Every firm says they want more client conversations, better cross-selling and stronger profiles in niche markets. The fastest route? Get your fee earners presenting—confidently, consistently and to the right audiences. This 6-week plan is built for busy UK practices. It’s practical, light on theory and heavy on rehearsal, so lawyers move from “I’d rather not” to “I’ve got this” in 6 weeks.
Along the way, we embed business development coaching for lawyers into habits your partners will actually keep.
Who this programme is for
- Partners and senior associates who need to win work, not just do it
- Subject-matter experts who “know too much” but struggle to keep it tight
- Practice heads who want consistent firm messaging across teams
Outcomes you can expect by week 6
- A bank of 3–5 ready-to-deliver talks per lawyer (10–20 minutes each)
- Presenter toolkits: slide templates, one-page handouts, and follow-up emails
- A warm-leads pipeline created from every presentation (tracked in CRM)
- Clear metrics: meetings booked, proposals out, fees originated
The 6-week plan at a glance
- Format: 90-minute weekly sessions + 30 minutes of homework
- Group size: 8–12 lawyers per cohort (safe enough to practise, big enough for energy)
- Assessment: Peer scoring + coach scoring + audience feedback in week 6
- Materials provided: Slide deck templates, talk planner, Q&A playbook, follow-up email scripts, rehearsal checklist
Week 1: Message and audience
Goal: Focus on what the client cares about and ditch the legalese.
What we cover:
- The three-act talk: Problem → Practical options → Next step
- The 90-second positioning statement (no job titles, all outcomes)
- Audience mapping: GC vs CFO vs Founder vs HRD—what changes?
Exercises:
- Craft a 90-second opener; deliver it twice with peer feedback.
- Pick 2 target talks (e.g., “AI and employment law for HR leads” or “Preparing your scale-up for due diligence”).
Homework: Draft a 1-page outline for each talk.
Coaching note: This is where business development training for lawyers is integrated—clarity of value proposition first, law second.
Week 2: Structure and story
Goal: Build talks people can follow and remember.
What we cover:
- The 5-slide spine (Hook • Context • Options • Mini-case • Call to action)
- Story beats: data → example → implication → decision
- Timeboxing: 10 minutes that feel like 5
Exercises:
- Turn your outline into the 5-slide spine.
- “Tighten to 10”: practise against a countdown timer.
Homework: Record a 6–8 minute rehearsal on your phone; self-critique with the rubric.
Week 3: Slides and delivery
Goal: Look and sound confident without over-designing.
What we cover:
- Slides that sell: one message per slide, big fonts, numbers and verbs
- Voice, pace, pause; body language for rooms and webinars
- Handling tech: clicker, notes, split-screen, webcam placement
Exercises:
- Live run-through of Talk #1 with slides, 8 minutes, coach feedback.
- Two-minute Q&A drill using the playbook.
Homework: Rehearse with a colleague; swap feedback notes.
Week 4: Q&A, objections and panel craft
Goal: Turn tough questions into credibility moments.
What we cover:
- The “Bridge-Acknowledge-Answer-Ask” model
- Defusing curveballs (fees, risk, timelines, “we already have a firm”)
- Panel etiquette: when to jump in, when to shut up
Exercises:
- Hot-seat: 5 minutes of hostile Q&A per lawyer.
- Panel run with 4–5 lawyers on a single topic.
Homework: Build a personal Q&A sheet (see templates below).
Week 5: Call to action and follow-up
Goal: Make every talk create meetings.
What we cover:
- Designing offers: diagnostic calls, quick scans, workshops
- Follow-up that isn’t needy: a 3-email cadence over 14 days
- Data you must capture: attendee list, job titles, questions asked
Exercises:
- Draft a 3-step follow-up sequence for each talk.
- Role-play the post-event call.
Homework: Ship your final slides and playbooks to the shared folder.
Week 6: Live showcase and conversion
Goal: Put it all together and measure impact.
What we do:
- Each lawyer delivers a 10-minute talk to an internal + invitee audience
- Live scoring on clarity, credibility, and commerciality
- Debrief to lock in strengths and next steps
Outputs:
- Ready-to-deliver talks, Q&A sheets, and a booked meetings list
- 90-day mini-plan for each lawyer to present 3 times (internal, client, external)
This is the moment where lawyers business development training becomes a habit.
Presenter toolkit
Talk planner (1-page)
- Audience: (role, size, sector)
- Problem in their words:
- 3 practical options:
- Mini-case: (client type, action, result, timeline)
- Call to action: (what happens in the first 20 minutes?)
