If your firm has ever lost a client (yeah, I know), I hope you know why. Not think you know, BUT really know the reason(s). My guess is that it was due to poor client relations and/or failure to produce value, or a combination of both. An article by Aric Press, editor-in-chief of The American… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: client feedback
How Satisfied Are Your Clients? Ask Them
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsIt continues to amaze many clients that more law firms do not seek their feedback on the legal services provided. Over the years I have met with dozens of law firm clients, and heard often that they welcome opportunities to provide feedback. In this economy, client satisfaction surveys are more important than ever. The value… Continue Reading
Is Seeking Client Feedback in Your 2011 Budget? It Should Be
Posted in Marketing TipsThe budget process for 2011 marketing efforts should be well underway in your firm; and clearly finding out how loyal your clients are is vital to your firm’s economic future, not only for the coming year but beyond. Joyce Smiley in a recent item on her web site refers to a classic Harvard Business Review article… Continue Reading
Why Some Client Feedback Programs Don’t Work
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsThe good news is that some firms are doing client feedback programs; the bad news is that they aren’t really getting the feedback they need. That is, the feedback questions are superficial, and don’t really offer the kinds of return that will actually benefit the firm in retaining the client over the long haul. An… Continue Reading
ACC Value Index: what’s all the fuss about?
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsAs reported in today’s The AmLaw Daily some "Law Firms Cautious About ACC Ranking System." You may recall that the Association of Corporate Counsel announced their Value Index at last month’s annual meeting in Boston; and that it involves ranking outside law firms "based on evaluations from in-house lawyers." Apparently a number of firms aren’t… Continue Reading
What Are Your Clients Concerns? Ask Them
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsWe were taught in law school, especially as it relates to witnesses at trial or depositions, to not ask a question that we didn’t know the answer to. It’s a preparation thing – as in 90% preparation and 10% inspiration to take some liberty with an old adage. Unfortunately, some lawyers carry the concept over… Continue Reading
Are Your Clients Satisfied With Your Services?
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsDo you know the real answer or are you just guessing? Those of us who provide client feedback services, and have reported how favorable clients react to satisfaction surveys, have an obvious bias. But that makes it no less important to ask your clients how you are doing. I have written a number of times… Continue Reading
In-House Counsel Want Their Law Firms To Seek Feedback
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsMore and more it seems that in-house counsel are expecting their law firms to ask for their feedback. Even though “most general counsel and consultants say those law firms (seeking client feedback) are still in the minority and there isn’t nearly enough of this type of dialogue going on” according to an article on Law.com’s… Continue Reading
Client Feedback Is More Important Than Ever, But Be Careful
Posted in Marketing TipsNot only is client feedback important, but in past posts I have sung the praises for in-house client feedback programs that demonstrate to clients the firm’s management is sincere in determining whether the client is satisfied with the law firm’s services. An article in last month’s Strategies, the journal of the Legal Marketing Association by… Continue Reading
Ask Your Clients What They Need
Posted in Marketing TipsIt has been a couple of years since I looked at 365 Marketing Meditations: Daily Lessons for Marketing & Communications Professionals. This handbook of snippets produced by Richard Levick and Larry Smith of Levick Strategic Communications, is a goldmine of useful, pithy sayings useful to the legal marketing community. I picked it up today… Continue Reading
Do Your Clients Value Your Services?
