Managing Director at Henley Reid | Career Growth & Progression | Women in Leadership
Back as a lawyer in 2001, I could see that golf was going to be as important for my career as doing a great job. The golf course was where client relationships were enhanced while hitting balls across a field, and where lawyers looking to impress their partners would limber up with all the golf kit to join in on special golf days. I watched senior women that were not yet partners become golf enthusiasts, and while I am sure some of them did like the game, it wasn't particularly inspiring to watch women play a traditionally male dominated sport to enhance their careers. Whilst the days of the golf course, or staying out for beers until 2am, do still exist as traditional ways of building client relationships, I am happy to say that these business development methods are outdated in many legal specialisations and clients respond positively to different and more modern ways of getting to know their law firm providers. The partners I know that are best at new client development don't just focus on a client lunch to ask for work. They build their relationships carefully, finding common ground, thinking about how they can help a client with interesting articles, providing initial legal information (without being paid for it), or preparing interesting pieces on new areas of the law or something specific to their requirements. They are in touch on a regular basis to continually build this connection. These partners engage constantly with their BD team and their lawyers to help prepare these articles, presentations and seminars, saving them time and knowing that it benefits the firm and the lawyers in their team for their practice to be busy. Their networks within their sector are extensive. And most importantly, these partners are seen. On Linkedin, at industry events, at in person meetings. And thankfully, not on golf courses or in bars until 2am. #lawfirmpartners #businessdevelopment #newclients
Justin Moses
5mo
From the client side, the distinctions that you draw are critically important Samantha Cowling! Sure, golf days and great lunches/dinners are a lot of fun, but what makes a real difference to the client is showing genuine curiosity, interest and engagement with their business/industry through exactly what you're describing - done proactively and not merely when asked. (And a warning to firms about keeping CRM systems up-to-date - for 18 months after telling a firm that I had given up a particular sporting pursuit as being too risky, I was still being asked about how I was enjoying it - clearly listening and updating wasn't a strength - even on a minor issue!!)
Nick Brown
5mo
Got to say, as a law firm client I'm enormously glad no one's ever invited me to, or suggested, a golf day. I'll take the lawyer who understands our business, who adds value to it and who is a good person.
Rachel Delaney
5mo
I recall many years ago being completely excluded from the invitation for a day on the course, nobody even bothered to ask me if I played. I decided I was going to learn, mostly out of spite. But it's not authentic to me and who I am now, and I've hardly needed to use the skills I (once) possessed.
This post resonates, Sam! Great reflections on what a client is looking for from law firms. As a summer clerk at a law firm many years ago, I remember being terrified of the golf chat!
Aleisa Crepin
5mo
Great advice.
Gary Sheldrake Tessa Hollingworth Adele Callaghan similar to our conversation yesterday!
Please! I am not seeking any more mentoring or NED positions. Retired business guy and chartered accountant. Nonconformist, rational, creative. I help good people. Built and sold businesses. Ethics before gain.
5moI was an extremely successful acquirer of work. Don't play golf, rare business lunches/dinners- never drinking into the night, rarely went to networking events, or socials, or rugby, racing ( both bore me rigid anyway). Was in Rotary, but not the Masons. Acquired far more work than my partners who did that stuff...for a start not wasting that time gave me a lot more time to ensure clients got really great service, so I could ask them for referrals with a clear conscience. And did! I used to get the client calls for one of my partners who was a very keen golfer...and quite a few knew he was out on the links rather than dealing with their important work. Didn't go down well! Nor did clients who thought they should have been invited to our golf day and weren't: it was, btw, expensive and made a significant negative return on investment.a rather terse partners' meeting when I showed the ROI calculations and removed it from the budget. One partner claimed that important client X would leave if we didn't invite the directors to it. I told him that if our service was so poor that was what kept them, we were in trouble. It was never needed, it was just blokes enjoying a lifestyle they could pretend was 'for Business': I retired 1998..