The Great Sales Force Myth

by Micah Buchdahl

What would it take to put you into a brand new bankruptcy filing today?

Hourly rates increase on the first day of Q1. You should really get litigating today.
It is one of the biggest reasons I have cut back on participating in law marketing conferences. Each year or so, it is another bogus "trend". Law Firms will never turn its professional services into hokey product or service sales. Another example of a few firms doing something that will be long dead in a year or two. It has always been and will always be about turning attorneys into rainmakers through smart business development technique. And in a post-Enron world, many of the concerns spurring on these sales approaches went the way of Arthur Andersen.

One recently promoted session (written by someone selling these sessions) highlighted that a three-panel group of experts had declared it so. The "experts" happened to be selling sales training, or were the typical law firm "customer" shill going along for the ride (and the free seminar trip). It was some of the most bogus material I've seen.

The fact is there are a few firms that have employed "Director of Sales" related roles. It will be short-lived. This should not be mistaken for firms that have anointed a partner additional rainmaking responsibility. It should also not be mistaken for firms that are providing more business development training and "sales-oriented" guidance to its attorneys. Those all make perfect sense.

At a recent Philadelphia lawyers function, I asked a few Corporate Counsel colleagues how they would react to being pitched by a non-lawyer from a firm. They were horrified that anyone would even think to send a "sales rep" to pitch services. One GC last year told me how he stopped sending business to one firm because he was being bothered by the firm's "marketing lady." If you want to try and follow such models, good luck to you.

Here is what you should or could be doing:

· Provide attorneys with business training workshops to sharpen "sales techniques" that might fit into the practice of law.

· Structure a flow for maximizing revenue opportunities from current clients, and strategizing to build up other practice groups and/or offices.

· Follow The Leaders. Give the best rainmaking partners these so-called "sales" responsibilities to implement what he or she does in other practice sections.

· Hire skilled business development attorneys that have less billable responsibilities and are expected to assist others in revenue opportunities.

· Take a good, hard look at your marketing budget (including staff, resources and spending) to see if it is being put to the best use.