Client behaviour

By Alison Huntington

What’s the difference between TMT and financial services clients? There are the obvious things: the jeans and lumberjack shirts versus the sharp suits; the seemingly impenetrable language of technology versus the dictionary of complex financial products; sunshine-soaked Silicon Valley versus the imposing skyscrapers of New York.

But there are less obvious things, and the one we uncovered is that clients in these two sectors have very different opinions of the value added by consultants.

By Alison Huntington

The headline of our Client Perception Study in the French consulting market is that 59% of clients are willing to pay more for the services of the leading consulting firms. Yes, you read that right.

This news may come as a surprise – France is still a tough market, where every percentile of growth is fought for, tooth and nail. And they may wonder where all these clients are hiding. We can’t tell you that, but what is important to know is there are far more clients willing to pay more for some firm types, and far fewer for others.

By Alison Huntington

It’s always slightly creepy when you meet someone new and they say, “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Oh god, you think as a cold sweat forms on your brow, what on earth have you heard about me? Not the tale of that office Christmas party? Or could they have heard good things that you now need to live up to? The impression people form before meeting or working with you can help or hinder your relationship, and can take a fair amount of effort to change it.