<b>The MLF 50:</b> Profile of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner

Brown Raysman faces unique and interesting challenges. One of them is how to optimize ROI with a marketing budget of a midsize firm competing against firms three or four times its size, while still meeting the overall goal of greater recognition.

Led by Craig Levinson, Director of Marketing and Business Devel-opment, an incredibly astute strategy was developed that shifted the immediate focus away from costly advertising and firm branding campaigns to a focus on more efficient tactics, including reducing cost of sales through firm wide marketing and sales and focusing on public relations and the utilization of rankings to build the brands of attorneys and discrete groups in specific verticals and geographic areas.

Brown Raysman recognized that the most efficient use of its marketing dollars was to enlist a marketing /sales training program that would help the firm's attorneys target their business development efforts more efficiently, raise their “batting averages” in prospect pitches, and reposition many of them as experts on “hot” business issues where they could command premium pricing. There was a concerted effort made to move away from commoditized work where discounts, RFPs and difficult clients were the norm. The firm shifted a considerable amount of its budget into marketing and sales training and, in doing so, developed three levels of training for their attorneys ' Ph.D., M.B.A. and B.A.

Ph.D.: Senior Partners ' instruction provided by outside coaches assisted by Craig Levinson.

M.B.A.: Counsel and Junior Partners ' instruction provided by Craig Levinson and outside coaches.

B.A.: Associates ' instruction provided by Craig Levinson.

The training for each level differed only slightly; all were based on the SalesResults precepts used in the Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. Program

• One Day Workshop. Establish conceptual framework, eliminate traditional sales activities that deter lawyers and waste their time.
• 90 Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Coaches & Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's Demand Trigger(tm) (ie, the underlying objective business problems or situations that trigger demand for each practice group's services) (DT); align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan. Craig Levinson has also instituted a unique approach to overcoming cross-selling difficulties. It is based on a theory expounded by Mike O'Horo of Sales-Results, Inc., who trademarked the terminology “Demand Trigger”. O'Horo states: “The unsupportable assumption is that knowing about and describing a colleague's service is a desirable sales behavior. It is, in fact, counterproductive, as illustrated by the difficulty professionals experience with it. Don't try to know enough about your colleagues' services to pitch them. There is no need. Instead, all you have to do is learn your colleagues DT.” Levinson has taken the theory a step further. At Brown Raysman's most recent Partner Retreat, breakout sessions were focused on isolating DTs in order to teach departments how to sell other practices. They used the DTs to educate attorneys about the key business issues triggering the need for other disciplines. Attorneys are e-mailed a new DT every few weeks. Additionally, Levinson worked with the attorneys to be able to “probe” their clients and prospects for the presence of these triggers. A real estate attorney, “selling” the firm's IP practice to an existing client (one who is on the board of his company), might say: “With the recent changes in corporate governance, a lot of the directors and officers of our client companies are concerned about being held personally liable for activities that they had otherwise taken for granted. For example, a Board member can be held personally liable for improper valuations of a company's intellectual property assets. Additionally, he or she can be held personally liable for triple damages if the company is found to have willfully infringed a patent. Does your Board have a deep enough understanding of its intellectual property and the liability implications attached to it? Has anyone reviewed your portfolios to insure that, personally, you and the other members are adequately protected? Would it make sense for me to introduce you to a partner of mine who is helping our clients evaluate their portfolios and install procedures and processes to keep them informed and protected going forward?” This has helped the firm's partners make some serious in-roads in terms of service expansion with existing clients. They have also brought in new clients through the same approach.
• Just-in-Time Coaching (unlimited calls to coaches). Assist lawyers with plan implementation by assessing imminent interactions with individuals in target market, focusing on appropriate goals for encounter, explaining what to do, how to do it, sequencing, what to say and how to say it.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail; also reminds participants of coaches' availability to help with implementation.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach, 6 month meeting with Craig Levinson and Peter Brown (Managing Partner) to discuss progress, provide structure and set future goals.

M.B.A. Program

• Half Day Workshop. Establish conceptual framework, eliminate traditional sales activities that deter lawyers and waste their time.
• 45-Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Coaches & Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's DT; align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan.
• Three Months of Scheduled Follow-up by Coaches. Assist lawyers with plan implementation by assessing imminent interactions with individuals in target market, focusing on appropriate goals for encounter, explaining what to do, how to do it, sequencing, what to say and how to say it.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach; 6 month meeting with Craig Levinson and Peter Brown (Managing Partner) to discuss progress, provide structure and set future goals.

