Lawyers are undoubtedly great at talking. Listening is the challenge – and an important one at that.

“A good listener is a silent flatterer.” – Proverb

When it comes to making clients happy, listening to them and letting them know they’re being heard it critical. Companies want lawyers that are good communicators and are easy to talk to. Flatter them—and improve your client service skills– by listening to what they have to say.


Are you doing the right amount of listening? If you’re not sure, consider following the 60:40 rule, where the client speaks 60% of the time and you speak 40% of the time. This means you need to use that 40% very wisely. Ask thoughtful questions that draw out the most important pieces of information and you’ll find that your listening skills will continue get better.


When you’re interacting client, consider focusing on the following topics during the valuable 40% of time you’ll be talking:

1. What you do
2. How you can help them
3. How you’ve helped others in the past
4. Specific questions to help you better understand their needs

When you’re actively listening to the client, pay close attention to ensure that you get answers to the following important questions:

1. Who they are
2. What they need
3. How you can help
4. What their goals are
5. What they expect

Increase your chances of impressing the client and closing the deal (or getting the future business referral) by focusing on listening. Use the 60:40 rule with every client, current or prospective. This will help you to close the deal and bolster client retention.

Going the extra mile gets you further than you think, and when it comes to client retention, the little things truly go a long way. While these little things seldom go unnoticed, you can subtly point them out if you feel like they’ve been overlooked. Clients like to know you’re going beyond the call of duty.


What can you do to go above and beyond?

• A hand-written thank-you note
• A celebratory lunch for a case won or a legal success
• A congratulatory letter, e-mail or call for a successful event or big news
• An email or letter including articles that a client might find interesting or relevant
• Client appreciation events
• A follow-up call or e-mail after a meeting or conference call
• Quick turn-around for communications
• Frequent updates on ongoing activities

While everything you do may have good intentions, don’t overdo it! There is a difference between going the extra mile and a running laps around a track; find the right balance between adding value and being too pushy. To do this, focus on things like respect, courtesy, and accessibility, as these are the traits clients are most likely to notice and appreciate.


Just think: what does it cost you? Maybe a little time and effort, but it will be worth it in the long run. Supporting your services with courtesy will not only help you to keep clients, but also increase the number of business development opportunities and bring in referrals.

“Another word for creativity is courage.” – George Prince

Breaking through the mold of conformity is no easy task. For lawyers it proves more difficult because there is a fine line of professionalism that can be crossed over quickly. If done right, a non-conforming approach is rightly viewed as creative, making your firm stand out among the masses. But how do you strike the right creative chord? It isn’t necessary to revamp your entire client relations protocol; just shake up the system a bit to really stand out in the client’s decision making process. There are a number of ways to do this successfully, but using your creative juices can really work when it comes to a) client presentations and b) internal practices.

When it comes to presenting to the client, thinking above and beyond the box has the potential to be both enjoyable and lucrative. So how do you stand out? Perhaps you’ll find creative inspiration in these two examples:

• While doing their homework before a client meeting, one firm found out that casual dress was the norm at the client’s firm. The law firm ordered matching shirts with the client’s logo and wore them to the meeting—probably the first and only time the client has seen that! Even though they didn’t win that specific business, the law firm has been retained on a growing number of smaller engagements.
• In assembling a Request for Proposal (RFP) response for a manufacturer of sports equipment, one law firm’s team included photos of themselves riding a snowmobile made by the company. They’re waiting to hear back, but are certain that their creative approach made a positive impression.

Another way to step outside the box is to shake up your internal practices. Taking on a creative approach to marketing and business development can inspire team members and increase productivity and energy. Here are a few ways firms have been changing things up at work which were presented at last month’s ALM Marketing and Business Development Leadership Forum in New York.

