Effective Client Management in Professional Services: How to Build Successful Client Relationships

How do firms become Client-centric? Effective Client Management in Professional Services is about putting the Client first, everywhere, in the activities of professional services firms. The book introduces The Client Management Model to enable firms to assess their level of Client orientation and relationship development. It also features The Client Management Index which enables firms to benchmark their result against their peers. Many firms are still developing and improving their commercial structures and approaches to attract, develop and retain Clients. Characteristically, professional services firms tend to lag their consumer goods and service industry counterparts in overall commerciality. Only recently have they discovered the value of having a strong brand promise with the associated employee engagement. In many firms achievement of Client satisfaction is not a strategic objective; this may need to be reviewed. This book provides a comprehensive, pragmatic guide to the Client relationship journey, from identifying potential Clients to their engagement, care, retention, development, loyalty and beyond. The handbook format has exercises and tools which can help to establish which Clients are likely to be the most lucrative and thus provide the desired financial returns. The book also includes insights from top practitioners, anecdotes, case studies, charts and useful exercises and checklists. Readers can also determine their own level of effectiveness using the end of chapter reviews and a diagnostic tool to produce a Client Management Profile.

Table of Contents:
1: Orientation: Developing a Culture of Client Orientation; 2: Buyers: How Clients Buy Professional Services; 3: Portfolio: Managing the Client Portfolio; 4: Satisfaction: Client Satisfaction and Loyalty; 5: Care: The Role of Client Care; 6: Brand: Brand, Differentiation and Positioning and their Impact on Clients; 7: Reputation: Gaining Reputation with Clients; 8: Relationships: Client Relationship Development; 9: Development: Establishing an Effective Client Business Development Programme; 10: Attraction: Attracting New Clients; 11: Proposals: Developing Winning Client Proposals and Bids; 12: Innovation: Innovations that Impact Clients; 13: The Impact on Clients of Mergers among Firms; 14: The Way Ahead for Clients of Professional Services Firms; 15: The Client Management Profile™

About the Author :
Jack Berkovi is an international marketing and business development specialist with most recent experience in professional services. After management and marketing roles with Procter & Gamble, 3M and Norton Company, in 1988 he moved into consultancy at Marketing Improvements Group. As Operations Director, he worked with Clients in Australia, Europe and USA including: Balfour Beatty, Foseco, Henkel, HP, Jones Lang LaSalle, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Savills, Strutt & Parker. MIG joined Robson Rhodes in 1999 where Jack became Head of Marketing for their technology, media and telecommunications sector; then managed their corporate campaigns and business development. When Robson Rhodes merged with Grant Thornton UK, Jack was appointed Senior Manager, Corporate Campaigns, then Head of Brand and Client Care. During his stewardship, the level of Client satisfaction and unprompted brand recognition both increased.

Review :
’Jack Berkovi has produced a first class book on effective client management with specific reference to professional services firms. The book is very well structured and easy to read, with clever use of pertinent case studies to amplify the points raised. In addition, the author has provided review questions at the end of each chapter as a way of helping the reader consolidate his/her knowledge. Finally, I believe that the book is a must read for partners and senior directors of such firms as it delivers a valuable framework for appreciating effective client management.’ Georges Selim, Emeritus Professor and former Head of the Faculty of Management, Cass Business School, UK ’High quality practical guidance based on the insight gained through career-long reflection and learning is a rare resource. Jack Berkovi provides a structured approach to the processes essential for a properly managed function and this alone makes this a valuable publication. Even more importantly he adds genuine insight into the cultural and soft issues that effective managers need to understand.’ Rob Melville, Cass Business School, UK 'This is a comprehensive handbook for anyone interested or engaged in this important area. Easy to read and intensely practical. It provides solid advice on what to do, supplemented with case studies which bring the theory to life. The thought starters, check lists and review questions are particularly helpful.' Jonathan Geldart, Executive Director - Markets Development (China), Grant Thornton International Ltd ’This is a timely, practical, and comprehensive guide for professional service providers, reminding us all that our overriding obsession should be with understanding our clients, meeting their needs, caring about their success, and exceeding their expectations.’ Richard Susskind, OBE, author of Tomorrow’s Lawyers ’In an increasingly disrupted and competitive market, keeping their promises to clients can be a significant enterprise