Today, more law firms understand that they must be total sales cultures, which by definition involves the total professional population. A house divided - between partners who are required to sell, and non-partners who are not empowered to - may stand for awhile but it cannot grow.
 
For law firms, marketing training is thus a recruitment asset and a retention tool. The key is to ensure that the training is practical - not just promises, but specific action steps lawyers can take to compete and win.
 
Importantly, the training agenda should be bifurcated. Half of it is about getting found; that’s called marketing. The other half is about getting chosen; that’s called sales. The skills are interrelated but different, and senior associates and new partners need to be extremely good at both. Business development tactics, closing skills, and building relationships must be practiced and repeated.
 
This series begins next time with a series of columns on Positioning To Compete, to be followed by a series on Positioning To Win.

(Almost) Invisible Marketing III.
 
This third in a series of Invisible Marketing tactics presents two approaches which are not quite “invisible” but are often overlooked by attorneys. The first is:
 
During speeches, have other firm members in the audience working the crowd.
Make sure you introduce your colleagues from the podium and indicate that they and you are available to answer questions, send featured articles, discuss opportunities, etc. You are there to do more than “educate”, you are also there to “generate.”
 
One of the most frequent mistakes so often observable at dinners, receptions, etc. is that instead of mingling, attorneys from the same firm congregate together.

At parties, dinners, hosted events - do not talk to your own firm’s attorneys.
Recently, I attended a law firm hosted/sponsored workshop at which over 125 clients and potential clients had breakfast and then listened to a 1 hour CLE presentation. Of the 10 firm attorneys present, 9 sat at the same table. By adding their non-billable hours, advertising, promotion, powerpoints, handouts, facility and food cost, etc., $12,500.00 was thrown out the window.
 
Once we reviewed this waste, a new approach has been implemented. Each attorney is now assigned 2 non-clients to meet and greet. Each attorney is assigned to a table. And each attorney is introduced from the podium by their speaker/colleague. And of course, if a client is present, invite them to sit with you. They could become your marketing supporter in talking with non-clients seated at your table.