Looking for true client intelligence? Consider retiring your generic CRM.
Easy access to accurate, real-time client intelligence powered by advanced AI is a key competitive advantage for law firms — especially during times of market volatility. However, some firms continue to rely on generic legacy CRM systems that can’t deliver the data-driven insights needed to uncover new opportunities, deliver exceptional client experiences, and build contract-winning relationships.
To avoid losing business and market share to competitors that are embracing modern technology, firms using legacy CRMs need to transition to AI-powered, cloud-based platforms that are built to meet their unique needs. These platforms help legal firms leverage holistic, real-time insights based on collective firm intelligence to elevate client relationship management, deliver data-driven campaigns, and accelerate business growth.
Here are five ways your firm can benefit from these purpose-built client intelligence systems.
1. Centralize knowledge through automatic data capture
Busy senior professionals don’t always have time to manually update records or files within their traditional CRMs — resulting in outdated and incomplete client data.
AI-powered client intelligence systems solve this challenge by automatically capturing key information from Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace emails, calendars, and meeting transcripts. These systems then use this captured data to update the system’s central database — without any human intervention.
In addition to saving professionals valuable time, this minimizes data entry errors and supports smarter decision-making by ensuring your professionals always have the most complete and current client data.
2. Improve decision-making by integrating data in a single platform
It’s difficult to make critical decisions quickly or effectively when you have to switch between multiple applications to gather data on specific clients or companies. Fortunately, there’s a better way.
Purpose-built client intelligence solutions eliminate app-switching by consolidating internal and external data within a centralized platform. With solutions like Intapp DealCloud, integrations with trusted third-party data providers like Equilar, Dun & Bradstreet, and S&P Global Market Intelligence enable your company and contact records to be enriched automatically with additional, relevant information. This helps your professionals make more informed decisions by letting them access an accurate picture of all their deals and relationships from one location.
This accessibility to data is a major reason leading firms like Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, an Am Law 200 firm, are transitioning from traditional horizontal CRMs to industry-specific solutions. As Laura Saklad, former COO of Orrick, explains: “We want to harness the data that we have within our law firm and all these systems to make better decisions more quickly. We also want to push information out to the lawyers in a way that is synthesized, easily digestible, and doesn’t involve 100 hours of manual labor to get it done.”
3. Give professionals the insights they need, when they need them
The best client intelligence systems use AI to generate dashboards that are tailored to different user roles and needs. For example, with DealCloud, partners can quickly prepare for meetings by viewing AI-powered dashboards that surface the most critical information for a client or prospect. If that client has previously worked with another partner or in a different area of practice, all contact information for that previous engagement would be available in DealCloud.
AI-powered systems that offer low- or no-code configuration provide an even higher level of personalization by allowing firms to build custom dashboards and reports without any coding. They also help users quickly answer questions by allowing them to easily pivot between customized data views of their firm’s intelligence.
4. Improve marketing campaign management
Accelerate your business development and outreach capabilities with marketing campaign tools built into DealCloud. Easily plan and manage your campaigns through integrated marketing automation tools, and target specific clients or sectors of your business based on your data.
For example, you can use DealCloud to send out event invitations for clients in the New York City area, or to send a nurture campaign to clients in the manufacturing sector.
Customize that content to fit the profile of each client with generative AI that helps create custom email content for different recipients. Once a campaign is live, built-in reporting and analytics tools measure the success of your campaigns and track client engagement all in one place. When all your data is centralized on one platform, it becomes easier to manage your marketing campaigns across your firm and drive business growth.
5. Enable partners with the intelligence they need – wherever they’re working
To get the most from a client intelligence system, users must be able to access it inside and outside the office. Modern, AI-powered platforms deliver critical client insights, relationship updates, and market intelligence directly to mobile devices so professionals don’t miss a beat when they’re on the go.
For example, with the DealCloud mobile app, professionals can prepare for meetings on the fly, respond quickly to urgent client needs, and make informed decisions without being tethered to their desks. Synchronization between mobile and desktop interfaces lets them view contact data, read AI-generated meeting summaries, and nurture their networks from anywhere.
“We love the idea of having information about clients that can be pushed out for lawyers who are your road warriors,” Saklad says. “When going to a client meeting, they can easily access critical information from their phones about who else in the firm is talking to these clients, or what major events have happened. The ability to put all of that in one place helps them prepare to have a much more holistic conversation.”
Give your firm the advantages it needs
In today’s competitive markets, effectively meeting client needs and accelerating business growth requires the right information at exactly the right time. With DealCloud, a partner in corporate law can easily connect a client to a partner in tax law to help win more business across areas of practice.
Retiring your generic CRM may seem like a big undertaking, but with our DealCloud legal blueprint, your firm can be up and running in as little as 2–3 weeks. Moving to a modern, AI-powered relationship intelligence system like Intapp DealCloud that’s built to meet the needs of professional services firms is the key to staying a step ahead of your competitors. DealCloud provides you with the centralized, real-time relationship insights, automation, and powerful tools you need to achieve success no matter what the future holds.
Schedule a demo today to see why 2,650+ firms rely on DealCloud.