In 2025, CX is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a critical driver of success in professional services. By embracing these trends, AEC and professional services firms can build stronger client relationships, differentiate themselves from competitors, and drive meaningful business outcomes.

Understanding your clients’ needs, identifying potential risks, and acknowledging where their effort will be required transforms ordinary client engagements into extraordinary partnerships.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) has gained traction across industries as a go-to metric for gauging client satisfaction and loyalty. This one-question survey—asking clients how likely they are to recommend a firm—provides a snapshot of client sentiment, yet, for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms, relying solely on NPS can be limiting. While the metric is useful, it lacks the depth needed to cultivate exceptional client experiences and foster loyalty in the complex, relationship-driven AEC industry.

If you’re managing a professional services firm, you’ve probably reviewed profitability, revenue, and more—all mapped across an axis of time. But have you considered how your clients perceive the success of your projects?

We’ve all seen it on countless competitor websites: “We strive to exceed our clients’ expectations!” It’s a seemingly innocuous statement, a badge of honor in many industries. But what if there’s a better approach? What if exceeding expectations, while well-intentioned, actually undermines your value proposition? This article challenges the traditional “exceeding expectations” mantra used throughout […]

In the world of customer feedback surveys, there exists a prevalent misconception that merely soliciting input from customers is enough to drive business growth, enhance customer experience, and align with expectations. While customer feedback is undeniably valuable, this belief oversimplifies the process and ignores the nuanced strategies required to effectively gather and utilize feedback. To […]

I heard a speaker say recently, “There is no reason for any firm to apologize for its need to make a profit.  ”He was right. Profitability is essential to the health of any business. Furthermore, it’s necessary to enable a business to continue to grow and provide jobs for its employees as well as service […]

You want (and need) your highly successful project managers to generate sales opportunities for your firm. Your clients love them and the work they do, but there’s one problem. Your strongest DOERS aren’t seller-doers. Nothing against them, they work hard. Nevertheless, many of these PM’s are uncomfortable engaging with clients about upcoming pursuits. When asked […]

Has this ever happened to you? One of your clients says, “I’ll be happy to refer you to my colleague. You and your team have done a terrific job for us.” And then, NOTHING happens. Did they change their mind? Did they forget? It feels awkward to ask them why they haven’t followed through. On […]

A great presetnation by SMPS I recently attended an SMPS Research Triangle event and listened to Danielle Gray share tips and tricks for extracting data from technical professionals. There was plenty of laughter as Danielle described personas for the technical professionals she’s worked with. Including Timmy Too Busy, Kara Don’t Cara, Sampson the Champion, and Neil […]