Thought Leadership
Senior level interview training
Training Case Study
Osborne Clarke is a top 50 law firm in both the UK and Germany. It has extensive coverage in Europe as well as the US and Hong Kong, and a reputation for entrepreneurial thinking. With an established client listening programme, the firm wanted to further increase commitment to clients by having senior management undertake relationship interviews.
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Nisus had been undertaking client feedback research for Osborne Clarke since 2006 in the form of telephone and face to face relationship reviews. With the arrival of a new managing partner in 2015, the firm wanted to up the ante on client listening, demonstrating a real commitment to building on client service. The idea was for senior partners and members of the BD team to join the research frontline in conducting relationship reviews with a range of key clients. To ensure high standards and consistency, Nisus devised a training programme to equip the teams with the necessary interviewing skills.
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Working from a successful framework
Tim Nightingale ran workshops in which participants learned how to:
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• Undertake effective preparatory partner briefings
• Use empathetic listening to build rapport
• Uncover service shortcomings and address problems
• Identify new business opportunities
• Adhere to data compliance regulations and research ethics
Osborne Clarke has constructed its programme of client listening, using both senior partners and Nisus interviewers, as appropriate.
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The Nisus training was informative, insightful and even entertaining. Above all it was practical. The session went through the purpose of the interview, building rapport, active listening and not arguing with the client! The output from the senior partners’ interviews clearly shows the messages were taken on board. I’ve no hesitation in recommending Nisus.
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Edwin Howells – Former Head of Client Listening, Osborne Clarke
The benefits of having partners involved have been threefold. It raised the profile and awareness of the interviewing programme internally within the firm. It demonstrated to clients that their views were valued and taken seriously. Ultimately this contributed to improved client relationships and the increased revenues that come with higher client retention.