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5 More Quotes on Why Attorneys Won't Do Business Development

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Marketing, Managing Partners, Marketing for Law Firms, Marketing Partners, Practice Group Leaders.

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???

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Marketing, Law Firms, Marketing for Law Firms, Marketing Partners.

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 Else Did Those 34 Attorneys Say About Business Development?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms, Marketing Partners.

What Else Did Those 34 Attorneys Say About Business Development?

Since so many readers tuned in to the first 5 surprising comments on why they don’t need to develop new business, let’s look at the next 5.

6. Our practice group and office have no business development budget. – Hah!

7. What do we do with our up and coming attorneys, the future of our firm? – Get out of their way!

8. We get everything we need from the marketing department. – And how many new engagements have they brought in for you/

9. I can never get time from the marketing department. – Then go where prospects go, read what prospects read, and get to know who prospects know.

10. Our proposal format is out of date. – So get off your seat and update it.

And the next 5 are real “eye-openers” for management.

Did 34 Attorneys Really Say That About Business Development?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

Did 34 Attorneys Really Say That About Business Development?

Approaching the first workshop with a new client is always a challenge. For us, the obstacles we encounter in these first meetings are based on many of these following real quotes from lawyers in our strategic business development groups. Fortunately, the ultimate successes outweigh the initial skepticism.

In this series of posts, how would you respond?

1. “We have no pipeline and no one seems to be concerned.”

2. “Just lost my largest client and I haven’t marketed in years.”

3. “We have great attorneys — clients should be calling us.”

4. “We won a great victory for a client. But it’s been 6 months and she hasn’t called us.”

5. “We always miss the major new litigation.”

Wait until you see the next 5!

Business Development Means "Keep the End in Mind"

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

This is the second and last commentary on clarifying the differences between marketing and business development.

Marketing supports the possible. Business development targets, pursues and closes prospect targets. A traditional law firm marketing department is designed to assist in keeping its firm’s image and reputation in the corporate eye, provide support for outreach and RFP responses, conduct intelligence-gathering, create media profiles, etc.

The really good firms are fortunate to have some of their staff with longer-range “marketer” capabilities; that is taking a view of the desired end result, landing new work and incorporating these goals in their support.

Business development, if properly implemented and managed, should focus on, and take advantage of,client targets already on the minds and lists of the firm’s professionals and partners. Financial and management consulting firms remain salutary models for law firms as historically they have been much more focused on specific deliverables and closings.

They take to hear the axiom, “Always keep the end in mind.”

Do You Really Know What "Business Development" Means?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

This is the first of a 2- part post designed to clarify the differences between “marketing” and “business development.” As the term “business development” finds its way into common discussions, we find it means all things to all people. It has created great confusion as firms look to expand their client bases, grow per-client revenue, cross market more practice areas and take a larger piece of a pie that many in-house legal departments are trying to shrink.

However, with the pressures on our marketing professionals to produce collateral materials, update websites, plan and staff seminars and conferences, provide public relations to and with the media, etc., all to often the MARKETING PLAN (spoken with great reverence) sits on a shelf. If spoken of at all, it is usually at the annual partners meeting.

If an enlightened leadership wants to update the “M” plan, or (perish the thought) develop a real business development strategy, the details, time, cost and staff input is money often misspent. Stratagems abound but too few provide visible, measurable results.

Part II next time will deal with KEEPING THE END IN MIND.

DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT VOCABULARY?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

In our very first workshops with new clients, we provide the meanings of and examples of each of the following key business development keys. Master the vocabulary and you will master business development.
Send me a email if you need a definition.

1. Closing Quartet
2. Permission Marketing
3. Invisible Marketing
4. Economic/User Buyers
5. Force Multiplier
6. Opportunity Mind-set
7. “Touches”
8. Current % of “buyers.”
9. % of business from clients and referrals.

Add more and let me know.

Are You Winning More or Losing More New Business?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Business Development, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

In our work with clients, we find they often do not take the time to evaluate what works and what doesn’t work in their prospecting, pitch and proposal meetings. Take time to consider the following:

1. Is your proposal/presentation materials format fresh and updated?
2. Have you tested different conversion approaches?
3. How carefully, and updated are the actual “talking points” and “pain points” the client is worried about?
4. Do you and your teams practice the meeting pitches prior to and conduct a post mortem after a meeting?
5. Are you sending the right team composition to the prospecting meetings?

Additional questions will follow in our next blog.

Go to our services page at www.closersgroup.com for more details.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BEST PRACTICES, II.

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms, Marketing Partners, Practice Group Leaders.

As discussed in the previous blog, pro-active organization and accountability are keys to converting your best practices into new business. Following are 4 additional tasks that complete the first steps you need to take.

5. Populate the business development program with targeting and pursuit efforts by specific practice group, sub-groups, offices, individuals — one step at a time, at first, and finally, wherever there are lawyers who really want to be engaged.

6. Assure that business development training sessions are practical, not theoretical.

7. Keep the firm ahead of economic and industry trends and build this knowledge into every client contact.

8. Make decisions on under-performing activities by either abandoning them or improving your approach in each case.

Remember, the best way to land a target is to act and pursue. If you miss, you learn. Then try again.

Do Not Stop at "NO"

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing for Law Firms.

Even if a proposal for new business has been rejected, continue the pursuit with the same prospect or client. MAXIMIZING REJECTION is a concept that recognizes the potential customer has a lot invested in you by the nature of the time and study they put in during the selection process.

Stay in touch; send them updates; ask them to be on conference panels with you; remind them how much you can contribute to their business.

Keep yourself in that “CLOSING ZONE,” creating more scoring opportunities for the future.
This is the 14th step in Chapter 1 of www.ownthezonebook.com.