Stop Selling, Start Partnering: Using Tech to Redefine Client Experience

By: Jill Huse

Law firms continue to invest in technology, but too often, they do it without the clarity of purpose, implementation planning, or a full understanding of what they already have. At Society54, we see this again and again: underutilized platforms, overlapping systems, and tech investments gathering dust because no one mapped how they would support the client experience.

The true differentiator isn’t just being more efficient. It’s being more intentional in how you show up for clients. That’s where experience strategy steps in. It’s about exceeding expectations, not just meeting them. It’s about creating relationships that drive advocacy, loyalty, and trust.

And that happens when firms stop asking how technology can help them, and start asking how technology can help their clients.

The Silent Killer of Strategy: Misalignment and Miscommunication

Law firms frequently fall into the trap of internal silos between practices, marketing, business development, and leadership. The result is messaging that becomes generalized, diluted, or inconsistent. One of the first questions we ask is: do your clients understand your firm’s goals, values, and vision beyond revenue growth?

More often than not, the answer is no. And that disconnect starts internally.

MBD professionals sit at the intersection of strategy, communication, and client knowledge. But they’re often brought in too late or not at all. Their unique perspective can tie together fragmented messages, coordinate timing and tone, and ensure that initiatives land, not just launch.

Alignment Around the Client Experience Is the New Strategy

True alignment isn't about structure. It’s about focus. When internal stakeholders align around a shared mission to drive client experience beyond the billable hour, real transformation happens.

We've seen the shift when attorneys step back and allow their business professionals to lead in areas where they are strongest: strategy, communication, and execution. And we’ve seen the missed opportunities when firms fail to ask what the client actually needs to grow their business.

An evolved legal advisor should be:

• A connector of networks

• A source of strategic insight

• A partner in business success, not just legal outcomes

Firms should shift from "client service" to "client enablement" by developing strategic account plans that prioritize client growth goals over legal issues.

This requires listening. It requires asking better questions. It requires reframing legal advice in the context of the client’s business trajectory. That’s not transactional. That’s experiential.

Reclaiming the Human Advantage in a Tech-Heavy World

AI and automation are powerful, but they are not the strategy. Human connection is.

One of the lawyers I coach recently used her firm’s data analysis tools to uncover economic insights that her client lacked access to. She then went a step further, leveraging those insights and her firm’s extensive network to connect the client with a potential business partner. That’s how technology enhances relationships rather than replaces them.

We’re also seeing firms build custom GPTs, automate client communications, and develop personalized content strategies. But the winners are those who blend these tools with personal relevance. They use data to reveal what matters, and then respond with empathy, curiosity, and value.

Every firm should ask how it can use tech to anticipate client needs and show up before the client even asks.

Turning Collaboration into Growth: What Aligned Firms Are Doing Differently

Some of the most powerful transformations we’ve seen come from simple, collaborative initiatives:

• A Client Advisory Board that brought outside voices in to help shape firm decisions

• A billing innovation co-designed with a client that became the blueprint for firm-wide financial alignment

These aren’t just good ideas. They’re evidence of a new mindset — one that places the client inside the firm’s strategic planning, not on the receiving end of it.

And leadership matters. If law firm leaders want to drive innovation, they must start by deeply understanding their clients' goals and aligning every internal function around helping them succeed.

This includes not just lawyers, marketing, and business development, but also professional development, IT, finance, and knowledge management. When these teams collaborate with shared purpose and visibility into client objectives, they create operational clarity, deliver stronger client experiences, and drive better business outcomes.

Rising Tides, Human Connections

Technology will outpace all of us, but human connection remains central to a thriving business. The firms that succeed in this next era will leverage innovation to drive empathy, understanding, and growth.

Stay on top of tech. Use it to lift your clients. And build relationships that not only endure, but define what great looks like.