Practice Building Skills: Straight from the GC's Mouth

Are You Listening to Their Needs?

When the panel of General Counsels spoke, the theme that was revisited throughout the program was that they believed that the law firms that pitched them didn't listen to their needs. Each of the GCs told stories about how law firms would focus on factors such as: size and depth of the law firm, where the attorneys went to school, and what clients they worked with. The attorneys would relate how they knew what the GC and the company needed, without asking any questions. The GCs reported that many attorneys assumed that everyone was the same and the wants and needs of the company didn't really matter. They all said that it was not unusual for firms to give pitches and never ask the GC what he/she was looking for in a law firm. The GCs also reported that regardless of the firm that was providing the pitch, most of the pitches looked the same. They suggested that most firms have comparable resources, and that the situations where one firm was imminently more qualified than the other firms they were pitching against were rare.

Who Gets the Client

Each GC reported that the law firms they chose to work with were the firms that provided the best customer service. All of the GCs on the panel said that they preferred to work with a law firm that listened to their needs rather than the law firm with the biggest name or the best reputation. The GCs said that they felt the greatest connection to the attorneys who would take the time to ask them questions. When law firms asked questions such as, 'What were you hoping that we could do for you?' and 'Ideally, how would you like to work with a firm like ours?' the GCs were interested in giving those firms a chance. In these instances, the GCs believed that the law firm was going to listen to their needs and give them the attention that they needed. When the relationship started this way, the GC looked at the attorney as a trusted adviser rather than just another lawyer.

A Paradigm Shift

There needs to be a paradigm shift when you approach companies about their legal work. The old paradigm consisted of pitching based on your experience and expertise. Attorneys wanted to show companies their capabilities, and to prove how they we were smarter/more capable than everyone else. Unfortunately, companies that have been successful pitching business the old way are discovering that times have changed. The old way doesn't work any more. There is too much competition and not enough loyalty for them to be successful pitching business the old way, a way that worked in the past.

For you to be competitive in today's marketplace, you need to pay closer attention to the needs of your prospects and clients. There is more competition than ever, and you must show your prospects and clients that their business is important to you. You need to show them that you understand how difficult their job is, and that you will work with them in a way that will make their lives easier. When you are developing new business, you should ask questions to find out what is important to each individual client. We can't assume that the way we interact with client A is the same way that we should interact with client B. There are some clients who may have different objectives each time that you work with them. It is your job to ask clients the right questions so that you can determine the best way to work with them.

Some of the questions we should be asking include: What would you like a firm like ours to accomplish for you? Ideally, how would you like to work with a law firm like ours? If there is one thing that your current firm could be doing a little better for you, what would that be? How do you prefer to interact with your outside counsel? The answers to these questions will help you determine if the company you are speaking with is a good fit for you, and it will help you determine the best way to move forward with your pitch. Ultimately, the company that you are pitching needs to be comfortable with your work and your competence, but if they share with you exactly what it is that they are looking for, it will make your job much easier. If you begin to focus on asking your prospects the right questions, it will help the prospect get what he or she is looking for, and it will make it easier for you to make the right pitch.

Chuck Polin and Evan Polin are Partners at The Training Resource Group (www.trainingresourcegroup.com). They provide professional coaching and training to law firms and attorneys (both associates and partners) who are looking to build their practice. They can be reached at 215-320-4650.

When trying to develop your business, it is always important to think about the client or potential client with whom you are speaking. It is vital to find out what their needs are, and to discover how you can best help them with their issues. It is important to take the time to ask your clients and potential clients detailed questions. These questions should not just pertain to the legal matter at hand. You should also be asking questions regarding how the individual or company prefers to interact with their law firm. Two companies may have similar legal issues, but have completely different expectations regarding what they are looking for from their law firm, and what they hope the final outcome will be. One of the major mistakes that we see attorneys and law firms make when they pitch business is that they spend too much time outlining their experience and what they can do for their client (the pitch), and they don't spend enough time asking their potential client what is important to them when hiring an attorney.

