"Client listening teams are behind the AI curve - but change is inevitable"
Drawing on experience and research in the field of client listening, and with reference to the new MeridianAI platform, Ethan Murphy looks at how professional firms can unlock the power of AI to accelerate client listening programmes.
"Client listening teams are behind the AI curve - but change is inevitable"
Drawing on experience and research in the field of client listening, and with reference to the new MeridianAI platform, Ethan Murphy looks at how professional firms can unlock the power of AI to accelerate client listening programmes.
In this article – which follows the PSMG annual summit in June - I will discuss how, by making the most of the vast efficiency and timesaving gains AI tools can offer, client listening teams develop more effective and impactful programmes. I’ll also cover how enclosed investing in AI can lead to greater accuracy, objectivity, and data integration.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has stormed into the business mainstream, transforming everything from marketing to operations. Advanced technological capabilities, such as machine learning and natural language processing, have opened vast opportunities for professionals to maximise work efficiency and growth. Yet in the world of professional and business research, adoption remains in its early stages.
Client listening and insight teams are particularly behind the curve. We conducted research with client intelligence experts from more than 100 professional firms and only one in 10 currently employs AI tools to amplify their qualitative capabilities, while other technologies including dashboards, etc were much more commonplace. So – why has this been so limited?
Well, it is not for lack of interest or vision. As with most research professionals, client listening teams are increasingly interested in new and innovative technologies that will transform the way they can work and gather insights. Of those who were not using AI currently in their day-to-day activities, just under two-thirds (60%) said they were planning to have integrated this within the next two years1.
However, having spoken and collaborated with many clients in this position, data protection and security concerns, as well as wider funding capabilities, continue to massively hinder adoption.
While for the most this is a big step requiring investment and internal backing – it is one that client intelligence teams must facilitate if they are to stay ahead of the curve. Below, I cover these benefits AI tools can offer client listening specifically, and why investing in secure and enclosed AI-integrated platforms will be essential moving forward.
Efficiency-gains and timesaving
AI has the potential to enhance client listening capabilities for professional firms through a substantial increase in efficiency.
MeridianAI and other advanced tools can ingest surveys, interview transcriptions, and all other formats of client data to summarise emerging client needs, challenges, and satisfaction levels in a shadow of the time we could manually. Clever natural language processing can rapidly analyse thousands of client comments to spot recurring themes and produce summary reports, whether that be for individual clients, or segments of a client base.
This timesaving not only increases scale it also gives professionals more time to work on creating an impact. Our clients have often been tied down by manual tasks such as transcribing, note taking, finding quotes etc that they have had limited time to create meaningful change or follow-up on opportunities. In our client listening research, just under half of all respondents (47%) agreed that manual, time-consuming process hugely limited the impact of their current programme1.
Accuracy and objectification
Beyond offering major efficiency gains, firms that have engrained AI into their programmes are also experiencing improvements in the accuracy and depth of their analysis. AI helps mitigate biases inherent in traditional client listening programmes, providing a more accurate and balanced understanding of client needs.
As humans, we tend to focus on certain specifics when collecting feedback, meaning other interesting insights or findings can be lost. AI picks up entire conversations meaning no stone is left unturned.
Powerful analytical engines allow in-depth analysis and helps spot key emerging trends in the data whether that be pre-set topics the tool is asked to look for, or naturally occurring trends the AI has spotted. More advanced tools can also offer semantic analysis, meaning trends can be weighted on the emotive way in which these were discussed, granting greater clarity of findings.
“Beyond offering major efficiency gains, firms that have engrained AI into their programmes are also experiencing improvements in the accuracy and depth of their analysis. AI helps mitigate biases inherent in traditional client listening programmes, providing a more accurate and balanced understanding.”
Evidence-based insight
Naturally, some firms are hesitant to rely on AI-generated results. Yet, more enclosed AI tools can offer the assurance data is being pulled from the correct sources. Our clients who have embedded MeridianAI into their programmes greatly value its transparency and the ability to inspect the underlying logic and data behind any insights generated. The tool can cite the origins of any conclusions, as well as admit readily if inadequate information exists to speculate about a specific topic, ensuring reliability over hallucination.
Chat bot features allow teams to re-interrogate and ask specific questions of the dataset. Not only does this offer a flexibility of analysis whereby teams do not have to sieve back through transcript after transcript to find specific quotes or themes, but also allows team to explore key trends deeply and transparently.
Centralised data
Historically, client listening teams have struggled when managing the centralisation of data. Our research highlighted 40% of client listening professionals agree data integration hinders the impact of their programmes, with different forms of client data typically scattered across various platforms1. Teams that invest in enclosed AI software can enable the creation of a centralised knowledge base, streamlining information retrieval and access for team members.
This centralised repository addresses the challenge of fragmentation and enhances the overall effectiveness of client research initiatives as professionals can access data within or across projects at their fingertips. This is vital as teams look to embed more sources of client data into their programmes, from more frequent client journey conversations (post-pitch, mid-matter, etc) to more external third-party data from company reports and news bulletins.
Secure and safe data platforms
Implementing AI raises significant data privacy and security concerns, particularly regarding the confidentiality of client information. These worries stem from the use of free online or open-source AI platforms like ChatGPT or Claude AI, where uploaded data may be stored within the system and potentially accessed by other users.
However, AI tools are evolving to offer more secure options, particularly through cloud-based solutions. These platforms, like other online services, provide robust control over access rights and strict limitations on data sharing. As a result, client listening professionals who have invested in these advanced tools can harness AI-driven insights while maintaining compliance with sensitive client agreements and legal obligations.
The inevitable AI future...
Given the rapid pace of AI advancement and expanding capabilities, it’s likely just a matter of time before predictive AI tools transform how professional services gather, examine, and utilise client feedback data. However, firms need not wait to embrace AI; there are proven AI tools available now that are currently being underutilised in the industry. Professional services that proactively adopt current AI solutions are set to gain a competitive edge and deliver greater value to their clients.