10 Reasons to Hire Allan Colman
In a recent article on the PRLOG, it listed the top ten reasons to hire Allan.
#10. Allan Builds Future Leaders
#9. He teaches tactics, not theory.
For the remaining top 10, go to www.prlog.org/12463692
Our Office Has Great Attorneys But Our Revenue Is Flat.
PROBLEM: Our firm has great attorneys but our revenue is flat.
RESPONSE: Organize and attack. Indoctrinate the lawyers in a basic Business Development truism: that clients and prospects don’t care about how great the attorneys are. They assume that to be the case. They care about what those great attorneys can do for them.
RESULT: The effect of such and enhanced client service mentality will — not only unearth new prospects — but develop mew business from existing clients.
The Final 4 – What Those 34 Attorneys Really Said About Marketing
The Final 4 – What Those 34 Attorneys Really Said About Marketing
Just as the NCAA finals are tonight, and a winner will be declared, so too are we presenting the final 4 reasons attorneys have given us for not marketing. If you want the entire 34, go to www.closersgroup.com/blog.
31. There is no firm support or encouragement for me to write articles or give speeches. — So get off your seat and write and speak yourself. Publications and organizations are always looking for content. Just ask.
32. We don’t do well in competitive pitches. — Ever done post mortems? Ever practiced before pitching? Ever ask the prospect what you could have done better? Ever looked at your pitch from the client’s perspective?
33. I don’t have time to learn about my future client’s businesses, products, long range plans, etc. — Then don’t expect to keep that client.
34. Here’s my favorite reason for not marketing — “Help!” – At least this attorney was being honest and my job is to identify what can be done internally and how we can help as well.
If you have heard other comments on why they won’t or don’t market, please let me know. I’ll add them into our new workshop.
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5 More Quotes on Why Attorneys Won't Do Business Development
5 More Quotes on Why Attorneys Won’t Do Business Development
In the last 4 posts, we’ve listed 20 quotes from lawyers on why they won’t, don’t, or can’t develop new business. The next 5 don’t get any better.
21. Honestly, I don’t know how to begin. — this lawyer had been practicing for 10 years; do I need to say more?
22. I failed on one proposal before; why try again. — What a future this one has!
23. I can’t do it but I’ll hire someone. — A few firms have had success adding professional business sales executives.
24. If I can’t figure out what my current client needs, how can I sell her more work? — change professions.
25. There’s no time to send an article to my clients. — One of the major problems we find in our business development coaching and advising programs, is that all-too many attorneys do not have or do not update a contact list. It can become the easiest way in the world to stay in touch 3-4 times a year with clients, prospects, contacts and colleagues. Once in place, it takes literally 5 minutes to send.
We’re getting closer to the 34th excuse for not marketing. Anyone want to guess what it is?
Those 34 Attorneys Are Still Bad-Mouthing Marketing???
Those 34 Attorneys Are Still Bad-Mouthing Marketing???
If you have been following this series of actual quotes we’ve heard from attorneys on why they don’t market, meaning they don’t bring in new business, have you heard the following excuses before?
16. I won’t cross sell because that other partner might mess up my client.–If you are not building trust with your partners, you are certainly not building trust with your clients.
17. Why don’t we do client service interviews? — Great question to ask firm management.
18. With so many companies cutting back on the number of law firms they use, why bother marketing? — They are still going to use someone, why not you?
19. Our compensation plan does not reward me for bringing in new business. The billing partner get’s all the credit. — Many firms share origination credit with someone who is really out courting new business and will become a future billing partner. So work it!
20. I can’t handle all of the work I now have. — Management experts indicate that each one of us should spend at least 4-5 hours per month working “on” our business, not “in” our business. This person probably has a sign on their desk saying “An empty desk is the sign of an empty mind.”
To see cartoons with many of these quotes, go to www.ownthezonebook.com
What's Going On In Your Firm? – II.
Additional questions we ask during our Strategic Business Development Planning to enhance and refine a firm’s business development successes include:
5. Is anyone actively using your CRM system?
6. Can your firm’s business development structure be strengthened to have a greater impact in generating new business growth?
7. Have you clearly identified firm-wide regional needs and cultures?
8. Do you celebrate “new client acquisition” in addition to client wins?
9. What are the internal obstacles to building consensus and active attorney participation in getting face-to-face with prospects and renewing client relationships?
Your firm’s management committee, marketing committee, practice group leaders and Partners-in-Charge of offices need to carefully consider all 9 questions if they truly want to grow business.
Business Development Best Practices
We urge clients to adapt a special set of best practices when focusing on ways to measure business development success. Some of these might surprise you but are essential to new revenue growth.
1. Designate partner-leaders for each client target. This is not the usual industry focus, or practice area niche. Rather, it means a senior partner must take the lead for each new designated target.
2. Part of the job is to establish timelines for each step leading to a final close of new business. The partner-leader must designate someone to hold each attorney and marketing professional accountable for the actions they are assigned.
3. Provide the environment to encourage greater strategy debates before investing in responses to RFP’s, or even in pursuing new contacts. A “go/no go” decision making session is a must.
4. Constantly review the failed business development efforts in formal post-mortem meetings. This discussion could be part of a “go/no go” debate. And make sure out of these sessions, you codify the steps that do lead to successful new business acquisition.
In our next column, we’ll add 4 more best practices to challenge and energize your efforts.
3 Final Steps to Re-Energize Your Firm's Business Development
While there are many ways to revitalize your firm’s business development efforts, the last several blogs have covered 11 of those that we find are most insightful. Add these final 3 and you will be well on your way to a more productive, value based business development strategy for your firm. It’s what we do best in working with clients. The final 3 are:
12. Make sure you have strong links to future industry and practice group trends.
13. Continue ongoing testing and evaluation of what works what can be improved, and what should be discarded.
14. By this time, you are ready for Phase II = a powerful Strategic Business Development Action Plan.
Re-Energize Your Firm's Business Development — II.
This is the second of several blogs, looking inside your firm to identify the hidden assets and underutilized skills to grow more business. Working with you we also view:
5. Social media, advertising, public relations combinations and where to maximize the impact;
6. Proposals (not rfp’s) and how they are prepared and presented to prospects and clients;
7. Following up, or conducting “post mortems” after each meeting, speech, published article, e-alerts, etc. Make sure they are working for you, growing your reputation and profile;
8. In relation to the above 3 elements of review, is your firm’s research capability, assistance and priorities being coordinated with the overall business development targets?
Remember, in working with us, we always start by looking inside. You should too. Next column will cover 4 more components to re-energizing your business development successes.
Re-energize Your Firm's Business Development
When evaluating where and how a firm can grow more business, we always start by looking inside. What are the firm’s current resources, hidden resources and under-performing assets? The next several blogs will present the areas we examine and you should be evaluating also.
1. Forecasting, especially estimating what an increase in cross-marketing and selling would yield.
2. Assessing (honestly and openly) your brand’s impact. Does it need refreshing, refocusing, etc.?
3. Considering your marketing tactics by industry, practice area, geographic market.
4. Supporting the new-engagement-generation efforts of those actively prospecting.
5.