Lessons Learned from a Panel Discussion

Back in February, our firm hosted a CLE program in the Greater Philadelphia area titled 'How Attorneys Can Make the Perfect Presentation ' From a General Counsel's Perspective.' The program was a panel discussion and included four of the major rainmakers in Philadelphia and three General Counsel attorneys (GCs) of major companies in the region. As the program progressed, we noticed that there was a huge gap between what the attorneys thought was important to the General Counsels, and what actually mattered to the General Counsels when choosing an attorney. Many of the attorneys walked into that program believing that their credentials and name recognition were some of the most important factors that went into a GC's decision-making process. The answers that the attorneys received as the GCs spoke painted a much different picture.

Are You Listening to Their Needs?

When the panel of General Counsels spoke, the theme that was revisited throughout the program was that they believed that the law firms that pitched them didn't listen to their needs. Each of the GCs told stories about how law firms would focus on factors such as: size and depth of the law firm, where the attorneys went to school, and what clients they worked with. The attorneys would relate how they knew what the GC and the company needed, without asking any questions. The GCs reported that many attorneys assumed that everyone was the same and the wants and needs of the company didn't really matter. They all said that it was not unusual for firms to give pitches and never ask the GC what he/she was looking for in a law firm. The GCs also reported that regardless of the firm that was providing the pitch, most of the pitches looked the same. They suggested that most firms have comparable resources, and that the situations where one firm was imminently more qualified than the other firms they were pitching against were rare.

Who Gets the Client

Each GC reported that the law firms they chose to work with were the firms that provided the best customer service. All of the GCs on the panel said that they preferred to work with a law firm that listened to their needs rather than the law firm with the biggest name or the best reputation. The GCs said that they felt the greatest connection to the attorneys who would take the time to ask them questions. When law firms asked questions such as, 'What were you hoping that we could do for you?' and 'Ideally, how would you like to work with a firm like ours?' the GCs were interested in giving those firms a chance. In these instances, the GCs believed that the law firm was going to listen to their needs and give them the attention that they needed. When the relationship started this way, the GC looked at the attorney as a trusted adviser rather than just another lawyer.

A Paradigm Shift

There needs to be a paradigm shift when you approach companies about their legal work. The old paradigm consisted of pitching based on your experience and expertise. Attorneys wanted to show companies their capabilities, and to prove how they we were smarter/more capable than everyone else. Unfortunately, companies that have been successful pitching business the old way are discovering that times have changed. The old way doesn't work any more. There is too much competition and not enough loyalty for them to be successful pitching business the old way, a way that worked in the past.

For you to be competitive in today's marketplace, you need to pay closer attention to the needs of your prospects and clients. There is more competition than ever, and you must show your prospects and clients that their business is important to you. You need to show them that you understand how difficult their job is, and that you will work with them in a way that will make their lives easier. When you are developing new business, you should ask questions to find out what is important to each individual client. We can't assume that the way we interact with client A is the same way that we should interact with client B. There are some clients who may have different objectives each time that you work with them. It is your job to ask clients the right questions so that you can determine the best way to work with them.

Some of the questions we should be asking include: What would you like a firm like ours to accomplish for you? Ideally, how would you like to work with a law firm like ours? If there is one thing that your current firm could be doing a little better for you, what would that be? How do you prefer to interact with your outside counsel? The answers to these questions will help you determine if the company you are speaking with is a good fit for you, and it will help you determine the best way to move forward with your pitch. Ultimately, the company that you are pitching needs to be comfortable with your work and your competence, but if they share with you exactly what it is that they are looking for, it will make your job much easier. If you begin to focus on asking your prospects the right questions, it will help the prospect get what he or she is looking for, and it will make it easier for you to make the right pitch.

Chuck Polin and Evan Polin are Partners at The Training Resource Group (www.trainingresourcegroup.com). They provide professional coaching and training to law firms and attorneys (both associates and partners) who are looking to build their practice. They can be reached at 215-320-4650.