• Changing from practice groups to industry teams can restructure the way a firm handles clients by breaking down internal barriers that traditionally have stopped cross-selling and creative flow. Many agreed that this change has increased the energy within their firm and increased closing of business deals.
• Many firms are starting to incorporate “self-service” marketing. This allows attorneys to prepare their own pitch books with stock materials and add their own edge to their work. Attorneys have free reign to be as creative as they want by choosing their own graphics, layouts and feel with approval from a senior partner or CMO.
• “In-sourcing” is another concept that has a similar feel to the “self-service” approach. A central marketing team is responsible only for producing the proposal, not editing it.

The idea is to not limit your firm to the same old practices that stifle creativity and ingenuity. Creativity takes many forms, so don’t restrict yourself and your firm to what you see here. Standing out in the clients’ minds will get you to the RED ZONE, and ultimately help close the deal.

Is there a creative tactic that has worked for your firm? Let us know by leaving a comment!

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. – L. C. Megginson

We often get stuck in our ways, but, in this economy, there’s no room for changelessness. More and more law firms are recognizing the importance and value in cross selling services between practice groups. Traditionally handled with trepidation and often avoided, cross selling offers opportunities for organic growth and business development. Unfortunately, there are a number of hindrances when it comes to successfully fostering cross selling; namely, the fact that lawyers can be territorial and even hostile to the idea of sharing clients between practice groups.

While the prospect of change is not often met with smiles and open arms, it is essential if a firm is going to continue to develop and to keep up with the times. In our work with law firms over the years, here are a few approaches to cross selling that we’ve seen achieve success:

Approach 1: Eliminate Origination Credits & Traditional Boundaries

Origination credits have long been an issue of contention in many firms. Permanent credits encourage lawyers to sit back and not generate any new business. Lawyers can lose their incentive to work since they are already receiving compensation for work others do. Permanent credits also discourage lawyers without them to cross sell being that they won’t receive credit. Overall, whether shared or permanent, origination credits inhibit growth and internal collaboration between and within practice groups.

One law firm we know has eliminated the origination credits all together, and as a result, they’ve seen traditional boundaries and issues preventing cross selling virtually disappear. Incentives for new business development and cross selling are bonuses, not origination credits. While this may upset some, it will foster productivity and business between practice groups.

Approach 2: Handle Lateral Integration with Care

With many firms taking on laterals recently, there have been reports of dissatisfaction from both the laterals and the firms. Frequently, laterals feel neglected by their mentors, while firms admit lack of due diligence and onboarding support. The key is to involve the firm’s marketing department early in the game to facilitate early lateral integration. Specific integration and business development programs allow laterals to begin the process in earnest and provide the parent firm’s management with its direct responsibilities.

Approach 3: Restructure Firm from Practice Groups to Industry Groups

It might seem like you’re turning the firm inside-out and upside-down, but restructuring from the traditional practice groups to industry groups will foster successful business development and break down conventional boundaries between groups. Several chief marketing offers at the Law Firm Marketing and Business Development Leadership Forum discussed that their recent switch to industry groups has been extremely successful. Some noted an increase in energy and closing of business. One change that had a marked difference was the addition of a business manager position and his or her ability to coordinate marketing, outreach, research, proposals, and pitches. The business manager becomes an asset to the group with specific industry knowledge to provide high success for marketing.

Allowing and cultivating dissention and boundaries between lawyers is the quickest way to hinder business development and cross selling. While some of these approaches may not work for your firm, discussing the possibility of change and new options is a step in the direction of new possibilities internally. The goal is business development and getting to the RED ZONE.

At the end of May, I spoke at the 2nd Annual Law Firm Marketing and Business Development Leadership Program in New York to discuss current economic pressures and trends facing law firms and how to use them to develop business strategies and close the deal. One of the other presentations stuck with me in particular. Veteran legal journalist Anthony Paonita served as the moderator on a panel of corporate lawyers discussing the importance of listening to the client’s voice and learning what they really need.

