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Pechakucha! Try it – You’ll like it.

The Closers Group wants your firm to try out a powerful, entertaining way to boost new business from your firm’s attorneys, our PECHAKUCHA! In our keynote presentations and workshops, the first 6 minutes and 40 seconds are dedicated to highlighting 20 cartoons about marketing and business development. And they are combined with the latest observations and tactics to grow new business now.

The world’s first law firm marketing coloring book, THE NEW COLORS OF LAW FIRM MARKETING (on Amazon, etc.) assists in overcoming the ever increasing pressures on attorneys to grow more revenue. Yet, at the same time, many resist efforts by marketing professionals to assist.

This is an entirely new and humorous approach to educate your group on marketing, business development and business generation. AND, you an even color in the book. To learn more about trying Pechakucha, go to CONTACT.

Who Should Talk More, You or the Client? Business Development Myth #4.

New Business Development Myth #4, Client’s want you to do most of the talking! Nothing could be more “untrue.” Keep your resume to yourself and let the potential client do the talking. Adopt the old IBM 60/40 sales training rule — keep them talking 60% of the time and spend the remaining 40% asking good questions based on your pre-meeting research.

Pay attention to the prospect/client’s verbal cues, and refine your pitch accordingly.

Since When Do Attorneys Need to Wait For Marketing? Myth #3

If you have been challenged to bring in new business, why do attorneys need to wait for the Marketing Department? Ultimately, the onus is on the sales team to bring in (and often to keep) the business. Marketing should support those goals with collaterals, media and public relations activities and by identifying seminars and workshops that help facilitate network development.
Once you have the information and sales training, plan a strategy to pursue the business and hone in on your “closing” skills. Maximize your conversion rates!

“Marketing Should Not be Left to the Marketing Department.” – David Packard. His message means that everyone should be marketing, the marketing department, legal assistants, paralegals, accounting AND attorneys. Business development is chasing suspects and prospects, business generation means “closing” the deals.

Myth #2 – One Size Fits All

Business Development myth # 2 is that when it comes to marketing, one size fits all. News flash: one size never fits all. Marketing should be tailored according to personality, needs of the firm and those of the client. One tactic that works for one professional won’t necessarily work for another. Tailored business development, sales training and closing skills will land the new business. Practice, practice, practice.

Top 5 Myths of Business Development

The top 5 myths of business development require you to understand what successful business development is not!

Myth #1. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING ARE INTERCHANGEABLE TERMs
Marketing is about being found, not chosen. How you get found is through publicity – media outreach, networking, collateral materials, conducting and attending workshops — that targets the eyes, ears and interests of your potential clients.

But first you have to locate the target. That is business development. Even more specific is “business generation,” which requires ( dare I write it ) sales training and closing skills.

A Proven “Must” for Business Developers – Engaging Prospects

Recently, we participated n a brainstorming session with a group of attorneys.  The focus was on how to improve selling.  Even though they represented different practice areas, they all agreed on which marketing tactics were most effective..  As a business development advisor, I listed closely to their feedback —  so much so that we recommend expanding your business development training to include their top rated tactics.

Here are their five top tactics for “engagement”:

* Talk with, not at!

* Test your approaches;

* Leave one primary “takeaway”;

* Do not repeat:

* Utilize “active” listening.

Engaging with prospects, and even suspects, enables you to show your your investment with them and is as crucial as your message when it comes to generating new business.  You can learn more about engaging with prospects and increasing sales at http://closersgroup.com/services

CONVERSION MARKETING – A Must Read for Marketing Your Business Online

If you are searching for fresh marketing ideas for your website, take a look at CONVERSION MARKETING.  This book is loaded with suggestions on how to run promotional campaigns which convert visitors into buyers.

The book was written by Bryan Heathman, CEO of Made for Success Publishing, which contains 16 psychological tools of influence that describe how to influence the buying behavior of website visitors.

Bryan brings a colorful perspective from his Fortune 500 marketing experience for technology powerhouse Microsoft and big – brand marketer Eastman Kodak.

Endorsed by NYT best-selling authors Brian Tracy and Don Huston, CONVERSION MARKETING is a must-read and is available at bookstores everywhere including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

ASTONISHING: “CLIENT EXPERIENCE” IS FINALLY LEGITIMATE – What do in-house counsel think?

Client experience is finally legitimate and being given significantly more attention by marketing professionals, according to the Bloomberg Law and LMA 2017 survey.  Entitled “Aligning Marketing Business Development Resources for Law Firm Growth” the results ” , . . .speaks to the need to go deeper in order to understand and serve clients’ unique needs.”

Yet, even though marketing professionals rank CX (Client Experience” as an effective way to differentiate their firms, the survey found that they are not investing in it.  So what is an attorney to do when facing a first meeting, rfp pitch, or building a client relationship without having the CX intelligence?

First…  What are the buyers’ professional values?  What is the perception of you, your firm and your practice group?

  • What kind of commitments does the buyer/client expect you and your firm to make?
  • What are the buyer’s expectations in terms of rate structure?
  • What are the expectations about winning verses settling; completing the deal or letting it go?
  • What are the buyer’s needs arrayed across a broad spectrum of potential legal services?

Second… How many baskets are your eggs in?

News flash:  One size never fits all.  Marketing should be tailored according to personality, needs of the client and those skills of your firm.  One tactic that works for one professional won’t necessarily work for another.  And most importantly, “practiced” business development, sales training and closing skills will land the client.

Third… Why has a competitor bested you?

What do they know about the client or prospect that you don’t?  Track the client’s outside hires.  Is there a pattern?  Simply talk to their in-house lawyers.  Take them to lunch, ask why they hired so-and-so and (diplomatically) is it working out so far?  Be sure to pick up the tab.

By asking and researching these questions yourself, and having the marketing department provide industry and specific business related information for the prospect, you will be taking advantage of the latest, but way overdue method of growing new business — client experience.

To schedule a free 30 minute advisory consultation, go to the contact us page.