Managing Property Clients Properly

The Journey to Client Excellence of Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle is one of the largest providers of commercial real estate and investment management services in the world. In 1997, the company realised that it needed to introduce a more structured client management approach, based on internal and external best practice, which harnessed, managed and measured the way it served its international clients across Europe.

As a way of addressing this challenge it established the European Client Relationship Management (ECRM) programme. ECRM followed a deliberate path that carefully selected those clients suitable for pan-European management and developed specific client strategies for improving service delivery with them.

It also drew together cross-functional and international thinking to ensure the full capabilities of the organization were harnessed.

Along the way it has had to ride the turbulence created by a merger, changing from a partnership culture to a publicly quoted company, changes in key project personnel, and the on-going harmonisation between European and American businesses. It has left behind a practical set of tools and processes for on-going professional client management which have become a critical backbone to global integration and enhanced performance. This is a lesson in how a small team of dedicated professionals can ride the waves of change and deliver an outstanding, lasting solution.

Published in The Journal of Selling & Major Account Management, Volume 3, No. 3, Spring 2001