This guide is for you.
It answers many of the questions we hear around the future of client listening. You can read it top to bottom, or click the section links if you have a specific question in mind:
What is client listening?
What are the drawbacks with traditional client listening?
From project-based to always-on client listening
What is always-on client listening?
How to use AI-powered text analysis?
How to create a Feedback Flywheel?
What are the benefits of always-on client listening?
Is always-on client listening for us?
How to get started with always-on client listening?
From project-based to always-on client listening
Fortunately forward-looking firms now have an alternative to selective project-based client listening. We call this new approach ‘always-on client listening’.
To develop this new always-on approach to client listening we began with the end in mind. We could see that firms were looking to close the gaps left by research. They were looking to make more informed decisions.
Amplify the voice of your clients
So we started by understanding the decision-making process. Who needed to know what, and when, to make more informed decisions? Then we worked backwards to discover the best sources of data to inform those decisions.
More details on the future of client listening
The future of client listening research Reimagine feedback (video)
What is always-on client listening
Always-on client listening collects both formal and informal feedback from a wide range of clients, at all stages of the client journey. This enables client insights to be collected, shared and actioned in real-time.
Always-on client listening is different from traditional research-based client listening in 3 ways
Unified not siloed
Instead of siloed project data, all formal and informal feedback is unified to create a single source of truth
Automatic not manual
Instead of manual analysis, bespoke AI algorithms automatically analyse quantitative and qualitative data in real-time.
Real-time not seasonal
Instead of static, seasonal reporting, real-time dashboards deliver the latest insights to the right people at the right time.
More details on always-on client listening
Clients want to be heard, not researched
AI-powered text analysis
At first glance, making the move to always-on client listening can seem daunting. When you start asking open questions and collecting feedback from all stages of the client journey, you create a lot of data. Analysing it manually quickly becomes impossible.
Fortunately that’s no longer a problem. Modern cloud databases and dedicated AI algorithms can automate the analysis.
This doesn’t mean throwing text data into the black box of a large language model. Nor does it require the dark arts of bribing, threatening or tricking a chat bot into providing more accurate summaries.
The most effective AI text analysis uses a more mature form of AI known as Natural Language Processing (NLP). Our dedicated AI algorithms use NLP to provide a consistent and transparent way to analyse your client feedback.
Imagine being able to instantly see which aspects of your value proposition are resonating (or not) with your clients. Which competitors, marketing channels and people they mention and why they’re standing out. Imagine being able to analyse bid documents, analyst reports and testimonials to ensure your pitch stands out from the crowd.
All these insights are created by our AI-powered text analysis. Rather than asking a long list of multiple choice questions you can now ask a couple of open ended questions to reveal much richer insights. All while keeping your tags and highlighter pens in the draw.
More details on AI text analysis
How to analyse text comments faster with AI text analysis Client feedback - what are you missing?
What are the benefits of always-on client listening?
The Feedback Flywheel has 5 stages, each feeding the next and benefiting from what came before.
- Always be listening - keep your finger on the pulse by collecting feedback across the entire client journey
- Centralise the data - keep everyone on the same page by combining all your feedback data in one place
- Automate the analysis - use AI to make sense of text comments in a fast and consistent way
- Give results context - benchmark insights in real-time to empower faster and more informed decision-making
- Close the loop - drive action and future engagement by showing clients, prospects and your people what you are doing
More details on the Feedback Flywheel
How to replace seasonal projects with a Feedback Flywheel How the Feedback Flywheel generates new levels of feedback intelligence