Client-centricity isn’t a nice to have

What does client-centricity mean to you? Is it responding to your clients’ emails in a mandated response time?

Is it looking for ways to delight and surprise them?

Or is it simply business as usual?

There’s a whole myriad of reasons as to why we should embrace a client-focused approach in our firms - from increased revenue to employee engagement and so much more. For client-centricity to be truly impactful we need it to run through every facet of our business rather than a token nod when we have time.

What does being client-centric really mean and why is it your biggest competitive advantage?

The importance of a client-centric approach

From the moment we enter the working world we’re told that the client comes first. As a soundbite, that’s brilliant, but what does it mean in practice?

On the surface it sounds as if we should always prioritise the client’s needs, and that can result in late nights, last-minute changes, unhappy employees and an untenable working environment.

True client-centricity means designing services, processes, and decisions based on the client's needs - not our internal preferences, systems, or jurisdictional boundaries. That’s why you’ll see that for the firms embracing a client-first mentality, it’s part of their values, part of their belief system, part of their goals.

It’s not simply about ticking a box, and it’s definitely not about pandering to your clients to your team’s detriment. Instead, it’s about basing every single decision on what’s best for your clients.

This is something we prioritise at Ambition. If a role comes in for a Marketing & Business Development role at a law firm, we don’t simply allocate based on what works best for us location wise, which is what often happens at international firms. Instead we discuss who is best to partner within the firm, to ensure we can provide the highest level of service to the client.

Client-centricity is defined as a business approach which prioritises the needs, preference and experience of the client above everything else. It seems that the difference between paying lip service to it and true embodiment is how deep it runs throughout the business.

Putting clients at the centre of everything

As a business strategy, client-centricity is a pretty successful one. Research shows that client-centric businesses are60% more profitablethan those who don’t adopt the same principles. With those who treat it as a strategic value drive seeing their revenue grow3.5 times faster.

That can be attributed to an increase in client retention but also happy employees. Those employees are more engaged, more focused and more productive which leads to a further upturn in client satisfaction. 49% of those surveyed in one study stated that they’d stopped using a brand in the last 12 months purely because ofpoor service.

In such a competitive environment, client service and satisfaction can be the reason why someone chooses to work with you, to stay with you or to leave. Businesses that identify that and act on it, are showing that they’re one step ahead.

The 4 C’s of client-centricity

For some firms prioritising clients comes naturally and has been part of the fabric of the business since day one. For others it’s something that needs to be worked out. Wherever you are in the journey there’s always something more that can be done, and no one gets it right 100% of the time.

A good question to ask is what success looks like for the client.

Often, we do ask that question but then our support is tailored to what works best for our internal systems or what’s easiest for us to deliver.

Client-centricity takes us out of the equation, it fully focuses on the client and only when we understand their needs do we factor in how we can support them.

One model for how to look at a client-focused mindset is the 4 C’s - these can vary from source to source but these are the 4 that we feel are most helpful.

Culture

Client-centricity starts from the culture of a business. It’s everyone’s responsibility. From hiring the right people to processes, to services, to communication, prioritising clients and their needs should be the heart of everything.

It’s a domino effect. When you get one aspect right it’ll trigger the next thing and the next, and you’ll, hopefully, get to a place where all of your client-centric elements fuel each other. This isn’t a business operations task, it comes down to attitude and values - placing it firmly in the culture camp.

Conversation

Assumptions are a dangerous thing. When we presume to think we know what our clients want, need or feel, chances are we’re going to get it wrong. That’s why conversation is so important, and not just any conversation but a two-way, honest conversation.

No matter how snazzy our tech stack is, we need to build opportunities for human-to-human conversation. Doing so will give you glimmers and insights that can be used to make sure you’re on track and keeping everyone happy.

Communication

This builds on conversations but is more focused on what you’re sharing with your clients and how. Regular, reliable, relevant communication is essential to building a client-centric approach. It’s not just about when you communicate but what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of communicating when and what is easiest for us. It might be that we send out a generic newsletter instead of tailoring for each client.

One of the biggest ways we can support our clients is by looking at our communication and making sure it’s beneficial to our clients rather than just ticking the box for us.

Consistency

This is the one factor that shifts the needle. Prioritising clients isn’t about going above and beyond once. It’s about delivering at that level time after time for every client. We’re human and mistakes will happen, but research shows that64% of clients will stay loyaland spend more with a brand or supplier if the business resolves their issues quickly.

Consistency is about delivering across all touchpoints at the same level with the same messaging and delivering the same level of service every time.

It’s the gold standard. That’s what will mark those that truly embody a client-first approach from those paying lip service to it.

A culture, not a phase

While it might have been drilled into us to put the client first, there’s a whole range of business reasons why it’s a strong strategy to adopt. Increased revenue, client retention, employee engagement - that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The market is so competitive that we all need differentiators, and for those firms who focus on client-centricity, that’s their advantage - as long as they do it consistently and authentically.

On top of a competitive marketplace there are savvy clients who know when they’re being sold to and know when a business isn’t being authentic.

When businesses pay lip service to prioritising their clients while doing what’s easiest and best for themselves, clients notice. That’s why client-centricity needs to be truly embedded in the business, not just a token gesture. It needs to be part of the culture, part of the way of working and part of the business’ strategy.

Client-centricity isn’t just a phase, it’s a commitment.