Face-to-face research

Face-to-face research is an extremely powerful tool for analysing and improving the quality of the largely personal relationships clients have with their advisers and the firms behind them. Clients are generally happy to be interviewed for a study being conducted on behalf of their own advisers. They are often also prepared to be interviewed on behalf of other major players about their views of those firms. High level services clients are well-informed about the strategic and marketing issues facing their advisers and frequently have perceptive contributions to make - if they are asked.

Face-to-face studies among current clients can explore the following issues:

• Quality of advice, service and responsiveness received
• Developments in client's own business and impact on future requirements
• Desired improvements and enhancements to service
• Extent to which value-added support is received - eg. relevant updates, online services
• Extent to which firm markets additional expertise
• Use of and views on competitors
• Views on strategic options facing firm - eg international development, mergers
• Distinctive and attractive aspects of a firm's culture

Studies among target clients can explore:

• Reasons for choice of existing advisers
• Awareness and perception of firm not currently used
• Recall of experts in client's field
• Whether firm has actively marketed its capabilities to target client
• Approach firm should follow to increase chances of winning business
• Firm's performance in beauty parades
• Developments in client's market and demand for associated new services/products

Dermot Cox aims to conduct all face-to-face interviews personally. This means his clients know who will be representing them in sensitive discussions with their major clients. It avoids the danger of research agencies using the bait-and-switch technique (not unknown among law firms themselves) where a knowledgeable executive sells the job but leverage is gained by using much less experienced staff to do the real work. There is a serious downside risk if personal interviews are poorly handled, but when a firm commissions professionally conducted research, this in itself enhances relationships with existing clients and creates a positive impact among potential clients.

Interviews are recorded and written up in full. Respondents are encouraged to be attributed.

In professional services, successful client relationship management cannot be achieved by buying a software package, although this can certainly help. The universe of clients and targets is small. There is no substitute for talking to them in person regularly and reviewing the relationship in depth periodically.

Every major law firm should make sure that each of its top 100 clients is interviewed every three years. If this is done through a rolling programme where 30+ clients are interviewed each year it is manageable in terms of administration, cost and the ability to respond to issues raised.