This is the most frequently asked question that we get! We think it’s a great idea to engage in some form of business development from day one (and that’s what we say in our workshop called Business Development Basics), but we think that it really makes sense to start considering business development coaching a few years before partnership. From that point onward, our business development coaching can be of tremendous assistance at any level of experience. We’ve worked very effectively with associates and senior counsel, new and mid-level partners and shareholders, and very senior lawyers, always in a highly customized way that fits the individual lawyer and his or her particular objectives.

There are many ways. First, all of our programs are customized to the individual – so content is adjusted to fit the experience level of the lawyer. In addition, we are a great source of information for lawyers, and everyone can benefit from learning new processes and procedures and seeing things in new ways. Plus, our coaching sessions provide significant value to senior lawyers who have been involved in administration and management and are transitioning back to spending more time on business development activities. Senior lawyers who are joining law firms from non-profit, government, and in-house positions also find that business development coaching is very helpful in facilitating the transition. And, lawyers who are stepping into a leadership role can take advantage of our Manager/Leader Success Coaching.

Well, it depends on the law firm’s particular objectives. But, given the current marketplace, we are especially excited about a) group coaching sessions for lawyers at the senior associate level; and b) client value programs. Now more than ever, associates are being asked to make a swift transition to contributing to the bottom line, but many don’t know how to take the best first and second steps. We teach them how to take advantage of their skills and strengths and how to fit appropriate networking and business development activities into their busy schedules. We also think client value programs are critically important at this time. Since most work comes from current clients, it makes sense to infuse these relationships with value as much as possible as a way to build a pipeline to future work. While some lawyers seem to have an innate ability for doing this, others of us need a little help in understanding the stages of client development and how to ensure that we bring value along with the legal results. In the current highly competitive landscape, this is an especially useful program – and client value programs are appropriate for lawyers of all levels of seniority.

Cross selling can be a challenge because it requires coordination and cooperation - but the pay-off can be significant. After all, 80% of new work comes from existing clients. We work with clients to think about cross selling differently and explore how to utilize internal firm mechanisms to support cross selling initiatives. We cover the key information that is needed to effectively cross sell, and pinpoint when and how to cross-sell to current clients. We discuss the degrees of cross selling that make some efforts easier than others, and work with you to proceed in a systematic way that brings focus and saves time. Plus, we are happy to stay involved to help you execute and monitor your efforts over time.

Absolutely! The services we’ve highlighted on our website often mark the beginning of a collaborative experience with our clients. To this end, we have worked with clients on a variety of projects that include:

• rehearsals for major pitches and presentations
• planning for key networking lunches
• extending the depth and number of contacts within a client’s organization
• revamping pitch and promotional materials
• preparing for end-of-the-representation meetings
• identifying and/or preparing effective modes of follow up for various situations, including informal and formal networking situations, speeches, and formal presentations
• preparing for difficult conversations, including those relating to rate and billing issues

Yes, individual lawyers who approach their law firms with a request for partial funding of a coaching program frequently reach an agreement of this sort with their firms. Law firms that institute a section- or firm-wide coaching program often pay a significantly higher percentage (up to 100%) of the fees associated with individual or group coaching for some or all of their attorneys because of the importance of business development to the law firm as a whole.

Because all of our coaching programs are customized, the answer to this question is yes! (And we think you would be surprised at how often our male coaching clients choose the same sorts of topics that our female coaching clients do!). Additionally, our featured speaking program for 2007-2008, called PROSPECTives™, is devoted to women attorneys. PROSPECTives™ is a collection of unique business development seminars and workshops that focus on how women attorneys can quickly and easily adopt a mindset and then take action for successfully building independent books of business.