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When a new client said, “Honestly I don’t know how to begin developing new business,” my response was “So get started already.” As Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
There are simple instructions to help find new clients and close new business. The following seem so elementary yet are often overlooked by even experienced revenue builders.
And ABR: Always Build Relationships. |
Respectful competitors help each other – See Mike O’Horo’s DEZURVE. It solves an important problem for law firms. It eliminates the waste of their business development training/coaching dollars by lawyers who aren’t serious about learning and developing business development skills. They estimate that waste at 80%, which is staggering!!!
Go directly to www.dezurve.com for a 30 second video. It’s a convincer!
ZOMBIES, STAMPEEDING HORSES, & the KING OF PRUSSIA
Business Development Leadership – Part I.
By Allan Colman
Marketing the Law Firm, March, 2016
If you were hoping I would define leadership for you, I can’t. What we will cover includes zombies, stampeding horses and a former King of Prussia and how they fit in with the 6 primary elements of exceptional leadership.
In our book, the Crazy Impact of Leadership, Rick Justus points out that the most often overlooked leadership task is leaving a legacy for the organization – an impact for the future. And he calls it “crazy” because most leadership programs and texts forget this key contribution of a real leader. In fact, Steve Jobs described his goal, when Apple began, as building “insane new products.”
Now why can’t I define leadership for you? I keep going to the well looking for a definition from the experts and here’s what I’ve found.
It sounded great until the blog page ended with a large advertisement:
“POTTY TRAIN YOUR DOG IN 6 DAYS.” – I won’t give you the author’s name.
“MAKE IT A STRONG HAPPY TEAM”
Another called for “Freedom Based Leadership”. Reading the definition makes it sound like herding cats.
Is it any wonder I can’t define leadership? But I can relate to you the components of exceptional leadership and how to leave your own Crazy Impact. Through my work as a chief executive, speaker and advisor to managing partners, agency administrators, etc., here are the 6 skills that are each crucially linked in order to make an impact. They are:
AND
The analogy most fitting is that of an orchestra leader. “To be successful they must turn their backs on the audience.” (James Crook) Think about attending a symphony orchestra performance, the experience of bringing a diverse group of instruments together. Such a performance can serve as a reminder of how amazing things can result when various elements work together for one outcome.
But there is something bigger than you can take from the experience – an understanding of the importance of a strong leader. Consider this, while an orchestra’s conductor does not play an instrument, she or he is arguably the most important member of the symphony. After all, the conductor is responsible for ensuring that each player knows his or her part and for delivering a polished presentation to the audience.
Some professionals feel out of tune in their efforts to make decisions and have them implemented. It is crucial to remember, however, that leadership is an highly focused activity that must be internally orchestrated.
You must decide which advice to take, determine which of the available tools and strategies will work, assign implementation tasks, hold people accountable, weigh the risks, and consider the impact on a future legacy. These are the exceptional leadership tasks future posts will cover in detail.
But not to leave you guessing, Tom Ziglar refers to employees as “Zombies.” We will put them all in context next time.
Allan Colman, Managing Partner of the Closers Group, is a speaker, author, business strategist and leadership advisor. Reach him at www.closersgroup.com//acolman@closersgroup.com
Read on to see the number 1 reason attorneys won’t market —
5. I don’t know anyone who knows anyone!
4. I’m not compensated for marketing!
3. I won’t cross- sell!
2. I’m afraid of the process;
1. I’m in law, not sales!
Break through the noise of social media. Make your marketing visible. Tell your authentic story. Yes, sounds great, but how?
In a cluttered market, where newsletters are served by the pound and blog posts all look the same, how can you stand out, get your message across and close new business? If you’re seeing the next chapter of the book and are intent on rising to the top, think “video.”
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been testing our 1 minute content videos to share some of our business development techniques with you. The result? We have shared compelling, accessible, visible ideas to a growing audience. This approach is generating leads, driving more engagement with viewers and creating eye-to-eye with prospects and clients.
Our production process was really simple:
Using video to communicate your value and brand, you will move to top-of-mind and outperform your competition, and meet one of the most effective marketing strategies –
Show ‘em who you are and tell ‘em what you bring to the table.
There’s no such thing as a cold call in law firm marketing. In fact, you never have to make a so-called cold call. The resistance some professionals have to business development isn’t unlike the distaste for wintery weather conditions – and a lot of it stems from a distaste for making these cold calls. The term implies a lak of control over the turns of the conversation, hint at feeling stuck – as though there are no other options for attracting new clients. They may even fill one with a sense of dread over the fear of icy responses from the individuals they have called.
We use a group of simple tactics to identify previously unknown prospects so that a much “warmer” approach can be taken.
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If you would like to schedule a time to speak with Closers Group, please complete the information below.
