BD Roundtable

We spoke with Steve Tyndall to discuss how law firms use digital client data to support business development efforts and enhance client relationships.

Steve has previously led the IT function for national law firms Lander & Rogers and McCullough Robertson in Australia. Ahead of founding Client Sense, Steve was the Managing Director of NextLegal, a legal technology consulting firm, providing legal technology strategy and advice to law firms.

Steve has a strong IT background, but believes strongly that technology itself is of little value if it is not solving real problems or creating real opportunities.

Discussion Content:

IntroductionsReasons CRM systems fail in law firmsCan data really tell the whole story?The key metric to measure and focus onHow the BD teams can support lawyers to follow up with clientsFrequency of communicationAdvice for people analyzing client relationships

Get in touch with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steventyn…

Visit his company’s website at: https://clientsense.com/

We interviewed Mark Gustavsson, an Australian lawyer who recently put his very first paid webinar. The interview covers Mark’s motivations for doing a webinar, how he went about setting the price and collecting payment, and what he will do differently for his next webinar.

You can get in touch with Mark on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgusta…

We spoke with Michael Heron, Founder of Avanlight, to discuss how to run pre-engagement meetings for law firms, why they help land more work, and how BD teams can help prepare lawyers.

Discussion Content:

Using pre-bid calls to get more infoWhat questions to ask in pre-bid callsRed flags to watch out forWhat clients want to know in pre-engagement meetingsHow BD teams can help prepare lawyersPost-meeting follow strategies

We spoke with Leor Franks about developing your skills and personal brand during the pandemic. We cover different frameworks to identify your needs, planning strategies, allocating time, and new trends and tech in the world of virtual learning. Leor Franks has led BD and marketing teams in professional service firms for 20 years.

He has been in Director roles at Deloitte and EY, Managing Director of MarComs at FTI Consulting and CMO at legal services firm Augusta. He also chairs the marketing group for professional services industry body Managing Partners Forum and sits on the board of the business school at QMUL.

Interview Covers:

Identifying needs – GSOT FrameworkPlanning Strategies – Favourability JourneyNew ways of upskillingAllocating time for educationEmployers providing training timeTrends in training and new tech

Connect with Leor on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorfranks/

We spoke with Jason Cooney about the most important strategies you can use to optimize your writing for SEO to increase lead generation. We will cover everything from how to do keyword research, tips for structuring content to keep readers on the page, and how to collaborate on content with your lawyers.

Jason is the founder of Tsaks Consulting, a UK-based bid, tender, PQQ and proposal writing services. Jason helps companies craft their messaging to help win more work.

Interview Covers

What SEO means for law firmsWhat to do before writingHelping lawyers write for SEOPractice groups differencesHow to structure contentCreating detailed templatesWhere to put calls to actionDealing with salesy content

Roundtable Session Covers

Recycling and updating content SEO for multilanguage sitesSearch enginesDoing competitor researchBackend tips (snippets, alt text, etc)

We spoke with Robin van Keeken about how he started doing outbound business development for his firm, what challenges he’s faced, and his tips to help you get started generating leads and bringing in new work.

Robin is the Business Development Manager at Buren N.V., an internationally oriented corporate law firm with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, The Hague, Luxembourg and Shanghai and has a diversified business practice.

Interview Covers

Defining outbound BD vs marketingFirst steps into outbound BDUnderstanding existing client demographicsHow to identify potential clientsEasing into calling companiesFollowing through and booking meetingsKeeping up momentum and KPIs

Roundtable Session Covers

Technologies to useOutreach to existing clientsSourcing tenders and bidsLawyers doing BDWhere to search for clientsPower dynamic issuesMonetary incentives for sales rolesAdvice for starting outbound BDDealing with bar restrictions on cold callingReferral strategies

We spoke with Lara Quie about how BD teams can work better with their lawyers. Lara helps us understand the lawyer mindset, why friction can occur, and what BD teams can do to help foster deeper collaboration.

Lara is a trained lawyer who reinvented herself as a business development professional working for Winston & Strawn LLP and Jones Day LLP. In Singapore, Lara has been the Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific for Duane Morris & Selvam LLP.

Following a life event, Lara decided to focus on her passion for helping others be their best and became a certified executive coach. She recently launched a boutique executive coaching and business advisory called Lara Q Associates.

She now coaches lawyers and BD/marketing professionals on positive transformation and provides soft skills training and facilitation.

Interview Covers

Understanding lawyer personality traits How can BD teams work better with lawyers Dealing with the urgency trait Managing directory submission deadlines Developing relationships with lawyers

Roundtable Session Covers

Differences between Western and Asian lawyers Difference between lawyers in private practice and in-house Getting buy-in with pilot programs Managing deadlines Prioritizing tasks and time commitments Tips for managing stress Tips for new BD professionals

We spoke with Dennis De Rond about how to keep your firm’s brand relevant to be successful. In this session, we cover the basics of branding, relevance, and maintenance.

Dennis de Rond is the founder of the award-winning brand agency Skyne based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands and is the expert on anything related to brands.

Interview Covers

What is a brand and why it is important?History of brands and brandingDifference between logos and brandsKeeping your brand relevantMaking your brand stand outBrand refresh process

Roundtable Session Covers

How do you build the culture within a brand?How to tie in CSR initiatives into your brand?

Appointing a PR agency can represent a significant investment for a firm, and ensuring it is a successful relationship will involve time, effort and energy from both parties.

We spoke with Matt Baldwin about ‘how to successfully appoint a PR agency and how to make a success of the relationship when you have’. This discussion explores the questions a firm should ask itself when looking to appoint an external PR agency, the questions they should be asking proposed agencies, and best practice in making that relationship work.

Matt is a specialist in PR strategy, media relations, crisis management and marketing communications. For the past 20 years Matt has worked with the legal profession – a period that has seen dramatic change and consolidation. He has held senior in-house communications and business development roles in some of the country’s largest law firms, before establishing Coast with his partner in 2003.

Interview covers

Why do law firms work for external PR agencies?What prompts a firm to use a PR agency?The briefing processHiring a PR agencyThe onboarding processFollow through and maintaining activity levelsIdeal contract lengthsWhat to do if things don’t work out?

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn or check out his agency, Coast.

We spoke with Neha Kashyap about pitching tips and best practices. In this session, we explore how the pitching process has evolved, the right way to position your firm to clients, and how the BD department can help lawyers increase their win rates.

With over a decade of experience in the legal professional services industry, Neha specializes in strategic business development. She thrives on delivering innovative BD, marketing, communications, and training initiatives that build a profile, deepen relationships and generate profitable revenues. From working as in-house BD head of a top-tier firm in India to running her own enterprise The Grey Matter, Neha has come a long way.

Interview Covers

RFPs and how to approach themChange in RFPs and how firms are adaptingTop tips for preparing a proposalDifferences in pitching in a firm vs an agencyGender issues in BD

Roundtable Session Covers

Getting lawyers to use innovative fee structuresHow to reach out to clients for workLinkedIn and virtual networkingPitching structures/outlinesOfficial engagement procedure and onboardingTechnology and systems for managing credentialsOne big client vs multiple smaller clients

Connect with Neha Kashyap on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehakashyap1/