Client teams

Setting up for success

We believe the core purpose of a great client team is to create a differentiated experience for the client and to deliver their firm’s strategic intent. At their core, most firms are able to deliver quality service on a single engagement, but few are able to consistently build teams that work across their firm for the long term and create sustained value for clients in the process.

In recent years, there has been a growing need for firms to stabilise or significantly increase their revenues in order to attract and retain key people. A key component of this is building the capability to turn great client relationships held by individuals into broad, long term and trusted client relationships.

Partners need to avoid “cross-selling” and focus on adding value to the client by diversifying the services and offices they use or by evolving the way in which services are delivered. This strong business to business relationship will help the client and enhance the commercial relationship between the two organisations.

While the expectations of partners leading these client relationships are increasing, they are also still expected to do this alongside many other roles they hold. From our work we have seen how critical the leadership role is in delivering success and have gathered insights and solutions to the common challenges that they may face and, perhaps more importantly, the ways they can develop themselves, their teams and the client relationship to be successful.

We have a track record of working with clients as they seek to implement approaches to establish client teams – something that has often not been part of their history. Our advice and support has been able to transform many of their clients relationships that has contributed to the financial performance of the firm, a positive reputational change and has deepened the talent and leadership capability for the future.

Our consultants, programmes and diagnostics have a track record of supporting our clients establish excellent client teams by:

• Setting the firm up for success in embedding new behaviours in the firm’s business model
• Working alongside the client team leaders to build on their existing strengths and develop new skills
• Building innovative client interactions that build relationships and increase alignment
• Identifying ways in which the teams can increasingly align to the client’s organisation, needs and relationships

While this is a complex issue, that often swims against the tide of what has worked in the past, it as an area in which we thrive and deliver results.