The Role of Senior Partners in Client Listening: Insight or Interference?

One of the most important questions in designing a successful client listening programme is: who should do the listening? Should it be someone internal or external? And if internal, who exactly? Many professional services firms instinctively put forward their most senior hand, the Managing Partner or CEO,  to lead the conversation. While this signals the importance of the exercise, it may not always be the most effective choice. In this article, we explore why senior leaders might not be best placed to listen, and how coaching and clarity of purpose can transform the impact of client listening via the senior route.

Internal vs External Client Listening: Does It Matter?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: we’re agnostic about whether firms use internal or external listeners. Yes, we provide external listeners. But we also train and coach internal teams to listen effectively. What matters most is that listening happens and that it’s done well.

For us, the internal vs external debate reveals something crucial: independence from the client relationship matters. When listeners are too close to the relationship, it can be difficult to suspend judgment, remain curious, and truly hear what’s being said -  especially when the feedback is nuanced or critical.

Clients are often more candid with someone who isn’t directly involved in their account. They’ll share the small frustrations - the “socks on the floor” moments - that might feel too trivial to raise with their relationship partner, but which, left unaddressed, can erode trust over time. Interestingly, clients are also more likely to offer genuine praise when speaking to a neutral third party. Direct praise is subject to cultural norms, with many cultures shying away from being too effusive in a professional setting.

Why Independence Leads to Better Listening

In our coaching, we often use the inquiry vs advocacy model to illustrate the challenge. Professional services advisors typically operate in the Advising quadrant: offering solutions, sharing expertise, and guiding clients. But client listening requires a shift into inquiry: asking open questions, staying curious, and resisting the urge to jump in with answers.

Advocacy Inquiry Model

This shift is especially hard when the listener has a pre-existing relationship with the client. It takes self-awareness, training, and intentional contracting to make it clear that the conversation is about listening, not advising.

Without this clarity, the temptation is strong: ask a question, hear a concern, and immediately respond with a fix or a defence. But this shuts down the conversation and blocks the insight that client listening is designed to uncover.

Is the Senior Partner the Right Person to Listen?

There are undeniable benefits to involving senior leaders in client conversations. It shows clients they matter. It signals commitment. It can even elevate the relationship.

But there are risks too.

Clients may feel the conversation is more formal, more consequential, and therefore less safe. They may hesitate to share minor frustrations, fearing they’ll be taken too seriously or locked into an agenda. They may even decline the meeting altogether.

From the client relationship partner’s perspective, the presence of a senior leader can feel like a performance review. The fear of being judged, or having their client relationship scrutinised, can lead to resistance or defensiveness. The fear of finding out is amplified.

And business development teams, who are often the champions of client listening, can find themselves in a bind. They may recognise that the interview didn’t go deep enough, or that key issues were missed, but they’re seen as too junior to challenge how the conversation was conducted. We’ve seen client listening programmes stall because the senior person leading the conversation didn’t extract meaningful insights, and no one felt empowered to question it.

Without the right feedback, the exercise becomes performative rather than transformative.

Coaching Senior Partners to Listen Well

If you want senior partners to be involved in client listening, and there are good reasons to do so, there are two key options:

1. Coach Them to Listen

Equip them with the skills and mindset needed to listen actively. This includes:

• Understanding the inquiry/advocacy dynamic

• Recognising personal biases and triggers

• Contracting clearly with clients about the purpose of the conversation

• Avoiding the urge to cross-sell or problem-solve mid-meeting

  
  

2. Use Them Strategically

Deploy senior leaders for ambassadorial visits, not listening sessions. These are opportunities for clients to hear insights from the top, share strategic perspectives, and deepen the relationship, but they’re not the best format for gathering feedback.

Whatever route you choose, be transparent with client partners about how feedback will be used. Make it clear that this isn’t about “marking homework”, it’s about learning, improving, and strengthening relationships.

Want to Explore This Further?

If you're a senior partner and you're listening - we can coach you. Whether you're leading client conversations or supporting your team to do so, we’ll help you build the skills and confidence to listen deeply and act meaningfully.

And if you're curious about how to design or evolve your client listening programme, join us at Beyond The Feedback, our upcoming event where we’ll be exploring the future of client listening in professional services. Expect practical insights, real-world examples, and a chance to connect with others who are passionate about listening well.