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WE’RE BACK! WITH “SINGLE-TASK MARKETING”

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Uncategorized.

WE ARE BACK! With “SINGLE-TASK MARKETING” and business-development services not typically available to small- and mid-sized firms

— Identify and Win New Client Acquisition
— Refine and Manage Strategic Business Marketing Plans
— Launch Revenue Breakthroughs
— Accelerate Revenue Leadership
— Build Strategic Marketing Alliances
— Customize Highly Focused Training
— Jumpstart “Team Path” for Client Service Teams

Each “single task” includes profitable tactics to close more new business rapidly.

Our team made a conscious decision to back away from new work in order to understand where our clients’ needs are moving. These needs have shifted dramatically, due primarily to budget constraints. Intern, these have limited marketing and business development departments from adding the skills and experience necessary for specialized tasks needed to grow new revenue.

For a 30-minute complimentary phone consultation on which of these “single tasks” might help your firm grow new revenue, contact Allan directly.

So You Think You Are Communicating?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Uncategorized.

The message we all too often give to clients is that “you are not really communicating” with your staff or clients. Most often the messages are heard but not understood. Or, as General Motors CEO Mary Bara states, the challenge is “head nodders.” Those are people who say yes by nodding their heads and then doing just what they were doing before. So how do you really get things done?

By explaining the “Why” in order to get the “What” accomplished. And then following up with holding folks accountable for implementation, not just letting them drift off into their past format.

Becoming an effective presenter and communicator does take practice. You need to show how to solve problems, help your staff and partners achieve their goals, contribute to their well being and sometimes even entertain.

Develop an inventory of communication approaches for various settings and concerns. Consider what follow up is needed, and by whom, to implement the matters under discussion. Use collateral and social media where appropriate, whether for internal communication in the firm or with clients.

Clients – ahh – an entirely different set of communication parameters are needed. More on that next post.

“Chase Relationships, Not Work!”

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Uncategorized.

“Chase relationships, not work” is a direct quote from a Lendingham Chalmers LLP. attorney. She recognizes that a large percent of new work comes from clients and referrals, some say as much as 50% per year. So build away!

You may ask what are the basic elements of building and keeping a relationship?

* Understand their business;

* Who are their top competitors?

* What new products or services are in development?

*Are there internal pressures your client must overcome?

*Think business value — their value needed.

So beyond knowing a birthday, their kids sports, their favorite vacation spot, build the business relationship with knowledge of their business – it is key to them.  For more, read Own the Zone,  available on our website.

Have You Read the Millennial Dictionary?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Have you read the Millennial Dictionary?  Did you even know one existed?  In order to help you understand and work with them,  here are a few new additions to our vocabulary:

  • Trolls
  • Thirsty
  • Xennials
  • Salty
  • Swerve
  • Sorry, not sorry
  • Bounce
  • Because duh!
  • Yaaas
  • Adulting

For more on millennials in the workplace, contact us.

ASTONISHING: “CLIENT EXPERIENCE” IS FINALLY LEGITIMATE – What do in-house counsel think?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Client Retention, Marketing for Law Firms, Uncategorized.

Client experience is finally legitimate and being given significantly more attention by marketing professionals, according to the Bloomberg Law and LMA 2017 survey.  Entitled “Aligning Marketing Business Development Resources for Law Firm Growth” the results ” , . . .speaks to the need to go deeper in order to understand and serve clients’ unique needs.”

Yet, even though marketing professionals rank CX (Client Experience” as an effective way to differentiate their firms, the survey found that they are not investing in it.  So what is an attorney to do when facing a first meeting, rfp pitch, or building a client relationship without having the CX intelligence?

First…  What are the buyers’ professional values?  What is the perception of you, your firm and your practice group?

  • What kind of commitments does the buyer/client expect you and your firm to make?
  • What are the buyer’s expectations in terms of rate structure?
  • What are the expectations about winning verses settling; completing the deal or letting it go?
  • What are the buyer’s needs arrayed across a broad spectrum of potential legal services?

Second… How many baskets are your eggs in?

News flash:  One size never fits all.  Marketing should be tailored according to personality, needs of the client and those skills of your firm.  One tactic that works for one professional won’t necessarily work for another.  And most importantly, “practiced” business development, sales training and closing skills will land the client.

Third… Why has a competitor bested you?

What do they know about the client or prospect that you don’t?  Track the client’s outside hires.  Is there a pattern?  Simply talk to their in-house lawyers.  Take them to lunch, ask why they hired so-and-so and (diplomatically) is it working out so far?  Be sure to pick up the tab.

