The majority of law firms are neglecting the single most important marketing issue of all P they forget to ask their clients what they need, and what they think of the service they provide.

Marketing is all too often 'activity led' and geared towards golf days, seminars, brochures, press releases, newsletters and sponsorship without any regard to what clients and contacts actually need and think of the firm's service.Marketing is all about matching the resources, output and performance of the firm to the needs and expectations of clients and contacts.

Despite this, comparatively few firms bother to carry out a proper client perception study before, during or after the preparation of a marketing strategy.

Even many of the large practices with in-house marketing staff fail to think of this area or, if they do, fail to persuade their partners to pluck up the courage to undertake the most fundamental of steps.The main reason for legal practices' failure to undertake a structured survey of clients' attitudes is the fear that it will initiate complaints, or that clients will seek to renegotiate fees.

There may also be concern that in some way it is unprofessional, and that the client might object or think less of the firm.

These fears are largely unfounded: in the projects which my firm has carried out there has been no adverse or negative feedback about the process from a client or contact.

On the contrary, many firms report that clients welcomed the exercise.Firms which do not undertake a client perception project or initiate a system of monitoring clients' opinions do so at their peril.

By finding out what clients and contacts think of you, your marketing strategy and services can be tailored accordingly.Having come to terms with the concept, the next step is to consider the methodology.

There are three possible methods of conducting a client perception study: printed questionnaires, face-to-face interviews carried out by an independent third party, or telephone interviews carried out by a third party.

The questionnaire has some benefits but the success is limited due to low response rates and the inability to extract the required qualitative information.The face-to-face interview technique can work well but it is intrusive in nature P busy clients may not want to devote half an hour or more to go through this process.

The time and cost of undertaking such a project may also make it less attractive to firms.

The telephone technique involves taking a cross-section of clients and contacts and asking if they are willing to participate in your research by having a short telephone conversation with an independent third party interviewer P on an anonymous basis if necessary.

We have used this technique effectively in over 50 projects for legal firms.

Sometimes it is sensible to focus on one particular department or area of service, and it is often easier and more beneficial to focus on commercial matters in their broadest sense.Each of the relevant partners and fee-earners should be asked to submit the names of a cross-section of their own clients broken down into the following categories.

First, their major or regular clients, those with whom contact is frequent and for whom ongoing legal work is carried out.

Secondly, dormant clients, those who used to give ongoing and regular legal work to the firm but who have not done so for a while.

Thirdly, past clients, those for whom the firm has not undertaken any work for the last two years.It is interesting for marketing purposes to find out whether the lack of instruction is as a result of inactivity on the part of the client or simply that they have taken their legal work elsewhere.

Experience has shown that the perception of the partners and fee-earners on this matter is rarely correct and such research amongst the clients has almost always proved beneficial.Before these discussions the firm should contact the client by letter or telephone to advise him or her that a specific person is likely to be contacting him or her.

This can be presented as an assurance of care and thus becomes useful as a marketing tool in its own right.

This gives the client or contact the opportunity to object to the technique.The interviewer should ultimately carry out qualitative discussions with the clients and contacts over the telephone seeking their 'perceptions' on the quality of legal advice and assistance given, and the way in which the service was delivered.

Clients should also be given the opportunity to offer constructive views relating to any aspect of the firm.Cynics might argue that where partners and fee-earners have a hand in the selection of clients to be interviewed, they will only choose those who are likely to s ay 'good things'.

In practice, feedback from clients and contacts is usually extremely full, frank and constructive.

The client or contact is more likely to speak openly to an independent third party than the normal point of contact within the firm.The benefits of carrying out such client perception studies are enormous.

Positive feedback gives the firm the peace of mind to know that it is doing something right, while any negative comments allow the firm to make improvements.

Carrying out the project is perceived by the client or contact as a reassurance of care, attention and service.In one recent project, a significant number of clients and contacts mentioned problems over the answering of telephone calls and the firm's switchboard system.

There was a high level of client dissatisfaction and irritation of which the firm was unaware.

In another project, a high level of clients and contacts said that fees had risen so disproportionately that they were considering putting some of their legal work to other firms.

A high number of professional introducers in one project mentioned that they were unaware of certain commercial services that the firm was keen to market.Some clients to whom I have spoken in surveys have explained to me why the work was taken away from the firm and what it could do to win it back.

Consider the following comments made by such a client: 'We don't use him any more which is a shame because he's a really good guy and a very talented lawyer.

We are in a position to put a lot of business his way but we don't because of our experience in the past.

It's the same with other people we've referred to him, exactly the same, ten, 11, 12 clients I'd say who've had exactly the same sort of thing happen to them.

It's all about communication.

We've given another firm £30,000 to £40,000 worth of fees this year alone.

I'd like to give it to you know who, and if he ever got his office situation sorted out, we would.

We'd certainly go back to him and give him back the work and so would all our other contacts.'Many firms may also be surprised to hear that new work has been generated as a direct result of these interviews, because of discussion about one particular aspect of the firm's service.

Many firms that have carried out such client perception studies have discovered that their activity-led marketing plan has been the exact opposite of what clients really want.

For example, one firm that spent a considerable amount of time and money producing and distributing newsletters discovered that a very high proportion of recipients did not look at them and immediately threw them away.Client perception studies can be carried out as part of the DTI marketing initiative scheme which is available to law firms with under 500 employees.

Under this scheme a grant of approximately £3000 can be given to help the firm with its practice development and marketing.

The grant scheme, will close in the near future and firms are urged to take advantage of it whilst funding is available.