Measuring Invisible Success
When the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, no one on the other side could argue that they should have won because they gave a really good effort. Because in the end, it’s all about who wins. Despite all the planning, huddling, offensive and defensive tactics you implement, you only win when you close in the Red Zone and start the engagement. However, all the little steps and big ones you’ve made along the way are what I call ‘invisible successes.’ Each victory leads you up the rung and into The Red Zone. Invisible successes, no matter how small, are not to be dismissed. They encourage. They build morale. They motivate. They galvanize.
After your law firm has developed tactics to generate new business and is driving ahead for what is to come, don’t drop the ball. Your business development strategy cannot exist in a vacuum. It must frequently be measured, massaged, managed and modified to remain effective.
Change starts from within. Use your entire organization as a barometer to measure new business generation initiatives.
Staff
Use your staff and your attorneys to gauge their perception of internal and external progress in business development, newly introduced sales and closing techniques, client outreach and the overall marketing campaign.
The Marketing Department
Keep the channel of communication flowing between attorneys and the marketing department. They cannot produce optimal results beached on an island on the opposite end of the building. Expect them to follow up on every significant outreach effort and provide you with frequent updates.
The Organization
Moving aside all bravado, how does your firm measure up against competitors? Bring out the yardstick and start measuring.
Incentives
Rewards for developing new business should be concrete and measurable. By adding up the rewards, you measure progress.