B.A. Program

• Two Hour Seminar. Establish conceptual framework, provide a marketing/targeting strategy to help Associates find undeveloped vertical markets/business issues and build a competitive intelligence network.
• 30 Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's DT; align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach.

See also, “A Marketing Program Without A Sales Component? Sheer Folly” by Craig Levinson and Mike O'Horo, Sales in the Law Firm, a Special Supplement to Marketing The Law Firm, September 2004. This article focused on “law firm marketing expenditures which have grown from discretionary amounts that attracted little attention to seven- and eight-figure budgets. Partnerships now think more like investors: they expect an appropriate return from marketing investments in the form of better clients with higher margins. Why do so many firms struggle to achieve that return, despite dedicating more money, time and professional attention each year.” The firm also realized that marketing/sales training has become a significant factor about which potential laterals inquire.

Results

Although the initial programs were held in August of 2004, Brown Raysman has already seen considerable client acquisition attributed to the training. From these new clients alone, the firm will likely generate $1 million to $1.5 million of revenue this year ' and the work should recur each year.

While these early clients are a great affirmation for the program, the firm realizes that the true value of the program is yet to come. Through the program, public relations and Craig Levinson's “panel approach” to marketing, a number of the firm's most senior partners have been completely repositioned as experts in niche areas or on hot business issues. The firm is starting to see entirely new practice areas and significant business resulting from these partners' efforts.

Brown Raysman also believes in the power of internal promotion by “broadcasting” these victories resulting in a flood of attorneys interested in the next round of training. In addition, the “efficient targeting + efficient sales + client need focus” mentality fostered by these programs has started to pervade the firm. It has come to the point where the partners want to incorporate these messages into the firm's Web site and collateral redesign (which began this past summer).

Should the firm get full partner buy-in on its current concept, you will see a particular sales-focused/client-centric approach for Web and collateral that, to my knowledge, has never before been attempted in this industry.

Implementation ' Public Relations/Rankings

Brown Raysman began by reducing its advertising “spend” by two-thirds ' eliminating all spot advertising and continuing only (relatively inexpensive) targeted campaigns in specific niche/trade publications. The firm shifted dollars to PR ' hiring two PR agencies (one legal ' Jaffe Associates; one industry-related ' Marino Organization) with hourly and flat rate pricing. The total annual cost for the two agencies is less than the cost of one full-time PR manager.

Brown Raysman also realized that increasing the global recognition of an entire firm requires an incredible amount of momentum, many years and many dollars. The firm's goal, instead, was to use PR to build the “personal brands” of partners and the brands of practice/industry groups: 1) in its core areas of strength; 2) in specific verticals; and 3) around hot business issues. The firm also endeavored to make a bigger push to get on the radar of various lawyer/firm rankings (eg, Chambers) and to promote these positive rankings.

Results

• The overall volume of media mentions has quadrupled.
• Within targeted areas, the firm has significantly increased the frequency of exposure to its messages among potential leads. People in the technology end of the Pharmaceutical industry, for example, are consistently seeing Brown Raysman articles, speaking engagements and events discussing the issues surrounding RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
• The brands have become much more recognized within specific verticals. Within the Real Estate industry, for example, Brown Raysman has escaped the “general practice firm” label or the “IT/IP firm” label. In that world, the firm is increasingly being described as “a top Real Estate firm with additional capabilities.” The firm considers this a major victory.
• Chambers Guide rankings quadrupled in 1 year (including the firm's first national ranking):
  • 2004: One practice group, two attorneys honored.
  • 2005: Four practice groups; nine attorneys honored.
• First time entries into various rankings:
  • New York Magazine Best Lawyers ' Four attorneys.
  • HROA Top Outsourcing Attorneys ' Two of the six attorneys honored nationally.
  • Who's Who of Regulatory Communications Lawyers ' one of only two attorneys honored from State of NY.
  • SuperLawyers ' firm's first ranking in California.
• Major practices profiled in industry/niche publications for the first time ever.
• Reprints of these rankings and profiles (third-party credibility pieces):
  • 2004: One (and it was old).
  • 2005: 12

Overall, the firm's increase in revenue was slightly higher than projected in 2004. Brown Raysman will exceed 2005 projections. The firm is also on pace to increase its attorney count by 15% over this coming year. While the growth and increase in revenue and profitable clients is obviously attributable to numerous factors, Craig Levinson's marketing strategy has been lauded internally and externally for playing a big part in the firm's current success.

Brown Raysman faces unique and interesting challenges. One of them is how to optimize ROI with a marketing budget of a midsize firm competing against firms three or four times its size, while still meeting the overall goal of greater recognition.

