Outstanding Client Service is about adding value. But what is valued?
Value is determined by the client. Not by the service provider. Learn this first and then the rest is easy.
In the legal industry, The ACC Value Challenge and associated Index (www.acc.com) have lead the way in engaging the legal industry in a dialogue about value-based service. And thank goodness. In any industry, it is the buyer who drives supplier innovation. There's no doubt that the legal industry is in need of innovation, and the ACC is making suppliers listen.
So, other than fee-based incentives, what do buyers of legal services value?
Here are some remarks as I heard them when I attended a Legal Marketing Association - Toronto Chapter event in May, 2010:
Examples of non fee-based value you can offer your clients:
- Support your clients in their own missions. Understand their business so you can make valuable referrals, use their products, and support what they do (either through charitable contributions or pro-bono work).
- Knowledge Management. Give your clients access to your resources in this area.
- Make other internal resources available to your clients. For example, IT or HR and Professional Development,
- Offer secondments at no cost.
- On the bill (or with the bill), add a value statement about what was achieved through the work completed. And tell your clients if you absorbed some of your costs.
The bottom line? If you don't know what your clients value, ask them!
Do something. Take action. While your clients will ultimately determine what ‘value’ is, firms would be wise to participate in the conversation and steer their clients in this regard.
I welcome your comments and as always, I wish you good business success.
Catherine Mitchell
Client-Centric Selling with the Agreement Based SalesTM Program and the LEAP Adult LearningTM System