This Meridian West webinar presents latest CLIMB survey results, discussing client listening maturity across 160+ global professional services and B2B firms. The survey benchmarks organisations across four maturity categories: basecamp, foundational, intermediate, and advanced.
Key findings reveal significant maturity progression, with average scores increasing from 32 to 42, and more firms reaching advanced status. However, despite improvements in technology and research capabilities, many organisations struggle driving meaningful impact and change from client listening activities.
Whilst senior leadership demonstrates strong engagement, notable gaps exist at wider partnership level. Research trends show increased use of online surveys, in-depth interviews, and informal feedback mechanisms across multiple touchpoints.
Critical challenges include integrating listening data into performance reviews and strategic planning, and linking insights to growth and account planning. The webinar emphasises client listening’s potential to drive cultural transformation and strategic growth, highlighting opportunities for firms to leverage feedback data more effectively.
This webinar presented the latest CLIMB benchmark results from 160+ professional services and B2B firms, revealing rapid maturity progression with overall scores jumping from 32 to 42 in just 12 months, driven by cutting-edge firms forging ahead and many building foundational blocks. Formalized listening is now standard with nearly 80% having structured programs (up from 53%), and 70% report strong CEO/managing partner engagement—however, this drops sharply to 33% for wider partnership, exposing a significant intent-action gap where 40% rate listening as top strategic priority but only 10% feel confident they're doing enough. The research shows firms excelling at foundational elements: 83% use online surveys, 77% conduct in-depth interviews, firms are adopting multi-touchpoint models throughout the client lifecycle rather than single annual conversations, and 65% now have central dashboards (up from 44%) with increased AI adoption for analytics. Critically, firms are shifting from backward-looking satisfaction/NPS metrics to forward-looking questions about client plans and opportunities. However, impact remains the major challenge where firms consistently underperform: only 53% operate on opt-out versus opt-in basis, 62% link listening to account planning, just 24% connect to performance reviews, only 40% report impact on client growth strategy, and merely 27% successfully leverage listening for new business development—representing the biggest opportunity area as firms must transcend from collecting data to driving strategic transformation and cultural change.
Overall maturity scores jumped from 32 to 42 in 12 months, with firms in the advanced category (60+ scores) practically doubling to represent one-third of respondents. Progress driven by cutting-edge firms forging ahead and many firms building foundational blocks, though most still struggle with impact over research and technology components.
Nearly 80% now have structured programs (up from 53% last year), with 70% reporting CEO/managing partner engagement. However, engagement drops to 33% for wider partnership, and whilst 40% rate listening as top strategic priority (9-10/10), only 10% feel confident they're doing enough—revealing significant intent-action gap.
83% use online surveys and 77% conduct in-depth interviews, with notable increase in informal feedback collection (conversations, emails, workshops). Firms moving from single annual conversations to multiple touchpoints throughout client lifecycle (post-onboarding, mid-matter, post-project) for more informed account assessment.
65% now have central dashboards to view all data (up from 44%), with increased AI adoption for analytics. Firms increasingly moving beyond backward-looking satisfaction/NPS scores to forward-looking questions about client plans and opportunities, enabling more strategic conversations.
Only 53% operate on opt-out vs opt-in basis, 62% link to account planning, and just 24% connect to performance reviews. Critical gaps exist in translating listening to business outcomes: only 40% report impact on client growth strategy and just 27% successful at leveraging for new business development—representing the biggest opportunity area.