Before establishing ClientsFirst, I had used four different advisory firms (same profession) to deal with four different pieces of work, all of which involved parting with a reasonable sum of money.  Here’s what happened…

The first Company did a great job, but I never heard from them again.  The second Company did a great job yet I never heard from them again.  The third Company did a great job, and guess what, I never heard from them again.

On reflection, I thought that if I had received some kind of regular communication from any of those first three firms then I would more than likely have been a repeat customer.  The general consensus is that repeat customers are the most cost effective source of revenue for a business.  The issue, of course, is the cost for businesses of remaining engaged with clients who, like me in this scenario, are not regular income ‘gold’ clients in the elusive top 20%.

This issue got me thinking.

Large marketing-led businesses such as Amazon, Easyjet and Lastminute.com are adept at building loyalty and retaining their customers through digital marketing, so why should professional services firms not use the same tools to engage and communicate with their clients?

There is an unfounded belief in professional services that we shouldn’t communicate with our clients ‘too much’, yet advisers play a trusted role in the work you undertake with clients.  I agree that in the past we’ve communicated in a less than engaging manner, providing technical updates that are generally way wide of the mark.  We’re in a people business yet this is so often forgotten.  I also believe that most agencies don’t understand the professional services sector, an industry built on people and trust, not products.

So Clientsfirst was born with a clear vision to support the service of professional advisory firms and aid their connection with clients, prospects and introducers in order to build better businesses.  The growth of our business over the last couple of years, both in terms of staff and clients, has meant that our service offering is now much broader, but remains built on the foundation that the success of your business is dependent upon how you communicate and connect with your audience.

I hope that we have the opportunity to work together.

Regards,

Jon