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[/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][rs_space height=”16px”]How can you increase new business and identify new suspects rapidly?Go where they go; Know who they know; Read what they read!!!
This marketing cliche should be the mantra for every firm leader.
Focus on ensuring marketing and closing skills begin with the first contact and involve following up, building the relationship, understanding the prospect’s business,
brainstorming, and offering ideas before asking for the business.
Make sure your marketing teams practice these skills to close more business by starting to meet more suspects and prospects.
Three tactics to utilize include;
1. Is the firm’s leadership focusing on developing the right strategies and cultivating teamwork to grow new business?
2. What are these strategies and teamwork- building approaches?
3. Who are the companies and agencies you should be targeting now?
At the Closers Group, we help law firms close more new business rapidly using a variety of business development tactics just like these.[rs_space height=”16px”]
Only 3 Sources of New Business
Rainmaking Does Not Start Outside
27% Have Been Terminated by In House Counsel
It Is Not Enough to Win[rs_space height=”16px”]
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If you would like to schedule a time to speak with Closers Group, please complete the information below.
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[/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][rs_space height=”16px”]It is not enough to win.In order to get future work it is critical to continue building the relationship. Start by offering to share trial tactics with your client’s in house law department, co-author an article within her industry publications, or invite the teams to a celebratory dinner after the win, settling a strike, or successfully completing the new merger.
Do you get the message here – it is not enough to win.
Look for ways to help your clients. Your clients expect you to be ahead of the curve.
Consider using these 3 approaches:
At the Closers Group, we help law firms close more new business rapidly using a variety of BUSINESS GENERATING TACTICS, just like these.
[rs_space height=”16px”]
Only 3 Sources of New Business
Rainmaking Does Not Start Outside
27% Have Been Terminated by In House Counsel
It Is Not Enough to Win[rs_space height=”16px”]
[vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0LWFsaWduJTNBY2VudGVyJTIyJTNFJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI4NTMlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjI0ODAlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGdjZXcWNQTnk4cjAlM0ZyZWwlM0QwJTI2bW9kZXN0YnJhbmRpbmclM0QxJTI2YXV0b2hpZGUlM0QxJTI2c2hvd2luZm8lM0QwJTI2Y29udHJvbHMlM0QwJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_row fluid=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner]
If you would like to schedule a time to speak with Closers Group, please complete the information below.
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[/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][rs_space height=”16px”]In our recent survey with in-house counsel and law firm attorneys in both the U.S. and Canada, in-House Counsel have terminated 27% of their long term relationships due to poor communication or the absence of communication! This stunning result was actually not a surprise to us.It’s no wonder business executives and legal departments are shaking things up.
If you haven’t already done so, transform your business culture, erase artificial boundaries between sales (yes “sales”) and service. Understand the bottom -line benefit of speaking directly and honestly to client needs. Build internal succession plans for each client. Attend their industry conferences and read their journals.
But most importantly, insure that clients receive top legal skills assistance and then show them where it has helped.
If you are wondering where to start, these 3 questions will help:
At the Closers Group, we help law firms close more new business rapidly using a variety of BUSINESS GENERATING TACTICS, just like these.[rs_space height=”16px”]
Only 3 Sources of New Business
Rainmaking Does Not Start Outside
27% Have Been Terminated by In House Counsel
[rs_space height=”16px”]
[vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0LWFsaWduJTNBY2VudGVyJTIyJTNFJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI4NTMlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjI0ODAlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGOXdQNENwMXlxMmslM0ZyZWwlM0QwJTI2bW9kZXN0YnJhbmRpbmclM0QxJTI2YXV0b2hpZGUlM0QxJTI2c2hvd2luZm8lM0QwJTI2Y29udHJvbHMlM0QwJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_row fluid=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner]
If you would like to schedule a time to speak with Closers Group, please complete the information below.
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[/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][rs_space height=”16px”]Did you know that rainmaking does not start outside? It begins under your own roof.Take advantage of your firm’s business development training and other professional development themes, such as client retention and client management.
Join business development groups in the firm that are actively reviewing attorney marketing successes and failures in formal postmortem meetings. Create your own action program, not a “plan” that will sit on a shelf. Evaluate different ways to build client relationships, select one and work on it. Always have questions ready to ask. Determine what tactics legal assistants, librarians and your marketing staff can do to help with your business development efforts.
Start with these 3 important questions:
At the Closers Group, we help law firms close more new business rapidly using a variety of BUSINESS GENERATING TACTICS, just like these.
[rs_space height=”16px”]
Only 3 Sources of New Business
Rainmaking Does Not Start Outside
27% Have Been Terminated by In House Counsel
[rs_space height=”16px”]