As I was thinking about client service this morning, I wondered to myself whether there was anything left to discuss that hasn’t already been said. Of course, there’s an old adage that roughly says something about there being no new ideas, just new people discussing them, but even here at Zen, we’ve already talked about things like: 

And more. 

So instead, I started to think about issuing a challenge – to ask yourselves

How did I make a client happy today?"

Of course, there’s the obvious answer that doing their legal work, solving a problem, addressing a challenge, getting a big win, etc. all would make a client happy. 

But I’m challenging you to go beyond those things – those things are assumed. You’re an excellent lawyer, an expert in your field, and your clients hire you because they want and expect those outcomes. 

That’s your ticket to the big game. 

But what are you doing above and beyond that to make your clients happy? 

Did you: 

  • Offer to buy them lunch on your dime, at their convenience? 
  • Send them a note to thank them for trusting you with their business? 
  • Share a legal development, and how it might affect them, to avoid challenges down the road? 
  • Call them to explain why their next bill may be higher BEFORE it arrives on their desk for payment? 
  • Offer to spend an afternoon shadowing them so you can learn more about their business, and what keeps them up at night? 
  • Call to check in, and see whether they may have a challenge that they’re concerned about? 

What we’re talking about here is the extra mile – going the extra mile is how you show each of your clients that THEY matter above all to you, and that you are in the business of keeping and making them happy.

So ask yourself – how did I make a client happy today? 

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Photo of Lindsay Griffiths Lindsay Griffiths

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the…

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the goals of a global professional services network. She manages all major aspects of the Network, including recruitment, member retention, and providing exceptional client service to an international membership base.

In her role as Executive Director, Griffiths manages a mix of international programs, engages a diverse global community, and develops an international membership base. She leads the development and successful implementation of major organizational initiatives, manages interpersonal relationships, and possesses executive presence with audiences of internal and external stakeholders. Griffiths excels at project management, organization, and planning, writes and speaks with influence and authority, and works independently while demonstrating flexibility in thinking, especially in challenging situations. She also adapts to diverse and dynamic environments with constant assessment and recalibration.

JD Supra Readers Choice Top Author 2019

In 2021, the ILN was honored as Global Law Firm Network of the Year by The Lawyer European Awards, and in 2016, 2017, and 2022, they were shortlisted as Global Law Firm Network of the Year. Since 2011, the Network has been listed as a Chambers & Partners Leading Law Firm Network, recently increasing this ranking to be included in the top two percent of law firm networks globally, as well as adding two regional rankings. She was awarded “Thought Leader of the Year” by the Legal Marketing Association’s New York chapter in 2014 for her substantive contributions to the industry and was included in Clio’s list of “34 People in Legal You Should Follow on Twitter.” She was also chosen for the American Bar Association Journal’s inaugural Web 100‘s Best Law Blogs, where judge Ivy Grey said “This blog is outstanding, thoughtful, and useful.” Ms. Griffiths was chosen as a Top Author by JD Supra in their 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, for the level of engagement and visibility she attained with readers on the topic of marketing & business development. She has been the author of Zen & the Art of Legal Networking since February 2009.