STAIRWAY TO SALES: Rainmaking
Skills Can Be Improved With Formal Training
published in the Daily Journal
Dear Interested:
At its best, marketing training should make successful rainmakers even
more effective – and help neophytes learn to make drizzle. The key
is to develop programs that match the needs of the lawyers. This is not
a one-size-fits-all prospect. For example, we all recognize the lawyers
who populate the core of most law firms – the "minders." Minders
often provide superior service to important clients of the firm but rarely
bring in clients of their own. Their training needs are entirely different
from the rainmakers who bring in substantial business but who could bring
in even more if they were more effective in their networking activities
and closing skills.
The best way to begin a training program is to conduct
a needs assessment. What do lawyers think they need and what does
the firm hope to achieve? Since firms should expect measurable results
from a training program, the answers to these questions should guide
program design.
Programs which discuss personal goals give context
to training. Repeating and reinforcing skills through regular follow-up
meetings allows participants to discuss successes and failures and
get constructive feedback and assistance from peers.
Make sure the program extends beyond theoretical – training should
be more than an interesting exercise. To be of real value to an organization,
training must go into practice. A training program should present the
critical elements of business development in digestible segments so new
ideas and tools can fit easily into a busy practice. Several points are
important to bear in mind.
- Train lawyers with specific goals in mind. Too many lawyers
are unsure of their target focus, which results in flurries of
disorganized effort that produce little in the way of results.
Specific goals will direct efforts by defining appropriate targets
and identifying effective activities.
- Populate training programs with lawyers who volunteer for them.
Trainers get better results when attendees are receptive and motivated.
Converting skeptics is time consuming and interferes with the
learning efforts of others. It is also a waste of the firm's resources.
- Marketing training should address the three fundamentals of
business development: creating leads, developing relationships
and asking for business. For example, our "minder" group probably
doesn't know how to develop its own clients. First it must identify
some prospects. These lawyers particularly benefit from training
on lead generation.
- Partners who already have access to a network of quality contacts
may need guidance on how to convert these into clients. Learning
new skills and approaches to developing relationships helps them
take control of the business development process. Other lawyers
spend significant time and resources developing relationships
but have difficulty asking for the business. Assuming prospective
clients know you want their work doesn't make sense. You must
be able to articulate a request for business. Effective training
explores specific client relationships and develops the best approach
and language to use to solicit business.
- Follow-up is another critical component of any training program,
and one that is most often neglected. Follow up sessions provide
for a discussion of how participants have put new skills to use
and what problems or successes they have encountered. The trainer
as well as fellow participants can provide additional ideas and
counseling.
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