A Place for the Face
December 27, 2005 | Filed Under Selling the GC, In the News, General
Why can’t we all work in our pajamas?
The New York Times reports on one aspect that separated the recent New York City transit strike from previous ones–the ability of some workers to function remotely from the office.
I expected the article to go on to extol the virtues of telecommuting. Then, in an interesting twist, it veers left and quotes a few members of academia who give two cheers for office face time:
“Even in a world of casual instant-messaging and near-free phone calling,” said Jonathan Zittrain, a professor of Internet governance at Oxford University, “a shout down the hall still matters.”
“In an era when so much of our communication is electronic, the value of a face-to-face meeting has actually intensified,” said Mitchell L. Moss, a professor of urban policy at New York University, “since the phone and e-mail have become routine while a meeting reflects the importance of the person or topic.”
The article underscores the challenges to lawyers who only interact with their clients by phone, fax or email. The good news is that it can be very efficient. The bad news is that it may not always be very effective.
In the in-house environment, this can be challenging for corporate counsel who have clients spread out over the nation or the world. It is particularly helpful to have some personal relationships forged by one-to-one contact at times–like when you are delivering a message on compliance that the key client may not want to hear.
In the law firm environment, it is common for some partners and very common for some associates to have never personally met a long-term client. I feel that if a lawyer ever wants to move up the trust food chain with a client, you have to supplement good service and high value with a personal relationship. With a personal relationship, you are less likely to be thrown into this year’s beauty contest with other commodity-type service providers.
And it may go without saying–visit your client on their home turf. I have heard some lawyers complain that they are “too busy to travel” or “can’t bill for client relations time”. My answers: (a) you will have plenty of time to travel when your clients drift away and (b) you can’t bill for any time when you don’t have a client in the first place.
Tomorrow, a few thoughts on what this may mean for law firms–like where they have their offices and how they build out their space for business.
Give That Dog a Bone
December 22, 2005 | Filed Under Selling the GC
Quick, name that law firm by looking at their signature icon:
If you said Bingham McCutchen, then this advertising pet trick is working.
When I first saw this picture in a glossy ad (I believe it was in the American Lawyer), I figured that the firm is either (a) savvy in a goofy sort of way or (b) the victim of one of the most elaborate practical jokes in the history of modern legal marketing.
This ad is apparently part of an initiative by Bingham, as described in a recent issue of Law Practice magazine. According to Bingham’s chief marketing officer, Elizabeth Chambers, these ads:
…meet the first test of good advertising: “They are visually striking (rich in vibrant color), they hold your attention, and they are likable. As a result they engage the reader right away and thus help us convey our message.”
It’s getting deep…
Ms. Chambers claims that the ads have been well received by clients, employees and “talent” they hope to hire in the future.
Just what is the message that Bingham is conveying?
Let’s free associate a bit. What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you see the picture above? Here’s a few that I thought of that made the cut (email me for the one that didn’t):
– “Who let the dog out?”
– “I hope he doesn’t jump on my leg at the closing!”
–”He was Bingham’s prize show dog, and is in the lobby under glass.”
– “Is he wearing dark grey slacks and black loafers with square toes?!”
– (Bingham partner to prospective client) “If he sniffs your crotch it means he wants to work on your deal.”
– (Gunner associate to another, both in Fido’s entering class) “There’s no way he will make his 2,200 hours this year. He sleeps all afternoon on the couch in the library.”
– (Bingham associate overheard saying) “The worst part is having to carry a little plastic bag when we go for a walk during breaks in depositions.”
But in an era of me-too lawyer advertising, I guess you have to give Bingham some credit for pushing the invisible fence a bit.
I would have used this dog (he works cheaper, but not as clean):
Look, Up In The Sky…
December 1, 2005 | Filed Under Selling the GC, In the News
It’s not a bird or a plane…
MSNBC reports that the highly-regarded Fried Frank firm is seeking office space in Washington DC. Not just because they need it, but because they want it:
“It isn’t a relocation because they’ve outgrown the space or they’re getting pushed out,” says Studley’s Jeff Shrago, who is representing the firm in its search. “It’s a relocation based on updating the space and the image of the firm.”
The article then notes that there is some one-upsmanship going on:
Within the past 18 months, three buildings going up around Metro Center signed law firms as lead tenants — DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Alston & Bird and Dewey Ballantine. Each will have a sign on the street.
