Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Educating Your Attorneys on the Value of Business Development,

Marketing and CRM

Maura Brandt, Chief Marketing OfficerMiller & Chevalier

Deborah Holt, PresidentDH Training & Technology Consulting

Rachael Loper, Client Service ManagerNixon Peabody

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Agenda

• Law firm “business development,” what is it?

• Guiding lawyers to solutions to their business development needs

• Using technology to make business development initiatives more targeted and more effective

• Specific technologies that add real value to business and client development strategies

• IT and Business Development working together

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

What Is Law Firm Business Development?

• Developing a client relationship with a prospect

• Expanding a relationship with an existing client

• Knowing what clients need and want

• Marketing or sales. What’s the difference?

• Marketing creates an impression in the minds of your buyers

• Sales is the process of uncovering and endeavoring to fulfill a buyer’s specific needs

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

• Determine your lawyers’ business development styles

• Trusted Advisor - The role many lawyers strive to play

• Finders - the movers and shakers

• Minders - budding rainmakers

• Grinders - technical specialists

• What paths do they follow to form strong relationships?

• “What’s in it for me?” Getting lawyers to share

• Customize your support to fit the needsand approach of the lawyer

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

What Lawyers Need to Know

• How to stay current with regard to his/her clients and their needs

• The firm’s client base, practice developments, and capabilities

• Which information can help them “start the conversation” with the client or prospect and how to get it

• How to make the best sales call

• Here’s where coaching helps

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Data, Data, Data

• Categories of information

• Firm data

• Client and prospect data

• Market data

• Opportunities for slicing and presenting the data

• Change at the client – merger, sale, someone new at the

top

• Changes in the industry – stimulus funds, bankruptcy

• Changes in the firm – new laterals or a full-blown merger

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Targeted Communication

• How are you measuring the value of your communications?

• Use these metrics to demonstrate the value of targeted communications

• Report back to teams, practice groups and management

• Make sure you know your jurisdiction’s bar rulesRule 7.3 Direct Contact With Prospective Clients

(a) A lawyer shall not by in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic contact solicit professional employment from a prospective client when a significant motive for the lawyer's doing so is the lawyer's pecuniary gain, unless the person contacted:

(1) is a lawyer; or

(2) has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer.

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

CRM – Your “Go To” Tool

• Deliver the right message

• CRM is a practice support, client service and business

development “work smarter” tool

• Relate it to other industries that utilize CRM

• CRM is the firm’s internal “Google”

• It’s all about the content

• Identify key workflow and business development questions

to ask attorneys

• Focus on each attorney’s business development goals

• Easy access to contact intelligence and business

development reports

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

CRM – Increasing Participation

• Work with leadership to understand ongoing goals and plans

• Practice Group education

• Have practice group leaders promote, use and demo CRM to their practice groups

• Demonstrate the value with real-world examples

• Be aware of new developments & initiatives

• Deliver short, targeted training sessions

• Continuous, consistent reinforcement

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Other Technologies That Support Business Development

• Deals and experience databases

• RFP generator or database

• Intranet

• Webinars and teleconferences

• Newsletter delivery systems

• Internal – Tikit, home grown

• Hosted – Concep, Exact Target

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Where Does *IT* Fit In?

• IT can help build and support a business development program

• They need to understand the strategic goals of the firm

• Marketing needs to develop a collaborative relationship

with IT

• Technical support - Who’s job is it?

• Collaboration among IT – HR, Library, KM, CI, others

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Wrapping Up

• Keep it simple. Tap into technology

• Customize your approach

• Demonstrate results and promote your success!

Marketing Technology

Peer Group

Thank you!

Maura Brandt, mbrandt@milchev.com

Deborah Holt, deborah@dhtechtraining.com

Rachael Loper, rloper@nixonpeabody.com