Author: Beth Cuzzone, Global Practice Group Leader, Deal Cloud at Intapp | Co-Founder of LSSO | Co-Chair of LSSO's Editorial Board | Member of LSSO's Board of Advisors

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. Read part 1 here. Read part 2 here. 

While winning new clients and keeping them satisfied are crucial components of a law firm’s success, the true potential for growth often lies within your existing client base. Expanding relationships with current clients—through cross-serving, identifying unmet needs, and staying ahead of their evolving requirements—can significantly enhance your firm's profitability. This article explores strategies to maximize opportunities and grow client work effectively.

Cross-Serving and Identifying White Space

Cross-serving is one of the most effective ways to grow your existing client relationships. It involves offering additional services to clients who may not be aware of your firm’s full capabilities.

Identifying Unmet Needs: Start by conducting a thorough review of your current clients' business operations and legal challenges. Look for areas where your firm’s services could add value, even if the client hasn’t explicitly requested help. For instance, if you’re handling employment law for a client, there may be opportunities to assist with corporate governance or intellectual property matters.

Leveraging Internal Collaboration: Encourage collaboration across different practice areas within your firm. Regular internal meetings to discuss client accounts can reveal cross-serving opportunities. By fostering a culture of collaboration, you can ensure that clients receive comprehensive legal support, leading to deeper relationships and increased revenue.

Client Communication: Don’t wait for clients to come to you with new needs. Proactively communicate the breadth of your services through client newsletters, personal meetings, or targeted marketing campaigns. Highlight success stories where your firm has successfully expanded its services to existing clients, demonstrating the tangible benefits of a holistic legal approach.

Client Development Plans

Growing client work requires a structured approach. Developing customized client development plans can help you identify growth opportunities and create actionable strategies.

Creating Actionable Plans: Begin by setting specific goals for each client. These might include increasing the number of services provided, expanding into new practice areas, or deepening your engagement with key stakeholders. Work with your team to outline steps for achieving these goals, such as scheduling regular check-ins, offering educational seminars, or presenting tailored legal updates.

Monitoring Progress: Regularly review your client development plans to ensure they remain aligned with the client’s evolving needs and your firm’s capabilities. Use data and analytics to track progress, making adjustments as necessary. For example, if a client’s business is expanding into new markets, you might adjust your plan to focus on relevant legal services like international compliance or contract negotiations.

Investing in Relationships: Beyond formal plans, prioritize building strong, trust-based relationships with your clients. The more deeply you understand their business and personal objectives, the better positioned you are to offer valuable, tailored advice that goes beyond transactional legal services.

Leveraging Data and Analytics

Data and analytics can play a crucial role in identifying growth opportunities and tailoring your approach to each client. Use your CRM to create dashboard to help you. 

Tracking Client Behavior: Use data to analyze your clients’ past interactions with your firm. Identify patterns in the types of services they’ve utilized, the frequency of their engagements, and any gaps where your firm could offer additional support. For instance, if a client regularly seeks advice on regulatory compliance but hasn’t engaged your firm for litigation support, there may be an opportunity to introduce those services.

Predicting Future Needs: Predictive analytics can help you stay ahead of client needs. By analyzing market trends and the specific industries your clients operate in, you can anticipate future challenges they may face. This proactive approach not only positions your firm as a forward-thinking partner but also opens the door to new engagements before your competitors even realize the opportunity exists.

Measuring Success: Finally, use data to measure the success of your client growth strategies. Track metrics such as the number of new services provided to existing clients, the increase in revenue from these clients, and client satisfaction levels. This data-driven approach allows you to refine your strategies and ensure they are delivering the desired results.

Successful Habits

Growing client work is about adopting habits that consistently add value to your clients’ businesses.

Regular Check-Ins: Make it a habit to check in with clients regularly, even when there’s no immediate legal matter at hand. These conversations can uncover new opportunities and strengthen your relationship.

Offering Insights: Share valuable insights with your clients, such as industry trends or legal updates that might impact their business. Positioning yourself as a knowledgeable advisor can lead to deeper client trust and more business opportunities.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Stay flexible in your approach. As client needs evolve, so should your strategies for serving them. Being adaptable not only helps retain clients but also opens doors to expanding your services.

Actionable Insights

To maximize growth opportunities with your current clients, consider the following actions:

• Conduct Regular Internal Reviews: Identify cross-serving opportunities by regularly reviewing client accounts across practice areas.
• Develop Client-Specific Growth Plans: Create tailored development plans for each client, outlining specific goals and strategies for growth.
• Leverage Data: Use data and analytics to track client behavior, predict future needs, and measure the success of your growth strategies.
• Build Strong Relationships: Invest time in understanding your clients’ businesses on a deeper level to identify areas where you can add value.

By focusing on cross-serving, developing structured growth plans, and leveraging data, your firm can unlock new opportunities and significantly increase revenue from your existing client base.

Beth Cuzzone, a co-founder of LSSO, is the VP of Global Growth Marketing at Intapp, an AI driven technology company. She may be reached at beth.cuzzone@intapp.com.