Breaking Down Barriers: Creating a Client-Focused Law Firm Culture
-
Upload
allen-matkins -
Category
Education
-
view
1.216 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Breaking Down Barriers: Creating a Client-Focused Law Firm Culture
Breaking down barriers:becoming more client focused
Adam L. Stock
Allen Matkins
Background
22 years in marketing & business development
6 years in the legal industry
Primary buyer of outside legal services for several companies
Developed a formal client service team program and launched 30 teams
“Round up the usual suspects…”
Lack of understanding: What is “client focus”?
Lack of buy in: Why do it?
Lack of urgency: Why do it now?
Lack of perspective: What do our clients really want?
Lack of resources: How can we do it without $$?
Lack of commitment: How can we sustain the effort?
Barrier:Lack of
understanding
What is “client focus”?
Putting the clients’ interests at the center of our business decisions
This plays out in: Information sharing & training Client surveys and teams Quality improvement program
Shift service delivery… from the lawyer
Shift service delivery… to the team
This means…
More client contact
Sharing information internally
Recognizing service beyond good legal work
Asking the client what s/he wants and needs and acting on it
Everyone is a “firm ambassador”
Who are our clients?
Client information
Who are our clients?
Competitive Intelligence
Business Trends
What services do we provide?
Services we provide
What services do we provide?
What services do we provide?
What services do we provide?
What services do we provide?
Barrier:Lack of buy in
Clients who see their primary law firms as best in client service deliver nearly twice the spending
$0.59
$1.15Million $
Spending on PrimaryLaw Firm
Spending on PrimaryLaw Firm Client sees
as BEST in Client Service
BTI Survey of Client Service Performance and Client Needs 2006
Also…
30% more profits
Word of mouth recommendations
Builds morale and productivity
How much buy-in do you really need?
Build some successes and people will follow
Barrier:Lack of urgency
Exploit a sense of urgency
Advocate for change
Insanity doing the
same thing over and over
again and expecting
different results
Albert Einstein
Barrier:Lack of perspective
What do clients really want?
Buy research
Ask them!
How clients define client focus
Put the Client's Needs First
Understand the Client's Business
Be Responsive
Deliver Good Value
Achieve the Client's Goals
How Clients Hire, Fire and Spend: Landing the World's Best Clients 2006, BTI Consulting
29.6%
24.9%
19.6%
9.5%
5.8%
There is no substitute for asking your clients
Every client has different specific needs:– Responsiveness– Billing detail and formats– Budgets and summaries– Bench strength– Business referrals– Education– Etc.
Find out what the needs are and address them
The client review process
Barrier:Lack of resources
Client feedback “on the cheap”
Clients invited to our firm to tell us about:– Their business– What they like in law firms– What they don’t like in law firms– Their ideas of good
client service
Thanks for organizing this event. From my perspective, the presentation was as enjoyable as it was informative. I cannot think of a better education regarding client service than to hear it straight from the client in that fashion.– Associate
Barrier:Lack of commitment
How can we sustain the effort?
Provide ongoing training & celebrate successes
Include the entire firm – show everyone how s/he plays a part
Build a service improvement process and employ Six Sigma techniques
It takes a “whole firm” to deliver superior client serviceSample Client Service Improvement Checklist – everyone has a part to play
Client action plan Who
Introduce another practice group Attorneys
Managing partner visit with GC Management
Host a client event, Add client to mailing lists, Perform a client survey
Marketing
Set information alerts Library
Provide a customized billing format
Billing/Finance
Create a Client Extranet IS, Secretaries / Paralegals
Improve responsiveness Attorneys, Secretaries
Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC)Define process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands
Measure key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data
Analyze the data to verify cause-and-effect relationships
Improve or optimize the process
Control and continuously monitor the process
Case study: improving our client pitch processImproving our pitches improves our win rate & business
Challenges to address:
Preparation: Insufficient time to prepare
Customization: Not customized to the specific needs of the client
Relationships & history: poor knowledge of client/prospect and important relationships
Research: Poor knowledge of prospect priorities and which law firms they use
Differentiation is primary in competitive business presentations and proposals Level 1: Competence
– Technical capability of the lawyer or reputation of the firm
Level 2: Comparative performance– Track record on similar matters as compared to other
firms and credentials in the industry
Level 3: Differentiation– Creativity on a specific matter, mutually beneficial
relationship with buyer and perceived seamless service from the firm
Firms spend too much time on levels 1 & 2 and are unprepared to discuss level 3WJF Institute, 2008
When we implement the full process including research, pitch development and refinement we get the best results
Day 1 Day 7
IdentifyTarget(Atty + BD)
ReviewResearch(Atty + BD)
Review1st Draft ofPitch (Atty + BD)
FinalizePitchMaterials (Atty + BD)
Do research Develop pitchmaterials
Refine/review pitch
Ideal pursuit development process
“K. and I have interviewed patent litigators from Boston, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, Denver, the Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle. I can honestly say that your team was hands down the most impressive – by a mile. Thank you all for being prepared, answering our questions articulately and thoughtfully, and for taking the time to meet with us.”
–Chief IP Counsel, Fortune 100 company
Results over one year
Win rate up >20%
Number of pitch requests has increased >2x
Average advanced notice is >week
Record level attorney satisfaction
Key to success: seeing beyond the barrier
Don’t focus your energy on the barrier itself
Focus on the solution
Envision your firm beyond the barrier