A firm that “does a bit of marketing when it’s quiet” will always be at the mercy of feast-and-famine demand. A clear, joined-up marketing and business development (BD) plan turns activity into outcomes: predictable enquiries, higher conversion, stronger pricing power, and steadier cash flow. Below is a practical, compliance-aware guide to why the plan mattersContinue reading “Why does your firm need an overall marketing and business development plan (and how do you implement it)?”
Category Archives: Business development
4 ways lawyers and accountants can improve their business development
Winning work in professional services isn’t about “selling harder”; it’s about making it easier for clients to choose you with confidence. For law firms and accountancy practices, the most effective business development (BD) blends clarity, cadence, and care — all while staying compliant with SRA and ICAEW/ACCA expectations on transparency and accuracy. Here are 4Continue reading “4 ways lawyers and accountants can improve their business development”
Essential skills lawyers & accountants should have for business development success.
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.”
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?“
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?”