When we talk to the solicitors, accountants, patent attorneys and barristers we work with about business development (whether they’re getting started or wanting to get better at BD) one of the topics we’ll invariably get on to is what skills you need to be good at business development. Hopefully it will come as some reliefContinue reading “Essential skills lawyers & accountants should have for business development success.”
Category Archives: Business development
Have you had a networking event with another firm that didn’t deliver results?
Perhaps you’re accountants and the other party were solicitors? Did the meeting go like this? The most senior person began by introducing him/herself first – “Hello, I am [x] and I joined [y] in [year of joining the firm] and I am a [specialism].” And then the next most senior person performs the same ritual. AndContinue reading “Have you had a networking event with another firm that didn’t deliver results?”
How can lawyers and accountants influence colleagues, clients, and professional contacts?
Effective business development (BD) requires you to be able to influence others but how can lawyers and accountants influence colleagues, clients, and professional contacts? Whether it’s in an internal planning meeting, a client pitch, or a talk at a conference you will have to win people to your way of thinking. How can you influenceContinue reading “How can lawyers and accountants influence colleagues, clients, and professional contacts?“
Is there a difference between marketing and business development?
Have you noticed how different accountants, lawyers and IP attorneys use the terms marketing and business development (BD) differently? Individual preferences aside, in the professional services is there a difference between marketing and business development? And does it really matter which term you use? After all, surely the bottom line is you’re doing both toContinue reading “Is there a difference between marketing and business development?”
How do you make LinkedIn work harder for you?
I have lost count of the number of times I’ve heard something like “well I’ve got a LinkedIn account but it doesn’t do anything for me”. Unfortunately, it’s almost always followed with something like “although I don’t actually do anything with it” which is when we start to look at how you make LinkedIn workContinue reading “How do you make LinkedIn work harder for you?”
How do you persuade lawyers and accountants to make time for BD?
Another question the senior partners at the firms we work with ask us a lot is how you persuade lawyers and accountants to make time for BD. To answer this question, I sometimes make a parallel to how we encourage our children to get into good habits. What lessons can we learn from raising childrenContinue reading “How do you persuade lawyers and accountants to make time for BD?”
As a lawyer or accountant, why do you write a business plan? For internal budgeting or to grow your practice?
If you are a lawyer, accountant, or business adviser you will be familiar with business plans. But why do you write a business plan? In our experience it’s never a popular activity because: 1. Writing a business plan takes a lot of time, time that you’d probably prefer to spend doing something else. 2. BusinessContinue reading “As a lawyer or accountant, why do you write a business plan? For internal budgeting or to grow your practice?”
Why is BD more important for lawyers and accountants today?
A question I get asked a lot is “why is BD more important for lawyers/accountants today?” Before I answer this question I want to debunk 3 BD myths: 1. Doing a good job is enough No, it isn’t! Clients expect your expertise and quality to be a given. They also expect good service and addedContinue reading “Why is BD more important for lawyers and accountants today?”
How do you find time for business development?
The most common reason lawyers and accountants give for not doing BD is lack of time but, with clients and deadlines putting you under pressure, how do you find time for business development? If you’ll permit me to be blunt, the reality is: – We make time for the things that we want to doContinue reading “How do you find time for business development?”
How can lawyers and accountants win more tenders?
With formal procurement becoming more commonplace we are constantly being asked how lawyers and accountants can convert more pitches into clients so here is a very easy way to win more tenders, pitches, and beauty parades. All you need to do is provide evidence you’ve acted for clients that match the profile of the individualContinue reading “How can lawyers and accountants win more tenders?”