The single most valuable tool to position your firm for long-term success.
Advancing Client Engagement with Client Interviews: LawVision’s Approach
Client interviews will show clients the firm cares about them, values their business, and is interested in the future of their business. Assessing clients’ perception of value and level of engagement and satisfaction, client feedback provides a structured approach to learning from clients how well the firm currently meets their needs and expectations, how well the firm performs compared to competitors, how well the firm understands the client’s business and industry, and what opportunities exist to align with the clients’ goals and future legal and business needs.
Our Approach
We have conducted hundreds of client interviews over the years and have developed a methodology which is simple and effective to implement. Our process includes the following:
- Develop or confirm your firm’s client feedback goals, and any key client strategic goals. We will meet virtually or by phone with the members of your client relationship team/business development team. We will provide the firm with a selection criteria guide to help you select which clients will be best to include to begin this process.
- Finalize the interview discussion guide, which is an interview questionnaire and topic guide. This document will provide a roadmap for the interviewer, and will allow your firm to think through the issues you wish to cover and the information you wish to gather and assess.
- Review brief dossiers of background information on each client to inform the interviewer, including: history of client relationship; client relationship partners; fees and work performed; perceived opportunities and threats, and any issues of concern. We will also review any available standard background information on the firm so as to provide an overview of the firm’s key practices and office capabilities.
- Speak with each relationship partner to obtain a background briefing and discuss with them how best to approach the client to gain their agreement to participate. In working with the relationship partner, we will determine the best methodology for each client and give the partner a sample letter, email script, or phone call “talking points,” whichever is appropriate.
- Liaise with the client to conduct the interview at the client’s convenience. Interviews typically last approximately one hour in person; virtual and phone interviews are sometimes shorter.
- Prepare individual written client reports to be distributed and reported in a pre-determined manner.
- Meet with client partners to discuss findings and establish an appropriate course of action for follow up by developing a client plan that could include: following up on new business or matter opportunities, providing feedback to the team, correcting deficiencies, etc.
- Prepare a report of the key themes emerging across all of the interviews. This feedback often brings considerable insight to further development of the firm’s strategic goals, and ma also be used to develop training programs, and as input to the development of client or industry teams. The summary report will be presented in power point format.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should conduct the interview?
There are numerous scenarios, and below we list some of the pros and cons of a few of the more likely choices. Our preference is for a neutral, third party who is trained as an interviewer – we have conducted hundreds of interviews in this manner and find it elicits the richest information. In our experience and based on the feedback we have received from clients; third parties are seen to be more objective and more easily able to achieve candid feedback. No matter who conducts the interview, however, we strongly advocate someone who is not involved in the relationship on a regular basis (e.g., the relationship partner for the client would not be a good choice for these types of interviews). Another option would be to start with LawVision as the third party, which could then lay the foundation for partner follow up on a regular basis. - How many interviews should be conducted initially?
We typically recommend a group that is large enough to identify trends and patterns and give you a representative sample, yet remain within a reasonable budget. For many firms this means anywhere from 20 to 30 interviews. - Do they need to be face to face interviews?
Our experience has shown that a mixture of face to face (or virtual) and telephone interviews can be very effective and the mix of each will depend on the overall objectives of the program, the firm’s budget, the client’s preference, and how geographically disbursed the clients are. - What about the link with client teams?
We have worked with clients who have used the client interview process to provide the foundation for or to bolster their client team strategy. The feedback provided by clients has been used to help the firm evaluate its existing client relationship and to craft client plans which place the client at the centre of the planning process. We have also worked with clients which already have client teams in place and they have found client interviews to be a valuable way of gathering client feedback on the client plan and to learn how best to adapt their plan to suit the client. - Why do you need a consultant?
Many firms attempt client interview processes on their own, yet very few are successful and sustain the effort. The reasons vary from busy partner schedules (often the issue) to inexperience with this type of process. We can add value by designing the interview in alignment with your strategic goals, helping you select the right clients so you maximize the benefits of the time and dollars spent, understanding the steps necessary to achieve appropriate follow-up, and then working with you to become self-sufficient once client feedback is a regular part of your operations. In addition, we have an industry-wide perspective that we bring to the process as an overlay to the individual feedback you will receive. Our consultants specializing in client interviews are well trained in the skills necessary for success, such as listening, facilitating feedback, and effective reporting.
More Information
Any discussion of client interviews typically raises as many questions as it answers, and to address your specific questions, we welcome the chance to meet with you to discuss your firm’s specific goals further.
