Professional service firms operate in an increasingly competitive market.  Buyers are more sophisticated and know what they want.  Consolidation and mergers have led to mega-firms with the ability to serve clients around the globe.  Technical professionals – lawyers, accountants, engineers, architects – and their firms are recognizing more and more that to capture new market share, they must unseat incumbent providers and win business away from other firms.

It is critical for professional service firms understand their clients’ needs, wants, long-term objectives, perceptions, and experiences with your firm.  Doing so can help competitor-proof important client relationships, expand business with existing clients, prevent unnatural client attrition, and provide keen insight into how to win new business.

MAP has conducted hundreds of client interviews, focus groups, and surveys to help professional service firms understand what the client wants, leveraging that information into effective marketing and sales programs.

The Process
Client perceptions and feedback research is perhaps the most powerful tool in your marketing and business development arsenal.  Optimally, these research programs have three components, allowing you to generate invaluable data that drives your firm forward.  We can help you implement:

• Front Line Informal Client Check Ups and Check Ins – Lead by the technical professionals in your firm, who are on the front lines of client retention and development, we can give you the tools and structure you need to effectively gather information from your clients to measure and manage overall satisfaction and identify new opportunities for sales.

• Client Satisfaction & Perception Surveys – A quantitative satisfaction survey submitted to a specified segment of your client and prospect base that evaluates your firm on a variety of variables – tailored to your needs and objectives – and provides you with tracking data to benchmark firm performance, quality, responsiveness, competitiveness, fees, and more.

• Client Interview Programs – Your VIP clients deserve more than an 10 question survey.  Clients who reward your loyalty with theirs, as well as clients with strong growth potential, merit closer contact and a kid-gloves treatment.  MAP can help lead a client interview program with a defined number of top-tier clients to fully understand:

• Your firm’s value;
• Service;
• Quality;
• Experience working with your firm;
• Service provided by individual team members;
• Perceptions of your competitors;
• New opportunities for your firm to deliver value and service;
• Strategies to employ to grow your market share with a particular client;
• Enhanced client satisfaction because you asked their opinion;
• A distinct advantage over your competition.

The Result
Invaluable insight into your clients’ minds, as well as enhanced client relationships, expanded client loyalty, insider information on how to expand your market share with specific clients, intelligence to shape your core messaging, knowledge of your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, and strategies and tactics to elevate your profile with key prospects in your target markets.