11/30/2010
The way law firms have conducted marketing, as well as business development initiatives, for the past two years have resulted in a shift that made the lunch calendars of general counsels increasingly crowded.
The shift from the focus on branding and marketing within law firms, to one which is centered on business development happened even before the recession. This made the lawyers come closer to their clients in order to keep the work they have been doing, as well as search for new sources of business.
The founder of LegalBizDev, Jim Hassett, who has been conducting sales training for two decades, and has focused the last five years of that on attorneys, said that the recession brought forth 3 obvious changes in the field of marketing and business development.
Hassett also said that the value integrated itself in the selling process, which drove the focus on defensive marketing to current clients, while moving away from marketing and towards business development.
In contrast with other businesses, law firms have always devoted more resources to marketing compared to selling or business development. However, this was mainly due to the fact that lawyers do not want to sell, but would rather prefer to have others do it for them through a marketing department.
Mr. Hassett said, “I think … lawyers are coming around and understanding that [selling is] really something they have to do themselves.” He further added, “You can’t hire somebody to do your pushups.”
