3 ‘silent killers’ in client relationships

Managing client relationships isn’t easy if you’re a lawyer.
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You train for years to become a technician of the law (as Sarah so aptly puts it!), and then suddenly, you’re given a handful of client relationships to manage, with little training, and you’re expected to:

• Keep the client happy
• Cross-sell them into the rest of the business, and
• Increase your own practice area’s fees at the same time.

For multiple clients.
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Throw into the mix difficult clients, the ever-changing legal landscape and something which very few lawyers talk about:

Fear of getting it wrong and an overwhelming need for perfection.

It’s a recipe for disaster.

Here are three ‘silent killers’ in client relationships that, if you let creep in, could signal the end of a relationship.

1. That top-drawer client service you’ve been lavishing your client with is only applicable during transactions. If you take your foot off the gas the moment the transaction is done and let the relationship languish, you’re headed for trouble. Build relationships where there isn’t a business need and you’ll reap rewards.
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2. You’ve never put the client through any form of client listening exercise or programme
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   If you don’t know what your client thinks about the service you’re offering, you’re putting yourself at risk. Feel the fear and do it anyway – not addressing any potential issues just builds resentment.
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3. You’re not able to anticipate your client’s needs because you don’t know them well enough
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   In today’s era clients want a hyper-personalised service – they want you to be proactive, do their future gazing for them, and be able to provide them with value that they didn’t realise they needed. This is only possible through a deep understanding of your clients and their business objectives.

We’ve got plenty more where that came from.

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