The senior counsel on that panel made a number of important points that are worth sharing—I’m paraphrasing the highlights of what I heard below:

• Many in-house counsel issue Request for Proposals (RFPs) do not pay attention to the responses.
• Clients want to see you “show your stuff” – not just read or hear about it. Where can you do this? Presentations at conferences are a great platform for selling your firm’s abilities without going straight to a client. Conferences allow you to demonstrate extensive knowledge and to showcase your firm as an industry and opinion leader.
• Another way to show your stuff is to get in front of prospects at more personal settings such as smaller forums or lunch and dinner meetings.
• Client feedback interviews are not enough. It was noted that few firms actually conduct follow-up. Here, law firms are missing out on a great opportunity for client retention and to build stronger client relationships.
• Don’t forget to listen and then work around the client’s needs. For example, know their budget and don’t exceed it! Delve into their business culture and issues to really learn about what’s going on and how your firm can help.

While conferences provide a great place to network and meet prospects, we still recommend doing your research before you approach any clients. Build upon your solid traditional marketing strategy: go where they go, read what they read, and know who they know. Get to know them and be prepared to meet them so you come out of the gates hot. This will help you get to the RED ZONE and close the deal.

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” -Douglas Adams

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re always in a hurry: faster cars, faster internet, text messaging, and near-constant multitasking. With everything moving so quickly, we oftentimes forget to slow down and make real connections with people. Don’t let the opportunity to get to know clients slip right by you.


Remember to focus on each client, one at a time. Treat each client as important as the next regardless of their size. And don’t underestimate the power of a personal connection. Just because you are doing business together, does not mean you cannot share things about your life. Making a connection is a two-way street that requires effort and reciprocity.


Making a connection helps with both client retention and getting to the Red Zone. And building good rapport with prospective and current clients gives them a greater sense of confidence about the quality of your work and your trustworthiness. Make the time to make connecting with clients a priority.

People are all a’Twitter about social media these days. With firms and companies increasingly turning to social media as a means of communication and advertising, it is still difficult to fully grasp how to effectively use these tools for business-to-business relations.


A recent Washington Business Journal article stated that 65% of law firms now publish at least one blog and 87% have LinkedIn accounts, both up approximately 20% from last year. Furthermore, Twitter is now the second most used social media platform for law firms after LinkedIn.


While social mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs are great communication tools, they won’t close the deal. Their purpose: help develop an online presence, contacts, open communication, and relevance. Unfortunately, social media won’t develop long-lasting business relationships like face-to-face meetings and handshakes. That’s why it’s important to come back to the tried and true sales and closing methods:

• Organize face-to-face meetings
• Organize lunches
• Develop and offer presentations
• Develop and maintain a rapport
• Create open lines of communication through phone and e-mail
• Make yourself available
• Follow up after every meeting or service

Don’t underestimate the value of traditional communications. Social media is a great tool, but it is only one of the many tools you’ll need to get to the Red Zone and build relationships.

No two clients are the same. When getting to know your prospects – or looking for additional business from existing clients – it’s important to accept this reality. Tailoring questions and presentations to fit the client’s needs, personality, and industry will separate your firm from others. Before the meeting, do your research to ensure quality work and questions. This will ensure that you’re at your best in the Red Zone.


Here are a number of questions that you should consider asking at every meeting:

• Is there currently an in-house counsel? How will the work be handled between in-house and your firm?
• How is the client currently handling intellectual property protection and risk management?
• Is the client prepared for discovery?
• Does the client need outside assistance with litigation PR or crisis communications?
• What forms of communication does the client prefer? How often do they prefer communications?
• Who will be the day-to-day point of contact at the company?

Your interest in day-to-day operations will show your eagerness to jump right in and start working. But how do you tailor questions specific to the client? Refer back to your research. Edit and add questions as necessary. Corporate clients will have different needs than a small, private company. One that protects intellectual property will face different issues than one that deals with antitrust cases. Don’t treat them as one in the same!


The hard part comes next: listening. Both talking and listening lead to closing the deal in the Red Zone. Building and diversifying your firm’s closing skills will lead to more business and better client relationships.