applies John Kotter's story of Our Iceberg is Melting, to show how law firms could/should/are adapting (or not) to the threats posed by hourly rates.

How well do you really know your clients?

I was honoured to make a tiny contribution to Shaun's book, focusing on a simple truth - you can't apply value-based pricing if you don't know what your clients value.

But 'I know my clients' you say?

On the one hand, yes absolutely you do. I imagine all Client Relationship Partners know their biggest clients very well, and speak to them regularly.

But on the other hand, no you don't. Would any of these make you wriggle uncomfortably?

?? You can't stay close to all your clients.

Delivering the best service to your best clients, means others have to get less time and attention.

?? Most of the knowledge focuses on the client's immediate legal needs, and the relevant business/market context.

How much do you know about their needs and expectations from service provision, not just legal expertise?

?? 1-2-1 knowledge updates slowly.

To avoid their heads exploding from the constant flow of information, our brains filter what we see and hear. So we more readily notice things that support and reinforce our current world view, as we already have a mental pigeon hole - just like the feed algorithm on X. As a result, we're slow to react to changes in our relationships.

?? Clients don't tell you everything, part 1.

If you're not regularly asking open questions beyond the immediate scope of work, they may not think to tell you about new needs that are emerging, internal buying processes that are changing, or how another firm is changing how they deliver to them.

?? Clients don't tell you everything, part 2.

When it comes to sharing their experiences, and how well a service is meeting their expectations, not all clients are comfortable sharing this with the person delivering that service. It's the same with many human relationships. We often prefer to talk a situation through with a trusted 3rd party, and in some cases, would rather they spoke to the person in question to make things less awkward.

?? The process of collecting and using client insights is slowly evolving.

For every firm embracing the idea of 'always-on' client listening, there's one still happy to avoid collecting any feedback at all.

Find out where your firm stands

Where does your firm stand on this continuum? And where do you want to be this time next year?

The industry benchmarking research I mentioned at the top, can give you that answer. It will show you how your current process and future plans compare to a cohort of similar firms.

Take the survey today at: mcl.fyi/future-of-client-insights and discover how you can create insights that prevent frosty client experiences.

#ClientListening #Research #ProfessionalServices #CustomerExperience

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