Led by Craig Levinson, Director of Marketing and Business Devel-opment, an incredibly astute strategy was developed that shifted the immediate focus away from costly advertising and firm branding campaigns to a focus on more efficient tactics, including reducing cost of sales through firm wide marketing and sales and focusing on public relations and the utilization of rankings to build the brands of attorneys and discrete groups in specific verticals and geographic areas.

Brown Raysman recognized that the most efficient use of its marketing dollars was to enlist a marketing /sales training program that would help the firm's attorneys target their business development efforts more efficiently, raise their “batting averages” in prospect pitches, and reposition many of them as experts on “hot” business issues where they could command premium pricing. There was a concerted effort made to move away from commoditized work where discounts, RFPs and difficult clients were the norm. The firm shifted a considerable amount of its budget into marketing and sales training and, in doing so, developed three levels of training for their attorneys ' Ph.D., M.B.A. and B.A.

Ph.D.: Senior Partners ' instruction provided by outside coaches assisted by Craig Levinson.

M.B.A.: Counsel and Junior Partners ' instruction provided by Craig Levinson and outside coaches.

B.A.: Associates ' instruction provided by Craig Levinson.

The training for each level differed only slightly; all were based on the SalesResults precepts used in the Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. Program

• One Day Workshop. Establish conceptual framework, eliminate traditional sales activities that deter lawyers and waste their time.
• 90 Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Coaches & Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's Demand Trigger(tm) (ie, the underlying objective business problems or situations that trigger demand for each practice group's services) (DT); align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan. Craig Levinson has also instituted a unique approach to overcoming cross-selling difficulties. It is based on a theory expounded by Mike O'Horo of Sales-Results, Inc., who trademarked the terminology “Demand Trigger”. O'Horo states: “The unsupportable assumption is that knowing about and describing a colleague's service is a desirable sales behavior. It is, in fact, counterproductive, as illustrated by the difficulty professionals experience with it. Don't try to know enough about your colleagues' services to pitch them. There is no need. Instead, all you have to do is learn your colleagues DT.” Levinson has taken the theory a step further. At Brown Raysman's most recent Partner Retreat, breakout sessions were focused on isolating DTs in order to teach departments how to sell other practices. They used the DTs to educate attorneys about the key business issues triggering the need for other disciplines. Attorneys are e-mailed a new DT every few weeks. Additionally, Levinson worked with the attorneys to be able to “probe” their clients and prospects for the presence of these triggers. A real estate attorney, “selling” the firm's IP practice to an existing client (one who is on the board of his company), might say: “With the recent changes in corporate governance, a lot of the directors and officers of our client companies are concerned about being held personally liable for activities that they had otherwise taken for granted. For example, a Board member can be held personally liable for improper valuations of a company's intellectual property assets. Additionally, he or she can be held personally liable for triple damages if the company is found to have willfully infringed a patent. Does your Board have a deep enough understanding of its intellectual property and the liability implications attached to it? Has anyone reviewed your portfolios to insure that, personally, you and the other members are adequately protected? Would it make sense for me to introduce you to a partner of mine who is helping our clients evaluate their portfolios and install procedures and processes to keep them informed and protected going forward?” This has helped the firm's partners make some serious in-roads in terms of service expansion with existing clients. They have also brought in new clients through the same approach.
• Just-in-Time Coaching (unlimited calls to coaches). Assist lawyers with plan implementation by assessing imminent interactions with individuals in target market, focusing on appropriate goals for encounter, explaining what to do, how to do it, sequencing, what to say and how to say it.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail; also reminds participants of coaches' availability to help with implementation.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach, 6 month meeting with Craig Levinson and Peter Brown (Managing Partner) to discuss progress, provide structure and set future goals.

M.B.A. Program

• Half Day Workshop. Establish conceptual framework, eliminate traditional sales activities that deter lawyers and waste their time.
• 45-Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Coaches & Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's DT; align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan.
• Three Months of Scheduled Follow-up by Coaches. Assist lawyers with plan implementation by assessing imminent interactions with individuals in target market, focusing on appropriate goals for encounter, explaining what to do, how to do it, sequencing, what to say and how to say it.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach; 6 month meeting with Craig Levinson and Peter Brown (Managing Partner) to discuss progress, provide structure and set future goals.

B.A. Program

• Two Hour Seminar. Establish conceptual framework, provide a marketing/targeting strategy to help Associates find undeveloped vertical markets/business issues and build a competitive intelligence network.
• 30 Minute Individual Planning Meeting with Craig Levinson. Define each lawyer's DT; align lawyer with and focus on vertical industry/business issue in which DT is found with sufficient frequency and impact to constitute and investment-worthy market; devise market penetration strategy and define initial tactics; coordinate with firm's PR effort; establish weekly time budget committed to the plan.
• ResultsMail. Practical weekly sales tip via e-mail.
• Follow-up. Regular collaboration with Craig Levinson on strategy and utilization of additional marketing investments ' PR agencies, sponsorships/speaking engagements, panel approach.

