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Most professional services firms point to their repeat work as proof that clients love them. Ryan Suydam says that number is hiding the truth, and that fierce loyalty only shows up in share of wallet.

In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Alex Ray sit down with Ryan Suydam, founder of Client Savvy and CX Architect at ClearlyRated, to talk about what actually makes a client stay and how professional services firms can turn client loyalty into a discipline they design, measure, and improve.

Ryan started his career in architecture and nearly left because clients felt like a distraction from the work. Today he’s coached more than 650 organizations on client experience. He explains why a strong Net Promoter Score in most industries means you’re lagging in professional services, how one engineering firm discovered CX breakdowns were costing it $53 million a year, and why AI will make empathy the most valuable skill a firm can offer.

In this episode

• Why repeat work is a flawed measure and share of wallet tells the real story
• How a high floor in professional services makes complacency the biggest enemy of CX
• Why value creation only matters when you also capture value
• How CX acts as internal branding, the tangible layer of who you say you are
• Why client experience and employee experience form a vicious or virtuous cycle
• How AI will commoditize technical work and put a premium on human connection

Key Takeaways

• Fierce loyalty is a client turning left in rush hour to pay more for your gas. You don’t need 100% of every client’s work, but no one should be getting more of it than you.
• To win over your CFO, segment client feedback into promoters, passives, and detractors, then compare growth, win rate, and multiplier for each group. The data tells the story for you.
• Ask a hundred people what “being a partner” means and you’ll get a hundred answers. CX gives a firm one shared definition while still leaving room for professional judgment.
• Your clients may already see a strength you don’t. One firm learned its clients loved how easy it was to work with, a selling point it had never marketed.
• Ryan recommends Fans First by Jesse Cole, a book that reflects his belief that the best experiences come from designing everything around the people you serve.

Resource and References

• Fans First by Jesse Cole: https://www.amazon.com/dp/154452921X
• Learn more about ClearlyRated: https://www.clearlyrated.ai
•  Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clientsavvy
•  Learn more about The Intangible Brand: TheIntangibleBrand.com

About Ryan Suydam

Ryan Suydam co-founded Client Savvy, now part of ClearlyRated, in 2004, to help firms create fierce client loyalty by designing, implementing, and measuring client experiences. He has coached over 650 organizations and over 30,000 professionals on the skills required to be “client savvy.” His clients are twice as likely to be recommended by their clients, three times as likely to realize above-average financial returns, and consistently attract and retain better employees. Ryan also founded and emcee’s the annual CX in Professional Services conference, bringing together hundreds of CX leaders across legal, accounting, AEC, and other professional services firms. Now a part of ClearlyRated, Ryan serves as CX Architect and evangelist for transforming our industry. Based outside Raleigh, NC, he welcomes your questions at ryan@clearlyrated.com.

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