Client Listening

Executive summary.VII About the author.IX Acknowledgements.XI Part One: Client listening explained Chapter 1: The trend in favour of client listening. 3 What is client listening?.3 Is client listening new?.3 Weaknesses in client listening practised by law firms.6 Other industries pointing the way forward.7 A vision for client listening in law firms.8 Chapter 2: The benefits of client listening. 11 Sustainable competitive advantage.11 Popular rationale.11 Partner perspectives.11 Supplementary benefits.13 Measuring the return on investment14 Chapter 3: Positioning client listening in context. 19 Business development.19 Client relationship management.21 Interplay between CRM and key account management.23 Chapter 4: Obstacles to engaging with clients. 27 Obstacle 1: There is nothing to learn.27 Rebuttal 1: Champions will demonstrate otherwise.27 Obstacle 2: Clients will refuse to participate in formal client listening activity.28 Rebuttal 2: Clients enthusiastically embrace client listening.29 Obstacle 3: There is no time for client listening.29 Rebuttal 3: Making time.30 Obstacle 4: Lawyers are not trained interviewers.31 Rebuttal 4: Training, mentoring, and expert independent interviewers are available.31 Obstacle 5: Asking questions brings risk.32 Rebuttal 5: Don't be an ostrich!.32 Obstacle 6: Asking for feedback is pointless as no action will be taken.33 Rebuttal 6: Take responsibility.33 Chapter 5: Selecting the best listening method. 35 Interplay between client listening and market research.35 Qualitative versus quantitative research.36 Data collection methods.37 Choosing interviewers.40 Chapter 6: An explanation of key techniques and how to handle tricky situations. 45 Preparation.45 Depth interviews.47 Questionnaires.50 Multi-jurisdictional programmes.54 Chapter 7: Ensuring that feedback is useful, user-friendly, and used. 57 Analysing free-form responses.57 Analysing numerical data.59 Visual representations of feedback results.60 Reporting.61 Framing recommendations.65 Chapter 8: Time to act. 67 Responding to feedback at the client level.67 Setting firm strategy in the light of feedback comments received.68 Conclusions.71 Part Two: Case studies Case study 1: DLA Piper - International partner perspectives. 75 Case study 2: Ashurst - Responsive client service. 83 Case study 3: CMS Cameron McKenna - Applied intelligence. 87 Case study 4: K&L GATES LLP - Beyond client listening. 93 Case Study 5: KPMG - Feedback that adds up: Lessons from accountancy. 97 Part Three: Appendices Appendix 1: Planner. 103 Appendix 2: Comparing methodologies. 105 Appendix 3: Invitation. 107 Appendix 4: Discussion guide. 109