Client Mapping

Client Mapping represents a more commercial approach to professional services because it places the client—not the professional’s skill set—centre stage. When professionals focus on clients rather than expertise, they develop a clearer understanding of what clients actually want and, crucially, what they are prepared to pay for.

In this context, I am reminded of the Stella Artois award-winning advert with the tagline, “Reassuringly expensive.” The brilliance of the advert lay in its honesty. “Expensive” is a fact, but “reassuring” is a benefit. Customers were willing to pay more because the product made them feel confident, comfortable, and reassured.

The same principle applies to professional services. Fees alone are rarely the sole motivating factor for clients. If urgency is important, clients should expect to pay more—for example, higher fees for working unsocial hours. If work exceeds a deadline due to delays on the client’s side, additional costs should apply. If a client wants regular updates, access to educational pods, or curated insights, they may well be prepared to pay more. If they enjoy meeting in impressive offices, that experience may carry value. If they want a dedicated professional available 24/7—someone they trust enough to discuss anything from a child’s mental health to a failing banking relationship—then that reassurance has a price.

Understanding what other professionals do for their clients helps reinforce this value. When a client knows that their adviser is part of a wider network of trusted professionals who understand their broader concerns, loyalty increases. That loyalty not only reduces the risk of the client leaving, but also makes fee discussions easier and improves payment behaviour.

On the subject of fees, there is often too little focus on late payment. No professional should tolerate late payment without understanding the reason behind it. More often than not, late payment is not about the amount charged, but about perceived value. Did the professional communicate the benefit of the service, or merely describe the facts of what was done?

Clients do not respond well to facts alone. They respond far more positively to benefits. Telling a client what you did is far less persuasive than explaining how it helped them, protected them, saved them time, reduced risk, or allowed them to sleep at night.

This distinction is critical when recording responses to a client story, whether within a cluster of professionals from the same organisation or a pod of professionals across different organisations. The emphasis should always be on the benefit to the client, not on technical detail or process. Some professionals may need training to understand this difference. It is a learned skill, not an inherent one.

The success of the Stella Artois advert illustrates this perfectly. “Reassuring” speaks to emotion; “expensive” is simply a fact. Clients were happy to pay more to feel reassured. In the same way, clients pay more for luxury brands or impressive offices because those experiences make them feel special, valued, and confident in their decision-making.

It is easy to forget that clients—whether companies, funds, or institutions—are ultimately run by people. These people make decisions based on how they feel, often as much as on logic or cost. They are influenced by what others like them do. Phrases such as, “Clients like you, choose this service because it gives them peace of mind that their wider concerns are covered,” can be incredibly powerful.

Client Mapping brings these wider concerns into focus. By understanding not just the immediate technical issue but the broader context in which the client operates, professionals can offer a more rounded, commercially astute service. This leads to stronger relationships, greater loyalty, more timely payment of fees, and improved profitability.

Ultimately, a focus on Client Mapping does more than increase revenue. It fosters collaboration, breaks down silos, improves morale, and creates an environment where professionals feel supported rather than isolated. By aligning expertise around the client, rather than the other way around, organisations can build a more resilient, profitable, and human business.