Everyone is in sales!

Everyone is in sales!

It is the responsibility of client-relationship leaders to ensure that everyone in their groups build relationships with their peers at clients’ and in professional organizations. Effective firm leadership would ensure that senior staff and professionals are identifying who would replace their clients if they left their positions or if the company was acquired. Invite them to be on a conference panel with you. Ask about co-authoring an article which would appear in their industry journal.

Insure that firm business development efforts include associates and that they are provided with training. Lack of training is one of the primary reasons attorneys lateral to new firms. So ask these questions; Does your firm’s professional development program include on-going business development training? Are you holding the firm’s senior management accountable for client succession planning?