I think one of the key future activities which will define the continued health of any professional services firm is its ability to gather client knowledge and to use it. We’re hearing a lot about “big data” for good or ill, but what are the inputs of client knowledge that firms can pick up today and use, and how can they use this data to improve their performance in day to day, tangible ways?
Budgets are tight. Resources are stretched. So its worth using the processes you have to get the most possible benefit (or adding processes which make an impact on your performance in not just one way but several.
You may be able to add to it, but here is at least the beginning of a checklist of the outputs that you can get from client feedback on without a $$$ budget.
1. Better knowledge of overall capability required by clients
2. Better knowledge of demand for individual specialisms and areas
3. Identification of specific opportunities and risks
4. Clarification of best positioning (and killing potentially risky “wrong” positioning)
5. Sales and cross sell opportunities
6. Better pitches and proposals
7. Input into training (to improve marketplace impact of that training)
8. Input into recruitment, job descriptions and personnel specifications
9. Creating the right Key Performance Indicators
10. Gaining testimonials to provide 3rd party evidence of your capability
2. Better knowledge of demand for individual specialisms and areas
3. Identification of specific opportunities and risks
4. Clarification of best positioning (and killing potentially risky “wrong” positioning)
5. Sales and cross sell opportunities
6. Better pitches and proposals
7. Input into training (to improve marketplace impact of that training)
8. Input into recruitment, job descriptions and personnel specifications
9. Creating the right Key Performance Indicators
10. Gaining testimonials to provide 3rd party evidence of your capability