Homburger
How can behavioural science foster effective acquisitions, memorable interactions and long-lasting client relationships?
Private Organisation | Sales & Acquisitions | Designing Impactful Conversations | Behavioural Toolkit
Context
Creating memorable experiences and long-lasting relationships with clients and stakeholders is key, especially in high-stake, fast-paced and international professional service environments. We worked with the law firm Homburger, and supported the design of an innovative science-based approach to client acquisitions and interactions.
Challenge
How can behavioural science foster effective acquisitions, memorable interactions and long-lasting client relationships?
The challenge was to develop an easy-to-use guideline for employees combining proven principles of one of the most successful Swiss law firms with latest behavioural and persuasion science insights. A fully-tailored toolkit was to be designed to support and guide colleagues with relevant framings, messages and success factors applicable to specific conversational settings.
Ultimately, the toolkit was intended to make sales and acquisitions more effective, create productive and memorable interactions, and eventually improve and maintain long-lasting client relationships.
Approach
Firstly, Affective defined relevant areas of behavioural drivers, motivators and barriers in collaboration with selected Partners at Homburger to shape and position the project across the firm.
Secondly, Affective conducted comprehensive desk research focusing on behavioural and persuasion science insights in relevant scientific and practitioner publications (outside-in).
Thirdly, Affective conducted contextual research, consisting of in-depth qualitative interviews with selected partners, to gain new perspectives on challenges, needs and expectations (inside-out).
Fourthly, after discussing the gathered insights from the outside-in and inside-out research phases with the in-house experts, the toolkit’s design and content were created following an iterative process. Designs, concepts and suggested actions were discussed and approved with Homburger to ensure highest usability and fit levels.
In the last and recurring step, Affective trains Homburger colleagues on relevant behavioural insights for effective acquisitions, memorable conversations and long-lasting client relationships based on the innovative client interaction toolkit.
Concepts
As a result of the extensive desk and primary research with senior representatives at Homburger, Affective identified several relevant behavioural science concepts contributing to effective interactions and client relationships. Selected concepts include among others (full list not disclosed for confidentiality reasons):
Familiarity
Consistency
Reciprocity
Authority
Deliverables
The main result of this project was an innovative behavioural toolkit that concisely displays guidelines and recommendations for leveraging behavioural science in client interactions with the aim to create more memorable and impactful client experiences. The toolkit was designed with frequent travellers in mind. Quickly and intuitively usable, it easily fits into breast pockets or small bags.
Over time, the toolkit has been further updated and tailored to stay up to date and provide relevant tipps and framings for interactions.
Reference
"Affective stood out among the many consultants we’ve seen. First, they are an ambitious, young, inspiring and never self-complacent company striving to prove and bring to work their scientific approach. Second, they sincerely and thoroughly wanted to understand our business and they never satisfied themselves with selling us a standard off-the-rack solution. Finally, and most convincingly, they took us on their journey, and sometimes even their struggle, to develop a custom-fit solution for us.“
Jürg Frick, Partner, Homburger