By asking and researching these questions yourself, and having the marketing department provide industry and specific business related information for the prospect, you will be taking advantage of the latest, but way overdue method of growing new business — client experience.

To schedule a free 30 minute advisory consultation, go to the contact us page.

Reveal Your Firm’s Under Performing Marketing Assets — Catapult Your Revenues Without Losing a Dime!

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Business Strategy, Managing Partners, Strategic Planning, Uncategorized.

Under performing marketing assets, when identified, are a real drag on your firm’s revenues.  Out of the 25 questions we use to build a successful business plan for clients, what would your responses be to these 7?

  1. Are you making decisions on under performing activities and investments?
  2. Do you complete success/rejection analyses of pitches and proposals?
  3. How are you maximizing the impact of these pitches and proposals?
  4. What success are you having expanding the number of colleagues actively selling and cross marketing?
  5. Can you use single marketing tools to leverage wider exposure and response generation?
  6. Is there a format for building a long-term pipeline of leads and opportunities?
  7. Who is measuring and reporting results  and who pays attention to them?

And what do we mean by saying our advice can advance the discussion of under performing marketing assets without losing a dime?  Simple-  experience shows that by a significant increase in your new revenues, the only cost is our professional fee.  And that is typically returned 4 to 5 times within 6 months.

To schedule a free 30 minute consultation go to 

 

New Way to Educate Lawyers on Marketing

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Marketing, Uncategorized.

Legal Business World’s feature on marketing focused on our new law firm marketing coloring book, The New Colors of Law Firm Marketing.  Calling it “Husterical and fun way to teach lawyers business development,” Editor Allard Winterink featured it as the law firm marketing piece of the month.

Topics included:

* Convert your values to their needs;

* Everyone needs to have the same elevator message;

* ABR – Always build relationships;

* Rainmaking need not start outside the firm;

* Value creates a dynamic optimally suited to “Closing”.

And there is even an opportunity to draw your own cartoon based on comments lawyers have made including “I’m afraid of the process”; “I won’t cross sell”; “I’m not compensated” etc.  Turn to page 45 http://www.legalbusinessworld.nl

Where Does Client Trust Fit in the Business Development Puzzle?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Client trust is perhaps the greatest element in business development. Or to put it another way, why should they buy from you? Although you may be selling the most sophisticated service, your audience may harbor a deep dread of being manipulated.

The solution, then, is to confront that tacit distrust by building client trust as a major focus of your business development efforts. When we work with clients and developing their business generation strategies and tactics, we teach them to build relationships with their prospects. And by understanding their business, and the market place dynamics, (competitors, recruitment, growth strategies, etc.) one will demonstrate the knowledge that converts into client trust.

“Partnering” has become a byword in sales strategies so we should define and pursue that kind of relationship “partnering = trust.” In establishing your client relationships, you have taken pains to assure them that you are fully attuned to how their business operates, including the need for confidentiality, for ethical compliance, for client-specific sensitivities whatever they may be. At the same time you have sent the message that, if anything, they have an obligation to at least consider the latest advances in client services that you offer.

You have thus reversed the burden from worrying about dealing with you to worrying about what might happen if they don”t!

You Won’t See This on WikiLeaks – “Emails Don’t End in Handshakes

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Business Development, Client Retention, Law Firm Marketing, Uncategorized.

British Airways got a real boost from this marketing and business development ad, “Emails Don’t End in Handshakes.” It today’s highly competitive market for professional services, one-way electronic communications do not win new clients nor retain current clients. That is why in our marketing and business development keynotes and seminars, we emphasize the absolute need to build trust through personal relationships.

Just as we teach specific tactics to create partnering relationships, we must realize that there are specific behaviors on our part that can further our relationship with them or destroy it altogether.

As “emails do not end in handshakes” emphasizes, in business development, it is critical to go where your clients go. If your clients, prospects and suspects will be attending an industry or ACC conference, be there to reinforce the relationship. Ask them to be on panels with you or co-author an article. Learn more about the charitable organizations that are important to them. If a prospect is speaking at an upcoming event, attend it even if the subject matter is not in your particular specialty area.

Business development does not occur simply by offering an engagement letter. Closing skills begin with the first contact and involve following up, building the relationship, understanding their business, business brainstorming and offering ideas before ultimately asking for the business. In other words, being face-to-face, even if only occasionally, is how you win and keep clients. Indeed, to grow business, emails do not and will not end in handshakes.

For a complimentary 15 question Rapid Marketing Assessment of your firm or practice area, acolman@closersgroup.com