Every lawyer gets it—they need to bring in business as part of their role as a lawyer and eventual business owner of the firm. Until someone literally walks them through the steps though, sales can be a mystery to many. Sales...more
It’s really quite simple and yet over and over we continue to hear that of all professional services firms, law firms—specifically the legal professionals, are absolutely the worst at meeting with clients on a regular basis....more
I feel compelled to write this post about the importance of the relationship partner paying attention to the client relationship. In the past twelve months, I’ve worked with six lawyers who have lost clients worth $2...more
Time to take some pressure off the partners. Law firms are woefully behind every other professional services business to hire sales people. A trained sales professional with a successful background will help any firm drive...more
Coaching is becoming a profession within the legal profession. Learning to become a business development coach or to refine your coaching skills to help lawyers reach their full potential for developing business is a great...more
Last week I had a conversation with a group of C-level individuals who are on a committee with me. The discussion turned to lawyers not collaborating as much as they should and as a result, the lack of success with...more
Become a Master Coach with our Certification Program: Coaching is becoming a profession within the legal profession. Learning to become a business development coach or to refine your coaching skills to help lawyers reach...more
A recent interview with the GC of a global insurer reminded me that everyone can influence who gets the next matter. His comment was simply, “Every law firm has ‘team players’ on their web site.” “I remember the kid who used...more
At a recent meeting of about 20 mid-size to large firm managing partners, someone asked, “What do you consider the most important success factors for your firms’ CMOs? I’d like to communicate these to our CMO so she has a...more
“Nothing grows under a banyan tree.” This Indian proverb speaks of leadership styles. The banyan is a great tree. It spreads its branches, drops air-roots, develops secondary trunks and covers the land. A full grown banyan...more
I’ve written about bios before and just yesterday was reminded that they still remain one of the most powerful marketing communications tools one has, and yet often seem to be at the bottom of the heap when it comes to...more
I have great respect for my peers, clients, friends and colleagues in the legal industry. Given most of my focus is on revenue generation, client growth and acquisition which requires elements of my other passion,...more
What does stress have to do with business development? A lot. Building, maintaining and growing a significant practice coupled with billable hour requirements and participating in managing the firm all equal stress. These...more
Building and maintaining relationships is what sales is all about. It’s doubtful any business person would disagree. Further, maintaining relationships with good contacts, prospects and clients requires constant nurturing and...more
Speaking with a client today, I was reminded of one of the most common mistakes lawyers make when it comes to business development. They forget to ask for the business. My client, a young partner with an outstanding book of...more
Millennials, Gen-Xers, Baby Boomers, Silent Generation, etc. Much has been written and I dare say speculated about why things are not working well between the generations. This includes such generic statements such as,...more
I talk with a lot of lawyers. And everyone at one point or another has lost business to a competitor. Sometimes, one never gets the opportunity to compete in the first place. The secret to more wins is to turn an objection...more
Sitting in a client team meeting recently and listening to the lead partner confidently discuss his knowledge of the client and how the team can pursue new opportunities for gaining more client share was another one of the...more
I recently arrived in DC and grabbed a cab to the law firm where I had a meeting. En route, the cab driver asked me where I went to college. I told him and then asked him the same question and he told me he was currently...more
I’m going to start this post off by saying lawyers test the absolute highest of all professionals in skepticism. So it’s no wonder many lawyers have their own thoughts about the effectiveness of their firm bio and more...more
When you are pitching business and you hear “you gave the best presentation….but, we hired the other firm,” what happened? You likely educated the buyer and someone else closed the business. Remember to stay in “sales mode.”...more
When the Mesopotamian King of Gods, Enzil’s tablet was stolen and the young God Ninurta (thought of as powerless) rises to become the new king of gods, it is not without some harm. This story reminds me of the generational...more
I recently asked the Chair Emeritus of a significant firm what his biggest accomplishment was and what his biggest failure was. He reflected and replied, “the biggest failure was to get everyone on board with the...more