Business development strategies need to be nurtured to thrive. The seeds of new marketing tactics need to be regularly tended in order for legal sales to follow. For too many who take on the role of managing law firm marketing departments however, it can be difficult to see the full potential for growing the firm. Rather than a well-tended garden, these professionals find themselves surrounded by rocks, weeds, and other obstacles.


When law firm management chooses to implement a business development training program, there is opposition. . As a business development consultant, I’ve frequently heard internal objections like:

• “It’s not my responsibility.”
• “Let’s bring it up and review again in 6 months.”
• “We’re not ready for that kind of change.”
• “Let’s give it some more thought.”
• “It won’t pay for itself.”
• “I know a firm that tried that. . .”
• “It’s unprofessional.”

The best way to tend to the garden of the firm’s growth is to work with partners and lawyers who are eager to learn and focus on developing new business for their own practice and the firm. As leaders emerge and their success begins to bloom, new clients are signed, and client retention becomes more common, others will see the incentives and rewards – and their reluctance to take a larger part of caring for their firm’s sales garden will fade away.

People watch the Superbowl each year as much for the commercials as they do for the big game. And while law firms and legal sales leaders rarely have an audience as large or as interested in their marketing message, there are still some valuable lessons that they can learn from the big brands.


Many marketing experts polled about which Superbowl commercials were the most successful point to ads from brands with a repeated presence during the game. Whether or not fans like Coke, Budweiser beers, or Doritos these brands certainly did an excellent job of keeping their names in front of the viewers.


Successful law marketing draws on this concept of frequency. For lead generation purposes, follow up and follow through are keys to success. If it’s worth your time to make an initial contact, it’s worth the time to follow up. Unless you remain in contact with your prospects, you’ll never break through.


Likewise, if your messages don’t stand out, it’s going to be difficult to convert your prospects. Take the time to learn about who your prospects are. Budweiser and Coke do this and use it to appeal to their viewers; Doritos does this so effectively that their prospects and customers contribute to creating standout ads.


For lawyers, standing out can be a bit more difficult – especially in this age of email and faxes. Formal letters are often overlooked as a marketing tool; by adding them to your business development efforts, you can be sure that your marketing message is noticed and remembered just as clearly as the Budweiser Clydesdales.


This post was co-authored by attorney David Mylrea, a partner at Hinshaw and Culbertson in Minneapolis.

Social bonding and a few days of R&R won’t cut it. Law firms and practice groups can’t afford to hold partner retreats unless they can show a tangible return on their investment of partner time and money.


Why not use your next retreat to survey partners, grow business development drivers, identify and overcome competition? Schedule sessions that deliver proven, practical techniques to help partners advance client relationships. Use examples of how partners can demonstrate their excellence, not just assert it.


Come away from the meetings with metrics to measure progress – including a market analysis profile (MAP) showing partner strengths by practice group and office. Come away with ideas for collaboration and opportunities for new work. Come away with next steps everyone can take when they get back to the office on Monday. Legal sales leadership should call for and direct action.


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