Sounds a bit like the naming rights trend for sporting venues.
According to the Firm website, its DC office now has “about 116 attorneys—one of the largest—nonindigenous Washington law firms.” (ed note: the use of the term nonindigenous tells me there’s a bit of tribal warfare afoot in the Nation’s capital).
It might be a whole lot cheaper for the Firm to do something like this:
And then work with the National Park Service to moor the thing here:
It could also be flown over the next G8 summit, too.
A sign on the street is Law 1.0. Tomorrow, an interview with a founding partner of a new firm that’s moving in the direction of Law 2.0, when the Wired GC again goes…
Straight Talk from GCs
November 21, 2005 | Filed Under Managing, Selling the GC
When Chief Legal Officers speak, I listen. I just might learn something.
Clients (once and future) should probably listen as well.
Marketing communications consultant Amy Campbell reports from last week’s meeting of the New England chapter of the Legal Marketing Association. She provides an excellent summary of what transpired.
– Here’s five of the top 10 “sound bites” from the three GCs present:
1. “I hire lawyers not firms…”
2. “Firms who churn their associates are very frustrating to us…”
3. “Word of mouth” is most reliable referral source…
4. “Cold calling” and “sending brochures” doesn’t work
5. “Cross marketing from a trusted partner can work…”
Also interesting to me were the following comments from Hasbro GC Barry Nagler.
– On how he uses outside counsel:
We use outside counsel as a cost minimization strategy… we have a large in-house department. Three criteria to keep work in-house: 1) is it core to strategic success of Hasbro? 2) is it an area of law where we have substantial repeat business?… one-offs go out. 3) what’s fun? We keep the entertainment law and send out the ERISA.
– On managing costs:
Rates aren’t as important as efficiency. You assume the quality piece… so if there are 40 qualified candidates, I can choose the most cost effective. We are billed hourly, but looking at getting discounts and ways to share risk and reward. The most important thing — no surprises! Need to put yourself in your client’s shoes. If you see costs going up, say something.. get proactive. It’s very important. We all know stuff happens, but ‘pick up the phone.’
Glad to see ACC GC Susan Hackett in attendance as well.
When an event like this allows an audience a peek inside the day-to-day life of the GC, much of what passes for legal marketing is relegated to the dustbin in the first 5 minutes. Traditional, comfortable and really expensive methods are probably not as effective today.
What law firms think they are selling (billable hours) are not what the GC is buying (results that support company strategy).
Ms. Campbell’s entire post is worth reading– she clearly seems to get it, legal marketing-wise.
Selling the GC - Lesson #2
August 12, 2005 | Filed Under Selling the GC
Marie-Anne Hogarth writes an excellent article for the Recorder about the burgeoning world of legal marketing. (The “pitch” descriptor in the headline is great, especially during the baseball season).
I was interested to learn about the differences between business development, marketing and sales. That last s-word is no longer avoided; the Womble Carlyle firm even has a director of sales:
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice is believed to be the first firm to hire a director of sales, which it did four years ago. “At Womble Carlyle, we call a spade a spade,” says director of sales Steven Bell, who goes on pitches with — and sometimes without — lawyers.
“It works best when there is a teaming between lawyer and salesperson,” he says.
Mr. Bell doesn’t seem to show up yet on the firm website. I might have described things a bit differently, but Mr. Bell is clearly not a shrinking violet.
Since I haven’t yet caught a pure solo sales pitch, I thought about it in the context of another profession. Say I was approached by representatives from rival orthopedic surgery practices who wanted preferred status for work on company personnel. I would listen intently, and certainly use the pens and sticky notes left behind. But before someone cuts on a colleague, I think I’d check out individual doctors with people I know and trust who have used them.
So for the purists who think that any mention of sales is antithetical to how legal services are marketed, three words come to mind: get over it. And for the marketing mavens who would have you believe that corporate legal services are just another commodity to be sold, three different words come to mind: not so fast.
Business Development can get lawyers thinking about marketing, and better skilled at it. Marketing can get a firm positioned to make a sale. Sales can get a firm to a “yes/no/maybe later” decision.
But the decision is informed by all these things, and then is probably made by a GC after checking on the firm and lawyers with someone she trusts who is speaking from personal experience.
So here’s Selling the GC - Lesson #2:
Pitching is still defense; a personal referral is the best offense.
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