The art of client conversations for African law firms

“If speaking is silver then listening is gold” Turkish proverb

 “80% of lawyers think they’re delivering above average service … but only 40% of clients say they are receiving it.” The Age of the Client, LexisNexis Bellwether Report

The value of client conversations

All good lawyers know that despite significant modern technological advances and the success of virtual marketing, face to face communication with clients is the lifeblood of effective relationship management. In a fiercely competitive marketplace, delivering exceptional customer service to clients creates loyalty and grows your law practice. One of the key ways to deliver such service excellence is by taking the time to speak and listen to your clients. Whilst these may sound like simple things to undertake, the reality is they are not. Law firms and clients view relationships from different vantage points. In the main, law firms hear the client voice predominantly through transactions. However, clients do not always see transactions and projects as the essence of the relationship. They want to treat the relationship as being distinct from the various interactions driven by transactions and increasingly want law firms to see and understand the bigger picture. Engaging in independent client conversations provides a different and more holistic means of actually hearing what clients are really saying.

 The challenge for African law firms

One of the significant challenges faced by independent African law firms who are servicing overseas clients is that there are very often restraints on time and budget which inevitably mean it is not always possible to maintain regular face to face time with key clients. An overcrowded business schedule or other financial priorities may mean that despite good intentions, endless months can pass without your best international clients having received a visit from the firm. This is where firm like LGC can assist.  There are often huge advantages in involving an independent consultancy with specific law firm CRM experience to help with your client relationship conversations. For example, sometimes it is easier for an independent consultant to ask pertinent and candid business development questions and to direct the discussion to maximize results. An external consultant can also be advantageous where there are time critical discussions that need to happen to leverage an opportunity or avoid a problem.

The ways in which LGC can help you

LGC can assist by supporting you with tools to ensure that you remain front of mind with clients and can continue to deliver and reinforce your brand directly. Our ability to put clients at ease whilst applying strategic questioning to draw out relevant, significant and sometimes sensitive relationship issues means that you can gain meaningful and actionable insights into your relationships with important clients. Our experienced consultants are on hand to help you continue the client conversation by engaging on your firms behalf with:

The benefits of LGC Client Conversations

Whilst there can never be a substitute for you personally doing the hard work of developing and deepening client relationships, LGC Client Conversations can certainly support your broader relationship development strategy by allowing you to differentiate your client service offering from that of your competitors. Below are some of the benefits you are likely to experience as a result of leveraging these tools:

• Enhanced client communication: Ongoing and candid communication between your firm and a client is a significant measure of an effective relationship.
• Deepen client relationships: By converting satisfaction into loyalty, client conversations foster the creation of enduring client relationships that can withstand competitors' efforts to dislodge the firm. LGC client conversations are also effective at heightening a firm's ability to identify new business-development opportunities.
• Demonstrate appreciation: Law firms that engage in ‘off deal client conversations’ send a strong message to each client that the firm truly values the relationship.
• Proactive problem solving: LGC client conversations can help highlight a client's most critical issues and priorities thereby making it possible for firms to approach them proactively. Learning about and rectifying potential problems before they jeopardize client relationships is one of the principal benefits of leveraging these tools. Furthermore, additional or potential legal needs can be surfaced by deepening the firm’s insight into the client’s business.
• Increased client knowledge: LGC client conversations are an excellent way of learning how clients perceive not just your firm but also your competitors. The insight gained enables firms to have a more expansive view of their clients' most important strategic and operational issues.

For further information on LGC Client Conversations or to discover how we can help address your particular CRM challenge, please contact us - info@lareinegold.com.

#goldstandard - LGC delivering the gold standard in client relationships.