Outside-In is the newsletter for marketing, business development, and client care leaders within professional services firms. You know that stand-out client experiences are the best way to differentiate your firm’s brand, drive referrals and ultimately protect and grow revenues.
To help you, every two weeks Outside-In curates relevant cross-industry insights in a simple actionable summary. It also features short peer interviews with people who are applying these insights in or with professional services firms. So you’ll get a blend of fresh ideas and practical suggestions, in a quick scannable format.
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Discover the insight nuggets shared by our interview guests.
#2 Anna Lake
Client Listening Expert, Anna Lake Consulting
Client interviews are valuable to your clients too
Clients welcome the opportunity to reflect on the relationship and make sure they are getting the most from it. It may feel like you’re inconveniencing them, but the opposite is true. It shows clients that you really care about meeting their evolving needs.
Listening helps you see your brand promises with fresh eyes
Firms make brand promises like ‘we’re responsive’, ‘we understand your business’ or ‘we’re great to work with’. Client listening helps you hear about those same experiences from the client’s perspective. You can discover what you do really well, in the eyes of the client, and then turn that into marketing collateral.
To overcome internal barriers, start small and build an evidence base
When looking to expand your client listening programme, start small. Run a pilot with a selection of clients, implement the changes and look out for the improvements. Build an evidence base that makes a wider rollout an easy decision.
#1 Helen Lobozzo
Partner & Head of Client Care, Taylor Rose MW
Feedback is a great way to celebrate success
Receiving positive feedback is a great boost for people’s morale. Sharing it across the firm also gives individuals a chance to shine, and to be recognised by the people who influence the business.
To overcome internal barriers, find your trailblazers
Some people are reluctant to request feedback/reviews just because they lack confidence in the quality of their work. So find the trailblazers who are passionate about what they do and how they do it. As they get positive responses from clients, others will see the benefits and want that success too. The positive energy around feedback becomes infectious.
Insights need to be measured, digestible and frequent
Directors love getting inside knowledge that helps them feel in touch with the business and connected with those doing the day-to-day work. But this only works if the insights are provided frequently, in a measurable and digestible way. There’s little point in asking for feedback annually because too much can happen in a year.