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90% of Marketing is “Half” Mental

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Allan Colman, Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Content Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization, Email Marketing, Law Firm Leadership, Leadership, Managing Partners, Marketing for Law Firms, Marketing Partners, Practice Group Leaders.

Yogi Berra’s famous quote, in it’s modified use, addresses the most important aspect of marketing and accelerating new business development. Ultimately it is the attorneys and paralegals that will drive law firm business development into the “accelerator zone.” For management, understanding how to support and drive their people by using our “one page strategic plan” becomes the road to success. Psychologist Bruce Tuckman observed a 4 phase path that teams need to follow on their way to high performance and accelerating new business — “forming, storming, norming and performing.”

Today’s column deals with the “forming” stage, where team members are positive and polite. Some are anxious as they do not fully understand what work they will be doing. As the leader, you play a dominant role at this stage, because roles and responsibilities are not clear. Be aware that this stage can last for some time, as people begin working together and make an effort to get to know their colleagues. The so-called attorney “silo” operational set is still all to present and prevents early acknowledgement of entering the “accelerator zone.”

Next column will cover “storming.”

Don’t Make Flying Pigs From Law Firm Rainmakers

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Content Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization, Email Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing Partners, Strategic Planning.

It is stunning how many lawyers treat all leads alike, and market to the wrong prospects. Another major leadership mistake is asking law firm rainmakers to get out and prospect, which is analogous to “teaching pigs how to fly.” It would be far better to determine where each attorney needs the most business development help.

36ixty asks:
* Are they comfortable building rapport with new prospects?
* Do they know how to qualify the buyer/user?
* Will they build real value for clients?
* Can they create the desire to buy?
* How do they overcome objections?
* Do they close?

Use these questions and marketing training tools to bring along the next generation of law firm rainmakers.

Are There Really “Magic Pills” for New Business Development?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Content Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing Partners, Online Marketing.

ACCELERATE NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NOW
Chapter 2

Are there really “magic pills” for new business development?

Following our last post, on what happens to your new business development efforts when you are not in the “accelerator zone,” one wonders why isn’t everyone in business living in an “accelerator zone”? We find in our work that a primary reason is that most people don’t know what ingredients are necessary for leaders to new business development success. 36ixty Inc. cites 12 Essential Practices that lead to new business growth. They are branding, leadership, strategy, communication, team, value creation, core story, marketing, sales, customer experience, revenue and systems to manage all of these.

These 12 are not an end-all, cure-all or a series of magic pills. What they are equates to actual implementation of a business plan. They are especially applicable to firms and companies which are too often managed by consensus or collegiality. Practicing these 12 will lead to more clarity, focus and execution in new business development.

Our next chapter will address Business Development “Impact Areas”.

What Do Your Prospects Need? – Accelerating New Business Now.

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

Prior to meeting with new business prospects, we urge clients to prepare a needs analysis. You can’t help a client until you know what they need. Rainmakers diagnose a prospect’s problem by asking questions and listening closely to the answers.

To conduct a proper needs analysis, you must know the questions you will ask. And you need to ask these questions in a logical order. Keep track of the questions asked. And at the same time, take notes on the prospect’s answers. Questions, answers, tangents new areas of investigation must all be juggled.

Questions to Include in Your Needs Analysis

Ask and answer the following questions before the first meeting.

  • What are their goals?
  • What are their challenges?
  • What solutions have they tried?
  • What is the problem costing them?
  • What are the consequences if the problem continues?
  • What is their timetable?
  • What is their budget?
  • Who else are they talking to?
  • Who, in addition to the person you are meeting with, will be involved in the decision making?
  • What are your concerns?

 

 

Branding: “If You Chase 2 Rabbits, You Will Not Catch Either One”

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

Branding is the first of 12 Essential Practices (36ixty) we use to help companies accelerate revenue. It combines your purpose, vision, mission and values all into a strategy and implementation tactics. This becomes your brand.

3 Initial Steps to Branding

In my role as a Senior Business Accelerator Advisor with 36ixty, we find 3 steps to help clients become the best at one thing. This is critical in building the recognition coming from a brand.