Posted in Marketing TipsDoing a good job for your clients, keeping them informed, not overlawyering or overbilling, treating them with respect, and visiting your clients off the clock are just a few of the ways you can bring value to your client relationships. Jim Durham, formerly CMO at Ropes & Gray in Boston, spoke to the Delaware Valley… Continue Reading
Make an Impression That Clients Remember
Posted in Marketing TipsIf you really want to make a difference so that clients remember you and send you referrals, then a story Trey Ryder tells about a doctor may help. As the story goes, Trey was talking with a small business owner who told him that 15 years earlier his wife’s doctor called on a Saturday to… Continue Reading
More on What GCs Look For in Outside Law Firms
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsA panel of general counsel at the September meeting of Legal Marketing Association’s Metro Philadelphia Chapter told the audience that they REALLY crave better communications and efficiency from outside counsel. As reported on Law.com’s Small Firm Business by reporter Zack Needles, the GCs: Don’t Like: “centralized attorney structure” (where client must go through a senior… Continue Reading
In-Person Client Satisfaction Interviews DO WORK
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsI’ve been doing client interviews since 1990, and I know they do two things well. One, they can save clients before they leave the law firm for another (I really have a dynamite story on that point, but it will take too long to relate it here, so call me if you want to hear it). Second,… Continue Reading
What Happens When A Gorilla Firm Moves into Town?
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsThere has been an interesting discussion going on over on both the LMA (Legal Marketing Association)’s listserv and The LawMarketing Listserv (membership required for both) the past few days about what a small law firm should do when BigLaw moves into their marketplace. My take: First of all sit down, relax and have a good… Continue Reading
Seeking Feedback: Before, During and After A Matter
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsThere is no wrong time to seek client feedback about your firm’s performance. Not only should law firms ask how they are doing on current matters, but how they have done in the past, and how they can provide better service in the future. Although nobody likes to get bad news, it is better to learn if… Continue Reading
Why Aren’t Law Firms Talking To Their Clients More
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsAn article (available to Association of Corporate Counsel members) by Susan Jacobsen that appears in the April 2008 issue of ACC’s “Hands On” addresses some “Lessons for Law Firms” as a result of a GC panel discussion at the 15th Annual Marketing Partner Forum this past January. Fred Krebs, the president of ACC, was moderator… Continue Reading
Now, More Than Ever, Talk With Your Clients
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsTwo recent surveys really point out how important it is for law firms to stay very close to their existing clients. Not only by communicating constantly, but seeking feedback on how the firm is doing. Why? Because clients, especially in-house counsel, continue to be concerned about the costs of outside legal services. As a result, both… Continue Reading
Full-Time Client Feedback Person – The Next Trend?
Posted in Client CommunicationsSeeking client feedback appears to be getting more attention in firms of all sizes. Ballard Spahr (500-plus lawyers) has hired a full-time “client interviewer,” and Stanislaw Ashbaugh (19 lawyers) prominently links to their Chief Results Officer from their home page, and Ward and Smith PA (80 lawyers) has a partner who is devoted to visiting clients nearly full-time. … Continue Reading
More Thoughts on Following Up After Losing to a Competitor
Posted in Marketing TipsIn a recent post I talked about following up whether you win or lose an opportunity for new work. The idea being to learn how to improve and do even better at winning the next time. Following my post I heard from Ford Harding who sent me a copy of his book Rainmaking: Attract New… Continue Reading
Who is in Charge of Client Satisfaction at Your Firm?
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsNaturally, one might think every lawyer is responsible, or maybe the managing partner if it has to be brought down to a single individual. My initial reaction was the former, but after reading the article “The Power of One” by Marcie Borgal in The Complete Lawyer, I’ve come up with a different take on the issue. Marcie is… Continue Reading
Are You Interviewing Your Clients?
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsSince I started interviewing law firm clients in 1990 (even used a film crew to capture five of them on a VHS tape – I’ll bet you remember what those are), I have never waivered from the belief that it is one of the most important things a firm can do to retain clients. And developing… Continue Reading
Interview: What Coaching Is All About
Posted in Marketing TipsRecently, I had the privilege of being interviewed about coaching and other business development topics by Cole Silver for his Expert Audio Series. It was a lot of fun. So, for those who care to listen to the golden vocal cords of yours truly, give it a go. (aw, come on, I know you’ve just… Continue Reading
Client Satisfaction Surveys for Law Firms
Posted in Marketing TipsSeeking client feedback is probably the most underutilized technique for developing and enhancing client relationships. It is astonishing how few firms fail to inquire of their clients as to just how well they are doing as a legal services provider. A number of surveys over the last several years have highlighted the need for law firms… Continue Reading