- One takeaway slide: (verb + number)
Slide spine (5 slides)
- Hook: “What changed last quarter—and why it matters”
- Context: 3 facts that frame the risk/opportunity
- Options: 3 things they can do next week, not next year
- Mini-case: result with a time and a number
- Call to action: the simplest next step
Rehearsal checklist
- Time under 10 minutes
- One message per slide
- Every slide with a verb
- One story, one number, one ask
- Final 30 seconds: restate the one decision
Q&A templates (copy, customise, keep handy)
Use the Bridge-Acknowledge-Answer-Ask flow.
Fees and value (CFO/FD audience)
- Q: “Your fees look high compared to others.”
- Bridge: “Happy to talk fees.”
- Acknowledge: “Cost matters, particularly in the current budget cycle.”
- Answer: “Where we’re different is speed to decision: our X-day review shortens the board sign-off by Y weeks. On a £Z project, that saves more than our fee.”
- Ask: “Would a fixed fee for the first phase help your planning?”
Timelines and resourcing (COO/GC)
- Q: “How fast can you deliver?”
- Bridge: “Let’s talk timing.”
- Acknowledge: “You’re managing dependencies with IT and HR.”
- Answer: “We split into 2 tracks: policy in 10 working days; implementation in 20. We show progress weekly so you can unblock early.”
- Ask: “Do you have a steering group slot on Tuesdays we can join?”
“We already have a firm” (Procurement/Board)
- Q: “We’re tied in with our existing advisers.”
- Bridge: “Makes sense.”
- Acknowledge: “No benefit in change for its own sake.”
- Answer: “We don’t replace; we complement. We typically take the time-sensitive matters or niche issues (X, Y) where our template bank compresses risk and cost.”
- Ask: “Shall we do a low-risk pilot on a fixed fee to compare outcomes?”
Risk and liability (Chair/Founder)
- Q: “What’s the worst that could happen?”
- Bridge: “Good question.”
- Acknowledge: “Board exposure is real.”
- Answer: “Two main scenarios: A and B. Our approach reduces A via early audit and ring-fences B with staged approvals.”
- Ask: “Would you like our board-ready risk memo template to review?”
Sector-specific (SME owner)
- Q: “We don’t have internal legal—keep it simple.”
- Bridge: “Absolutely.”
- Acknowledge: “You need plain English and speed.”
- Answer: “We’ll give you a 2-page action plan and a 30-minute call to implement the top 3 items.”
- Ask: “Shall we book that call this week or next?”
Follow-up email sequence (swipe files)
T+1 day
Subject: Thanks for joining—slides and a 2-minute summary
Body:
- Link to slides + 2-minute video recap
- 3 bullet actions they can take this week
- Soft CTA: “Happy to share a one-page checklist for [topic]—reply ‘checklist’.”
T+7 days
Subject: Quick checklist for [topic]—want it?
Body:
- One paragraph that tees up a common pitfall
- CTA: “15-minute diagnostic call to see where you stand—no charge.”
T+14 days
Subject: Case study: how [peer firm] cut [risk/cost] in 30 days
Body:
- 4-line mini-case with a number and a timeline
- CTA: “Shall we explore a fixed-fee pilot?”
Measuring what matters
- Activity: talks delivered per lawyer per quarter
- Engagement: attendance, questions asked, poll completion
- Conversion: meetings booked per talk, proposals sent, win rate, originated fees
- Velocity: days from talk → first meeting → signed instruction
Tie these into your BD dashboard so business development training for lawyers becomes part of the firm’s weekly rhythm.
Implementation options for your firm
- Lite (DIY): Use this guide, appoint an internal facilitator, run over lunch.
- Blended: Internal facilitator + external coach for weeks 3–6.
- Full-service: External delivery, filming, editing, and event marketing.
Common pitfalls (and fixes)
- Too much content: ruthlessly cut; one idea per slide.
- No ask: always include a low-friction next step.
- No rehearsal: schedule two live run-throughs; record and review.
- Random topics: align to practice priorities and campaigns.
- Silence after the event: pre-write the 3 follow-ups; automate where possible.
Ready to win more of the right work? Tenandahalf helps professional firms sharpen content marketing law firm activity, strengthen business development for accountants, and build a clear marketing and business development plan that teams actually use. Work with our coaches to improve networking with lawyers, convert conversations into instructions, and create momentum across business development and marketing. Book a no-obligation call today and quickly see what focused support can unlock.
Serious about growth? Tenandahalf helps lawyers, patent and trade mark attorneys, accountants, barristers, architects and legal service providers win work. Arrange a call to explore BD support that delivers results.