How to develop a client journey map within your firm

This guide provides an overview of Client Journey Mapping and how it can be used within professional firms. It is based on Meridian West’s experience helping many professional firms – including Grant Thornton International, RPC and Citation – to better understand and improve the experience they provide to clients.

Having long been used in the IT, retail, advertising, and financial industries, client journey mapping (CJM) has started to take off in the professional services sector. According to Meridian West’s annual Professional Services CMO Benchmark, 48% of professional service marketing leaders say they plan to create a CJM for their firm within the next twelve months.

CJM is starting to be embraced by professional firms as an effective way to respond to shifting client needs and to position their firms as focused on clients. It can help firms to identify opportunities for adding greater value to the client experience and improve process efficiency.

Put simply, CJM identifies sources of friction at each stage of a client relationship, distils best practices to address these pain points and uncovers areas where client delivery processes can be standardised or improved.

Although many firms have project management methodologies, these are usually drawn from internal perspectives, and therefore miss critical client insights. By focusing on the human experience and clients’ emotional journeys, CJM brings client insight to life and extends internal knowledge about the client perspective at each point of interaction with a firm.

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Section 1: What is a client journey map?

Section 2: The business case for creating a client journey map

Section 3: A client journey map extends feedback insights

Section 4: The 5 steps to creating a client journey map

Step 1: Understand typical client personas using
an empathy map

Step 2: Map out the stages of the client journey

Step 3: Identify the touchpoints between your firm and your client

Step 4: Overlay the client’s emotions and
fears

Step 5: Identify opportunities to support clients

Section 5: Supporting a client journey map with insights from clients

Section 6: Journey mapping as a catalyst for change