Focus on “why”

Remind yourself of why you want this information in the first place. In summary:

• Client satisfaction is a lead indicator of financial performance. It predicts churn and word-of-mouth growth, unlike hours billed, leverage and utilisation – which are like looking in the review mirror.
• Actioning client feedback compounds over time. Identifying and actioning areas for improvement turn your clients from moderately happy to very happy and referring others over time. Because repeat and referred business has a near-zero cost-of-acquisition, the returns of CX improvements compound.
• It saves clients. Identifying just one unhappy client is powerful. It gives you an opportunity to save their business, and to stop them turning away multiple other clients.
• It boosts referrals. If you identify your biggest fans, you can ask them for a recommendation. More clients, less marketing spend. Simple.
• It boosts morale. Positive feedback is good for staff morale. Most people crave recognition and appreciation. Gathering feedback meets a core psychological need of your staff from those whose opinion is the most meaningful – the clients they seek to work with.

Below are responses for potential objections where there is lack of buy-in.

Objection 1. “I already know what my clients think”

In sum, your aim isn’t to identify which clients are so unhappy that they shout at you and don’t pay their debts. It’s to control for quality, identify areas for improvement, motivate the team, create a strong online presence and grow the business through word-of-mouth.

Objection 2. “I don’t want to annoy my clients with feedback requests”

People like giving advice, and rarely see it as a burden. You are not asking to be told you are perfect for your own cynical gain - you’re showing some humility and asking how you can do better.

Objection 3. “I don’t know if I want to hear what our clients think”

This tends to be an unspoken objection, but it is very powerful. Asking for feedback and reviews is risky to your ego. “What if people say we’re doing a bad job?”

This is a natural hesitation, but one that needs to be overcome. If the feedback is positive, it can be used to win new work. If it is negative, it can be used to fix issues, retain clients and improve.