Territorialism: Whose Client Is It, Anyway?
by Allan Colman
“I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle.” –Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
CAn oft-neglected client retention tactic starts with simply asking the question, “how can we help you?” Attorneys in your firm who have been retained for a specific purpose should ask this question on behalf of the entire firm, not in just one practice area. From a general counsel’s perspective, it’s essential to understand the needs and challenges they face. Once you have the knowledge, then comes your duty: Tell the client that your firm has attorney that may be of benefit to them.
Now recognizing that the company/corporation may already have other counsel retained on those issues, you should still request the opportunity to introduce your own colleagues for future use. Why should you bother? Well, because things change. A national inside-counsel survey conducted in 2007 reported that 57 percent expected to fire one of their current law firms. If you’ve made the client happy thus far, be thankful it won’t be your firm getting the axe. Then, get ready to seize upon new opportunities.
However, territorialism on the part of an attorney may be of concern when presenting an existing client, “their client,” with additional services on behalf of the firm. This may occur for a variety of reasons—lack of financial incentives; fear of loosing the client; concern that other attorneys may under-perform—but it all adds up to the absence of understanding a key component in helping their own firm grow.
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Allan Colman is Managing Director of the Closers Group, which specializes in helping law firms develop rapid and sustainable new business. He may be reached at acolman@closersgroup.com and at 310-225-3904. Visit his Web site, www.closersgroup.com.
