Creating a successful legal roadmap for clients takes not only a closer look at the past, but also a clear examination of the challenges facing the firm right now and in the immediate future. Whether it’s a new, prospective, or existing legal client, discovering and understanding the company’s challenges is key to developing a successful strategy with all possibilities considered. For law firms, reassessing an existing client’s direction and potential hurdles improves client retention rates and shows dedication and commitment to success and service. A preliminary assessment of challenges for new and prospective legal clients is a great business development technique that helps align your law firm’s sales efforts with the company’s marketing goals.


During the research and discovery process, there are a number of items that you’ll need to address with the client:

• The company’s strategic direction now and in five years


• The challenges and obstacles the client thinks are the way of their goals


• Any uncertainties or recent changes in the company that could impact the future


• Any competitor or industry concerns


• Any new products or services that will affect business

Gathering this knowledge will help you and your legal client effectively map out the future, aware of the challenges you may face. Assessing all the possibilities will improve your law selling skills, your closing skills, and client retention. While the background research you’ve conducted will help you while you’re in the RED ZONE, engaging with your clients about challenges ahead will ultimately secure your business relationship and future work.

Attending the performance of a symphony orchestra is a great opportunity to experience the beauty of bringing diverse instruments together. For members of a firms’ legal sales leaderships, such a performance can serve as a reminder of how amazing things can result when various elements work together toward one outcome.


But there’s something bigger that attorneys can take from the experience — an understanding of the importance of a strong leader. Consider this: While an orchestra’s conductor doesn’t play an instrument, he or she is arguably the most important member of the symphony. After all, the conductor is responsible for ensuring that all of the members know their part and for delivering a polished presentation to the audience.


For law firms looking to expand marketing efforts and increase legal sales, involving the entire population of attorneys is essential. Business development training should include everyone from the most junior attorneys to the senior partners so that they can learn from one another – as well as from the business development consultants who can conduct informative hands-on workshops and seminars. When all of the players pool their talents, the result is a legal sales culture that is well-orchestrated in the truest sense.

When she was in Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, Alice faced confusion everywhere she turned. Efforts were constantly made to misdirect her and, at times, it seemed impossible that Alice would find her way back home.


Some lawyers feel equally thwarted in their efforts to develop new business. Legal sales leadership should provide all of the support, research, graphic design, and tools necessary for the lawyer who is selling services. It is crucial, however, to remember that law firm selling is a highly focused, one-on-one activity that must be internally directed.


In order to find success in business development, much like Alice, individual lawyers must decide which advice to take and determine which of the available tools and strategies are necessary. They must be willing to experiment, to perfect their tools and strategies, and then get out to develop a strong network and to pursue new business opportunities.

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.


START ADVANCING