At Client Savvy, one of our core values is championing the CX community and fostering networks that revolve around client experience. Why? Because we know that by building and nurturing these communities, we empower our clients to differentiate their firms, accelerate growth, enhance profitability, and retain top talent.
In 2015, Client Savvy founded the CXps conference, tailored specifically for the professional services industry, to create a collaborative, supportive space where CX practitioners can:
- share their experiences, triumphs, and struggles
- gain strategic insights from top-tier CX leaders and influencers
- discover new perspectives on tackling business challenges through CX programs
- learn new CX skills and acquire the tools to execute and create change in their firm
- meet fellow CX practitioners from various firms to expand their professional network
We are proud to say that our CXps community continues to grow each year, fueling our commitment to investing in and hosting this high-quality event. CXps features engaging breakout sessions and hands-on workshops focused on CX fundamentals, case studies, and innovations.
As more professional services firms make CX a strategic priority, integrating it into their business planning and embracing comprehensive CX programs, the educational content, networking opportunities, and sense of community offered by CXps are more essential than ever.
While we know CX directly boosts customer loyalty, retention, and revenue, it also has the power to transform nearly every aspect of your business. In professional services, Client Experience (CX) is the glue that holds everything together. From strategy to execution and results, no other concept touches every part of your business quite like CX.
The CXps conference is unique as it goes beyond theory, offering actionable steps to drive your firm’s success by integrating client experience into your strategic initiatives.
Still not sure CXps is the right community and conference for you? Here are seven stories from past attendees.
1. Return on Investment of CX
“We’ve been through a tough time as a company – our market was in severe contraction,” says a large industry consulting agency leader. “As we tightened the corporate belt, we cut most of our corporate programs. Our client engagement program was on that list too.”
He and I had just sat through a mind-stretching session where the presenter walked us through scaling a client experience (CX) program and quantifying its tangible business value. We’d just heard how the average CX program in a professional services firm returned a 224% ROI over 14 months—and that was just counting the directly measured impact on net profit.
He said in a moment of recognition, “Clearly, we missed the mark here. While our clients were dealing with extraordinary pain as their world contracted, we pulled back, instead of leaning in. We lost a top 5 client worth hundreds of millions in revenue. We knew they were not satisfied. We continued asking for feedback every year but didn’t do anything with the information. We didn’t have a plan or a framework to take action and turn the relationship around.”
As we walked to the evening networking mixer, chatting about what we had learned, he seemed renewed in his enthusiasm for creating change and said he felt equipped with practical tools to make that happen.
2. A Community of Resources
Joe said his firm is in the early stages of launching its CX program. He was excited about attending the conference and learning everything he could about the pitfalls and opportunities within a CX program. He especially wanted to meet other people further down the road who could offer lessons learned and suggestions for what they would have done differently.
About halfway through the event, I checked in and asked how things were going. He said he was enjoying himself immensely – and not only because getting out of the office was nice. He was surprised by how wonderful the people were and how easy it was to find dinner plans or a lunch seat. It didn’t feel like “networking” – it felt like friendship.
That comment was great to hear, but what he said next was even more powerful. He told me he knew his retirement was not that far off. As his career was winding down, he didn’t want to lose enthusiasm but wanted to be realistic. He understood starting an initiative like a CX program is no small feat. He pointed out, however, that even if it isn’t “perfectly launched” (whatever that means!), by the time he moves on, he was glad to know there was a community of people and a wealth of resources that would be waiting for whoever took on this responsibility.
3. Gather with Like-Minded People
An attendee who had been to CXps in previous years said, “There’s a different kind of energy this year.” Yes, there were more attendees than ever before, but she said it wasn’t just the number of people. There was something “different” in the air—something that felt more like a home, a community in which to explore, learn new things and share experiences. She was surprised to see how many firms sent multiple attendees.
She mentioned speaking to a first-timer who had been trying to attend for the last couple of years. That person expressed how glad she was to finally have all the pieces fall into place so she could attend. They agreed on how valuable the sessions were and how important it was to their success to meet like-minded people, especially those who were willing to be open and share their ideas and lessons learned.
4. Business Impacts of Poor CX
A member of the marketing team for one of the construction companies in attendance said, “One of the main concerns and issues impacting our business is the high turnover among our project managers (PMs).”
When I asked why this was happening, he said it was caused by internal conflict and the stress of completing jobs at a certain margin. His firm had gone down the path of too often bidding jobs low, and when they won, the PMs had to “change order the client to death” to make the job profitable. As you would expect, this made the client (not to mention the PMs) very unhappy, and there has been some blowback because of it.
After attending sessions and engaging with others in the community, he is excited to go back and implement a full client experience (CX) program. He’s convinced that will not only impact the experience for their clients but also keep the PMs from turning over at such a high rate (22%). “This would be huge,” he said. “Every time we lose a PM, it has a financial impact on the firm of $85,000 and typically makes projects lag behind by months.”
5. Sharing Their "How To" Strategies
Janet said she came to CXps to “get everything I need to convince my company that we need a client experience initiative.” She said the speakers, especially those from firms actively implementing CX initiatives, were terrific, and it was so helpful to hear exactly how different companies are building CX-focused practices in their businesses.
Janet also said that when she came to CXps, she wrongfully assumed that, like so many conferences, the people there would keep their “how” a secret. It’s easy to think of Client Experience as something that is inherently good, and that people should practice, but the how is much more mysterious. Everyone at the conference was forthcoming with how they make CX work for them. From CX playbooks to feedback plans and even crash courses and “how-to” workshops on creating a CX plan, everybody couldn’t wait to bounce ideas off each other. Her concluding thought? “I can’t wait to go home and show my coworkers what I’ve learned.”
6. Go to the Source of Change
I had the pleasure of speaking with a representative of one client who had been in the United States for only four years. He worked in the A/E/C industry for a long time and had an educational background in engineering that spanned both his home country and a university here in the States.
In my conversations with him, I asked, “What kinds of differences did you see in the academics, given the technical nature of your focus?” “None really,” he said, “but most of the regulations are coming from the United States, so that’s what drove me to come here.” I added, “To come to the source?” “Yes,” he said, “that’s correct.”
I found that interesting. Now, here he was at the CXps, a conference of early adopters, citing the same strategy he used for his personal growth. Seeking the source of change, to know sooner, to adjust faster, to stand out. To differentiate.
7. Sharing the Good and the Bad
Bob serves in a quality assurance role in his engineering firm. His job is to make sure that his firm meets the expectations of their clients, every day. As we relaxed at the ballpark during a networking event, he shared that he was shocked by how willing the individuals at CXps were to share their stories - successful and otherwise. Being part of a real community means you hear all the news – the good, and even the bad.
He was impressed that CXps community members were supporting each other, giving tips, and sometimes tipping a drink to a battle they didn’t quite win. It dawned on him then: the answers aren’t the important part; it’s the journey that makes a Client Experience.
Conclusion
These seven stories are just a glimpse of why CXps is the premier client experience conference for the professional services industry. In 2025, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of CXps, and we're gearing up for our most exciting and impactful event yet—set against the stunning backdrop of the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Golf & Beach Resort in Puerto Rico. This milestone is more than just a celebration; it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of the CX community and its future.
Join us as we elevate client experience like never before! Follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated on CX insights, upcoming CX-focused webinars, and all the latest news about CXps 2025. Don't miss out!
