Changing how and what you do - how client engagement differs from traditional client surveys.

It has been said that ‘[t]he innovation journey for many companies is little more than hopeful wandering through customer interviews’[i].  Therefore, not surprisingly, the results are often less than desirable.    

However, lawyers can learn to solve the problem of what a firm’s service offerings (and manner of service delivery) will best meet their future clients’ needs by adopting a human centred design methodology.

This Innovation Insight describes how human centred design differs from traditional client surveys and interviews, and explains why such an approach is preferable.

What is human centred design?

It is coming up with new initiatives for products and services by thoroughly understanding, often through direct observation, what people want and need in their lives (personal or professional).

Essentially, it matches people’s unmet (and sometimes unknown) needs with what is feasible based on what a firm’s viable business strategy can convert into client value and market opportunity.[ii]

In a recent discussion about client feedback with a partner of a firm, he stated dismissively that ‘we all know what our clients want: faster advice and to pay less’.   It may be true that clients do want both these things.  However, his viewpoint is too narrow and coloured by his own opinions.   

Clients have other issues and other knowledge that opens the doors to new possibilities.  This is the space where firms looking to do things differently explore.  Focussing on the client, the client’s business and industry is the primary objective.  Focussing on what the law firm does, or does not do, is not.

Using a human centred design approach to information gathering uncovers latent opportunities where a firm’s legal knowledge and expertise can be matched to clients’ needs.

Traditional feedback surveys ask questions such as:  how do you rate our service?  What could we improve on?  What don’t you like about our service? Etc.  These surveys focus on the law firm, not the client.  Using these types of surveys will result only in responses that are closed and of little value (and as the partner above described, they will probably show that clients want faster advice and to pay less fees).

Why is adopting a human-centric approach preferable?

An innovation process that uses this methodology has a greater likelihood of resulting in ideas being generated that actually meet clients’ needs, rather than producing ideas that are the lawyers’ opinions of what clients’ need (which can be hugely off the mark as a lawyer typically only sees a snapshot of a client’s life at a certain point in time).

With the right processes in place, ideas generated by using a human centred apprach can be converted into new services, or changes to existing services or methods of doing business, which create intense client loyalty, goodwill and generate revenue.

Adopting the right method as part of a firm’s innovation process leads to less likelihood of ‘innovation fatigue’ (the disinterest in exploring new possible products, services and service delivery methods due to previous failures) provided the good ideas generated are appropriately shepherded through to completion.

In of itself, the human centered design process generates customer loyalty (what client isn’t happy for their lawyer to take a thorough interest in them and their business without being on the clock?). 

Talking to industry leaders to gain their insights using the same methodology not only uncovers other useful information about potential future needs, but also it helps firms to gain further credibility in that area of practice.

Also, it often results in new instructions from clients as a by-product (although it is important that this is not the purpose, or even perceived purpose, of the client interviews).

How to start?

Lawyers get good results by knowing their specialties.  This is the same.  The best place to start is to engage a professional who knows about human centred design and who understands the legal environment.    Generating ideas, using this methodology, is one of the initial steps in a good innovation process. 

For more information, see our Client Engagement Program, or contact us directly by email to innovate@viewconsulting.co.nz or by calling 021 973 963.

[i] The Customer Centered Innovation Map, HBR May 2008, L Bettencourt and A Ulwick.

[ii] Based on the work of Tim Brown, IDEO.