SSD

It takes sustained effort, commitment from the partners and a methodology to make it work.

In most legal practices we see:

• Intermittent Business Development – everyone commits to one or two seminars then forgets about business development for the rest of the year
  
  
• Feast and Famine – too much work then too little. This is typically linked to intermittent business development but the causal link is not clear
  
  
• Cross selling - very rarely. Leads are rarely generated and when they are, follow up is poor
  
  
• Practice Leverage – most legal professionals fail to leverage other practices within the firm. The client is therefore left with a view that the firm is only as good as the last service provided and will not engage with other practices
  
  
• An historical view that “selling” is not appropriate
  
  
• Over reliance that the brand will bring business through referral work

The reasons why these factors are well known but seldom acted on is, that business development programs are difficult to sustain. Staff who sell services are often those delivering services. They get distracted by assignments which can be billed. They have pressing client needs. When the individuals finally get a break in billable work, they stare down the abyss of an empty pipeline, not enough work. With lead times varying from instant engagement to several months, the pressure to bill then increases to fever pitch with negative consequences for the individual often resulting in poor quality of life both within the firm and at home.

There are no simple fixes for this dilemma without a methodology. Many Professional Service firms have instigated short term programs that need to be re-invented each time. Partners get enthusiastic, staff act in response to the partners. Everyone is appalled to find the program in disarray after a few months. Enthusiasm declines and reinvigorating any program becomes infinitely more difficult with a pessimistic audience.