See also, “A Marketing Program Without A Sales Component? Sheer Folly” by Craig Levinson and Mike O'Horo, Sales in the Law Firm, a Special Supplement to Marketing The Law Firm, September 2004. This article focused on “law firm marketing expenditures which have grown from discretionary amounts that attracted little attention to seven- and eight-figure budgets. Partnerships now think more like investors: they expect an appropriate return from marketing investments in the form of better clients with higher margins. Why do so many firms struggle to achieve that return, despite dedicating more money, time and professional attention each year.” The firm also realized that marketing/sales training has become a significant factor about which potential laterals inquire.

Results

Although the initial programs were held in August of 2004, Brown Raysman has already seen considerable client acquisition attributed to the training. From these new clients alone, the firm will likely generate $1 million to $1.5 million of revenue this year ' and the work should recur each year.

While these early clients are a great affirmation for the program, the firm realizes that the true value of the program is yet to come. Through the program, public relations and Craig Levinson's “panel approach” to marketing, a number of the firm's most senior partners have been completely repositioned as experts in niche areas or on hot business issues. The firm is starting to see entirely new practice areas and significant business resulting from these partners' efforts.

Brown Raysman also believes in the power of internal promotion by “broadcasting” these victories resulting in a flood of attorneys interested in the next round of training. In addition, the “efficient targeting + efficient sales + client need focus” mentality fostered by these programs has started to pervade the firm. It has come to the point where the partners want to incorporate these messages into the firm's Web site and collateral redesign (which began this past summer).

Should the firm get full partner buy-in on its current concept, you will see a particular sales-focused/client-centric approach for Web and collateral that, to my knowledge, has never before been attempted in this industry.

Implementation ' Public Relations/Rankings

Brown Raysman began by reducing its advertising “spend” by two-thirds ' eliminating all spot advertising and continuing only (relatively inexpensive) targeted campaigns in specific niche/trade publications. The firm shifted dollars to PR ' hiring two PR agencies (one legal ' Jaffe Associates; one industry-related ' Marino Organization) with hourly and flat rate pricing. The total annual cost for the two agencies is less than the cost of one full-time PR manager.

Brown Raysman also realized that increasing the global recognition of an entire firm requires an incredible amount of momentum, many years and many dollars. The firm's goal, instead, was to use PR to build the “personal brands” of partners and the brands of practice/industry groups: 1) in its core areas of strength; 2) in specific verticals; and 3) around hot business issues. The firm also endeavored to make a bigger push to get on the radar of various lawyer/firm rankings (eg, Chambers) and to promote these positive rankings.

Results

• The overall volume of media mentions has quadrupled.
• Within targeted areas, the firm has significantly increased the frequency of exposure to its messages among potential leads. People in the technology end of the Pharmaceutical industry, for example, are consistently seeing Brown Raysman articles, speaking engagements and events discussing the issues surrounding RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
• The brands have become much more recognized within specific verticals. Within the Real Estate industry, for example, Brown Raysman has escaped the “general practice firm” label or the “IT/IP firm” label. In that world, the firm is increasingly being described as “a top Real Estate firm with additional capabilities.” The firm considers this a major victory.
• Chambers Guide rankings quadrupled in 1 year (including the firm's first national ranking):
  • 2004: One practice group, two attorneys honored.
  • 2005: Four practice groups; nine attorneys honored.
• First time entries into various rankings:
  • New York Magazine Best Lawyers ' Four attorneys.
  • HROA Top Outsourcing Attorneys ' Two of the six attorneys honored nationally.
  • Who's Who of Regulatory Communications Lawyers ' one of only two attorneys honored from State of NY.
  • SuperLawyers ' firm's first ranking in California.
• Major practices profiled in industry/niche publications for the first time ever.
• Reprints of these rankings and profiles (third-party credibility pieces):
  • 2004: One (and it was old).
  • 2005: 12

Overall, the firm's increase in revenue was slightly higher than projected in 2004. Brown Raysman will exceed 2005 projections. The firm is also on pace to increase its attorney count by 15% over this coming year. While the growth and increase in revenue and profitable clients is obviously attributable to numerous factors, Craig Levinson's marketing strategy has been lauded internally and externally for playing a big part in the firm's current success.