Step #1 – M

Get your message right. Clarity addresses questions such as why do we exist? Who are we serving? How do we behave? What values will we adhere to? What is it that we actually do?

Step #2 – A

Leverage the appropriate amplifiers. Once you get the message right, this is where you use all the marketing tools available, from social media, to press releases, to advertising, to collateral, to speeches, etc.

Step #3 – P

Persevere. Over time you need to be seen as credible, expert and a master.

 

There is a Russian proverb which clarifies this approach, “If you chase 2 rabbits, you will not catch either one.”

 

Essential Branding Questions

Answering the following questions will help get you your brand:

  • What do you do when providing your product or service that is different than what everyone else does?
  • Why do your clients/customers return to you and your product/services?
  • When people refer business to you, what do they tell others about you? (Ask if you don’t know)
  • What skills to you have that people find interesting and helpful?

 

As the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos said, “Your brand is what stays in a room after you leave the room.”

 

Are Managing Partners Really “Leaders”? (Part 1 of 2)

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Allan Colman, Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Leadership, Leadership, Managing Partners, Marketing Partners, Practice Group Leaders. 1 Comment on Are Managing Partners Really “Leaders”? (Part 1 of 2)

Based on an article in ABA’s LAW PRACTICE TODAY, (Dec. 14, 2015) moderated by Nicholas Gaffney, a member of the Law Practice Today editorial board and a veteran public relations practitioner. He asked 6 “legal field veterans” their perspectives on the multi-faceted nature of law firm leaders. My responses to his questions follow.

HOW DO THESE INDIVIDUALS BECOME BETTER LEADERS IN THEIR FIRMS?

A “respected” law firm leader needs three skills: the ability to listen, the readiness to make decisions; and — one that is most often missing — holding people accountable for implementing the decisions. In addition, thinking about what their legacy will be for the firm must be clear, concise and often courageous.

ARE DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES NECESSARY FOR DIFFERENT-SIZE FIRMS? WHAT ABOUT IN DIFFERENT PRACTICE AREAS?

Heading a practice area is often a non-position. All too many firms designate someone to lead a group, provide no support or direction, and expect results. But for those who actively work to improve the services provided by the practice group, and work at cross marketing with other specialties, the results can be powerful.

More questions and answers in the next post.

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What To Do With Erratic Marketing Performance

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

If your practice groups or offices have inconsistent or erratic performance in developing new business, “light a fire” under them. Start with a few insightful questions that should get them moving.

  • Is there a contact and follow-up system being used by all?
  • Are they using the firm brand and core messaging? Does the firm even have them?
  • Are pitch performances practiced or inconsistent? Are they being reviewed and updated?
  • When is the last time their proposal format and content was updated?
  • Are they multiplying or repurposing the use of presentations, articles, PowerPoints, social media?
  • And do they really know what your competitors are doing?

 

Improving Business Development Performance

Business development performance is simple to evaluate and improve. Questions like these get the ball rolling and will help in getting them “out there face-to-face.”

 

For 2016 – Business Development "Gut Check"

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Law Firm Marketing, Marketing Partners, Practice Group Leaders.

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Successful Performing Assets

As we move closer to 2016, your first quarter action program needs to be in place. By taking the last few “Business Development Gut Check” Posts, and adding the following question to the list, your answers should be incorporated into action:

Are successful performing assets being readied for redeployment?

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Business Development “Gut Check”

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

Is Your Business Development Suffering?

Thomson Reuters Legal Solutions Blog
November 6, 2015

For law firms struggling with growing new business, there is a learning curve marketing leaders (both attorneys and professionals) need to lead. It is not magic at all. Rather, experience shows that a group of common problems lead to a lack of new business growth. Your answers to the following dilemmas will guide you to more revenue, more clients and more open doors.

  • Are the number of new engagements per client dropping?
  • How many long-term clients are no longer using your firm?
  • Is there an absence of cross marketing?
  • Do you have “underutilized assets” such as internal marketing, sharing of published articles and speeches with all attorneys?

Identifying Business Development Opportunities

This post will add a new dilemma daily to provide a comprehensive list of questions that will certainly help you identify and solve business growth obstacles and opportunities.