Look after your existing clients and reap the benefits

How many times have you heard the expression 'let's make sure we have secured the low hanging fruit', meaning, presumably, going after the easy wins?

But, of course, nothing is easy: the work-flow is anaemic, clients expect more (and more) and your fees and revenue are under constant, downward pressure. The idea of low hanging fruit is too often associated with the past; it's like driving the car by constantly looking in the rear view mirror. But isn't it time you revisited the subject?

To begin with, you need to understand the nature of your client base. Few firms have invested in a meaningful client relationship system (CRM). Most are still getting by with a disparate group of Excel spreadsheets where the data is rarely kept up to date. This gives rise to so many issues, not least the fact that there is no sharing of information between departments, which might enable a developed programme of cross-selling to take place.

Even if you have invested in a CRM system, how many firms actually take time to understand their clients? Firms view clients through the prism of one transaction or another. They do not analyse them against any measure save the job that they are working on. And even if that is not the case (the exception not the norm), unless the headline billing figure is of sufficient magnitude, the client's matter will be completed and their details lay dormant, never to hear from the firm again.

I appreciate that not every firm will have the budget or resources to invest in a CRM system but the price may be marginal when set off against the gains. At the very least, having an email address or mobile number for every client might enable you to stay in touch even at times when traditionally the client would not expect to hear from you. Don't assume that just because you have always done the client's work means that they will continue to instruct you.

Thinking ahead

As well as staying in contact with your clients, you need to make sure that your service delivery is anticipatory, meaning that you think ahead to contacting the client before they have to chase you. Too often clients complain that they never hear from you, and are constantly chasing for information. For your part, you may have to analyse your hourly billing model and decide if you can afford to build in an additional layer of client care that isn't associated with six-minute units. Of course, this goes against the normal mantra that everything needs to be recorded as otherwise people self-edit. But the client will be much more interested in the idea of value, and will rightly scrutinise what value you have added, as well as the progress you have made.

Then there is the question of costs. More complaints are generated in this area than anything else. If it's such a sore point with clients, then what procedures have you set up to tackle the inevitable scrutiny of each of your bills? Too often solicitors assume that because they have a retainer letter which entitles them to interim bill then they are able to do so. From a client's perspective, while they don't want to find the costs mounting of which they are entirely ignorant, neither do they want to have bill after bill land on their mat when they have seen little progress from the time before. Solicitors should at least give greater thought to keeping the client in the loop on costs and making sure they tell them when they propose to send them a bill and for how much.

Down to business

And finally, what of the likeability factor? Some solicitors don't appreciate that they are in the customer service business. In some quarters, the idea of being disinterested in a matter '“ in order to give objective advice '“ has been taken out of context. Yes the stories may be apocryphal, but too many solicitors see clients as a problem, who get in the way of doing the work. It sounds churlish but Solicitors should remember that they are in business to serve, and that means enjoying the work and developing a pleasant demeanour so that clients feel cherished and not just another number that goes to make up a target

This may seem blindingly obvious, but, even in the short term, if you get these right every time and make it the sine qua non of the practice '“ excellence and all that '“ then your clients, aka 'raving fans', will do your marketing for you.

Too much time is taken up with differentiation, growing your practice and winning new clients. Unfortunately not nearly enough is done to understand your clients, delight them each and every time and make it easy (and profitable) to refer new clients to you. Unless you start looking after your existing clients, then, as the market develops and new entrants try to seize their attention, you may just find that an unhealthy number stop using you.

My message: focus on the low hanging fruit for it could spoil before you ever get a chance to show how good you really are.

Julian Summerhayes is a non-practising solicitor who runs a business development consultancy (www.juliansummerhayes.com)