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Joanna Goodman interviews Tikit's CEO David Lumsden
Tikit ClientConnect is the very latest CRM offering to hit the legal technology market, launched on 20th July. Its press release describes it as a game changer. Joanna Goodman spoke to Tikit’s Chief Executive David Lumsden to find out more.
What was your motivation in deciding to create a new, legal-specific CRM system? What were the business drivers?
We looked at what was out there and saw that a large number of products focused on the high-end of the market. We decided there was room for a new product that would bring large-firm CRM capability to SME firms.
Although some of the practice management systems that are popular among SME firms offer CRM capability, their development focuses around the core product, which tends to be the accounting function. Most stand-alone CRM systems are designed for large firms. Tikit ClientConnect fills a gap in the market as an affordable stand-alone CRM system designed specifically for SME firms.
Tikit ClientConnect has been described as a game changer. What differentiates it from other offerings in a way that will change the legal marketing landscape?
Our strategy was to create a more level playing field in legal marketing by bringing best-of-breed CRM functionality to SME firms. Tikit ClientConnect is less expensive to buy, implement and run than other stand-alone CRM systems in the legal technology market.
It is fully integrated with Outlook and with Tikit eMarketing (Tikit’s leading email marketing product). It offers SME firms a lighter-touch CRM that is user friendly for lawyers while providing legal marketing professionals with valuable client information.
What makes it legal specific? What do law firms require from CRM that is different from other professional services businesses?
That’s an interesting question – in fact Tikit ClientConnect may well be an ideal CRM solution for other professions too! However, it is legal specific because it has been developed by a team with 16 years’ experience of operating in the legal space, whereas other products were developed for general business use and then adapted for the legal sector.
The fact that Tikit ClientConnect has been built in Outlook represents a significant benefit for law firms
Why did you build Tikit ClientConnect in Outlook rather than Microsoft Dynamics?
The main driver was cost. Dynamics is fantastic software, but it requires upfront investment and IT support. Many smaller firms do not have the resources to invest in and maintain a complex enterprise CRM system, although they can clearly benefit from stand-alone CRM functionality beyond their practice management systems. Outlook was the appropriate platform for SME firms as it enabled us to strike the right balance between cost and functionality.
The fact that Tikit ClientConnect has been built in Outlook represents a significant benefit for law firms. Lawyers use Outlook every day, so users require minimal training as they are working within a familiar interface. It is easy to use and its one-click functionality means that client information can be shared and updated without creating additional tasks for busy fee-earners.
A big part of the success of any CRM system is getting people to use it, and Outlook is the ideal platform to encourage take-up. Lawyers readily take responsibility for data in their Outlook folders. It’s in their interests to make sure that they add and update their clients’ contact information and this can automatically be added to the firm’s CRM database without creating an extra task for busy lawyers. The interface with Tikit eMarketing allows the marketing function to leverage the firm’s collective contact data.
What does Tikit ClientConnect offer over and above Outlook 2010’s extended functionality?
Tikit ClientConnect brings genuine CRM functionality into Outlook, giving a firm better control over its collective and individual contacts and overcomes many of Outlook’s limitations. For example contacts from individuals’ Outlook folders can be shared firm-wide automatically via a simple opt-in facility. Outlook only allows three addresses per contact, whereas Tikit ClientConnect allows multiple addresses.
Other valuable functions commonly found in large-firm CRM systems include the ability to establish relationship strength, based on the premise that CRM is not just about who you know, but how you know them. Tikit ClientConnect allows firms to define how they measure relationship strength. Criteria could include, for example, how many times a particular client had instructed the firm and whether a contact had attended social or CPD events.
Contacts can automatically – or retrospectively – be added to the firm’s database. The SQL database offers powerful reporting. A full audit trail of when contact information was added or changed significantly reduces database administration costs.
In the legal market usability is the key to success and our biggest challenge
Tikit ClientConnect incorporates Tikit eMarketing , which helps law firms to manage their mailing lists. Functionality includes Litmus, which previews how the marketing communication will appear in different email clients on different platforms and enables formats and page layouts to be edited before messages are sent. Bounce Back reports on whether messages got through to their intended recipients, whether and when they were read and whether they were forwarded to anyone else.
What were the main challenges you faced in designing a CRM system that offered something different?
In the legal market usability is the key to success and our biggest challenge. In most law firms, technology uptake varies widely, ranging from the power user to the non-user. However, all lawyers use Outlook, so we needed to achieve the most seamless integration into Outlook to maximise firm-wide take up.
Who is your target market?
Any firm can benefit from Tikit ClientConnect! Our target market ranges from firms with five to ten users to mid-size firms with 300-400 users. Larger firms could benefit too.
What are your next steps?
We always try to involve our clients in product development, so our next steps will include creating user groups and getting feedback to guide the future development of the product in line with client requirements.
One particular element that we are planning to develop is the ability to capture and present financial information, including work in progress, billings over the past three, six and 12 months, payment records and other information about a client’s financial situation.
Tikit ClientConnect will be showcased at ILTA in Nashville, United States, in August 2011.
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