Communicating in the Moment: Managing Expectations Is The Key to Great Client Service!

The stature and credibility of any marketing and business development team in the country is based on the experiences that internal clients have with the team. Each of these service experiences is the result of a multitude of interactions, big and small. I have found that when lawyers or other administrative professionals connect with a member of the team, they have simply worked with someone in “marketing.” This phenomenon has its pros and cons. The benefits are shown when all are pulling in the same direction; great things happen and people notice! The challenge occurs when a ball gets dropped; no matter how significant or insignificant, “marketing” dropped the ball. To help address this challenge, I have worked diligently with my team in discussing positive ways to “communicate in the moment.”

Background

Communicating in the moment helps effectively manage expectations, clarify requests, and ensure that your colleagues are set up for success. Let me provide a little background. My department is structured in two fundamental categories: subject-matter experts, and liaisons to our practices, offices, industries and client service teams. The subject-matter experts hone their craft, the way lawyers do, to ensure they are masters of their domain. These specialties include event management, public relations, Internet marketing, database administration, graphics, RFP/pitch support, and competitive intelligence. The liaisons partner with their attorney groups to develop and execute their strategies. This structure frequently leads to request-handoffs between liaisons and the requisite subject-matter experts. These handoffs can take a variety of shapes and sizes. When handoffs are performed successfully, colleagues are set up for success and our lawyers leave happy, and tell others. When handled poorly, “marketing” doesn't have its act together.

When fielding requests, we aim for clarity on the desired goals, timelines, and deliverables. Gathering this information at the outset helps our group members deliver more effective service and manage expectations. I've included several scenarios to illustrate potential options and how I'd recommend the interactions be handled.

Public Relations

A phone call to a marketing staffer from a lawyer: “I just got AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. Can we please send out a press release?” There are a variety of potential responses here:

1. Sure, I'd be happy to help.
2. That's not my job. I don't do press releases.
3. We don't do press releases for that kind of stuff.
4. My colleagues will do it, and get you on the front page of The Business Journal .

I actually wouldn't recommend any of these responses, even though some of them may be correct. At our firm, we don't do press releases for an AV rating, given that we don't deem it to be newsworthy enough to warrant a release. Based on our experience, we also know that it is highly unlikely to get any sort of meaningful coverage. And promising front-page coverage for anything is a no-no. This interaction provides us with a teaching moment with the requesting attorney.

Recommendation: “Congratulations! This is certainly something we can add to your biography. Based on our experience, this type of accolade rarely receives the type of coverage we might hope for, as the media doesn't consider it to be incredibly newsworthy. So, we don't send out press releases for this. I will, however, have my colleague update your bio.”

Advertising

The head of your office catches you in the hallway with a copy of a recent business publication. She shows you the advertisement from a competing firm and asks, “Why aren't we doing ads like this?” There are a variety of potential responses here:

1. I'll get with graphics and have them create an ad like that one.
2. I'm pretty sure we recently modified our advertising strategy, but call our Director of Marketing. He made all of those decisions.
3. I know, we should totally advertise more, I'm not sure what my boss is thinking.
4. We don't have the budget to do that.

This issue presents itself from time to time as our competitive spirit can lead to a desire to take a copycat approach. I've joked in the past that law firms are always in a race to be second. Each of the responses above doesn't really provide the appropriate context and rationale behind an effective advertising campaign. Again, this provides us with an opportunity to more completely describe our strategic approach.

Recommendation: “Based on our experience, we've found that the cost-benefit analysis of advertising doesn't yield the same kind of results as other, more hands-on efforts like client visits or industry participation. We've worked hard to modify our advertising approach to ensure that we're getting the maximum impressions with the necessary frequency to be worthwhile. We also don't want to advertise simply because others are doing it.”

Forwarding E-mails

One of your partners sends an e-mail to inquire about the status of speakers and RSVPs for an upcoming program. You proceed to get into an e-mail exchange with your colleague on the events team. This discussion leads to some comments about weekend plans, perceptions of the partner's condescending tone in his e-mail, and what you plan to have for lunch. There are a few possibilities in crafting a response:

1. Forward the e-mail chain with the requisite attachments.
2. Call the partner to give him a verbal update on the speakers, and separately send the RSVP list.
3. Stop by the partner's office to give him a verbal update on the speakers, and arrive with a printout of the RSVP list.
4. Create a clean e-mail that includes the update and the RSVP list with recommended next steps to gain additional interest in the program.

We all routinely find ourselves inundated with a deluge of e-mails and we are very quick to respond so we can file them away and move on to the next task. This inbox challenge has led to pretty sloppy habits over the years, and can frequently land a team member in a bad spot. It is important to be incredibly mindful of what's occurring throughout an entire e-mail chain prior to simply forwarding. Also, as a courtesy to your partner, it is best to respond with the information requested (along with other value-added recommendations).

Recommendation: Option 1 is an absolute no go. Your choice among the other alternatives will vary based on your understanding of the lawyer's communication preferences. Since I recommend that our marketing team deliver service in person, it may be a nice touch to visit the lawyer's office. However, he may reside in another office, or the simplicity of this request may not warrant a personal visit.

Need it ASAP

A management committee member calls and says she needs a client alert, competitive intelligence report, and just about anything else as soon as possible. While this example is vague, below are a few potential responses to help get her what she needs:

1. Respond by saying, “Poor planning on your part does not create an emergency on mine.”
2. Ignore the e-mail altogether in the hope that the issue will resolve itself.
3. Attempt to clarify the desired deliverable and the true deadline.
4. Jump through all the hoops in the world and meet the demand.

Urgency is a frequent demand in our profession. We often find ourselves responding to requests where the deliverable was desired yesterday. Ensuring that “key clients” (aka firm leaders) are satisfied consumers of your services is key to ensuring your success. You should work hard to honor the request, but also share how the work product could be improved with a longer lead time.

Recommendation: Pick up the phone or go to his/her office to more completely understand the request. Has this already been requested and we missed a deadline? How complicated is the request? What's involved in delivering on the request? It is important to break down the request and determine what can be delivered quickly and what may need to be provided at a later time. Then, work to make it happen.

Conclusion

This theme of communicating in the moment applies equally to the client service our lawyers provide our clients. It is also critical that the team have a collegial, trusting work environment. Knowing that everyone is on the hook for these interactions ensures that each individual wants to deliver for his or her colleagues. This approach does not work well when all team members don't carry their weight. Make sure that your interactions provide context for the request and you deliver quality work product with a smile!

Adam Severson is Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Baker Donelson, and President-Elect of the Legal Marketing Association. He is a frequent speaker and author on business development, marketing, and the business of law. Reach him at [email protected].

The stature and credibility of any marketing and business development team in the country is based on the experiences that internal clients have with the team. Each of these service experiences is the result of a multitude of interactions, big and small. I have found that when lawyers or other administrative professionals connect with a member of the team, they have simply worked with someone in “marketing.” This phenomenon has its pros and cons. The benefits are shown when all are pulling in the same direction; great things happen and people notice! The challenge occurs when a ball gets dropped; no matter how significant or insignificant, “marketing” dropped the ball. To help address this challenge, I have worked diligently with my team in discussing positive ways to “communicate in the moment.”

Background

Communicating in the moment helps effectively manage expectations, clarify requests, and ensure that your colleagues are set up for success. Let me provide a little background. My department is structured in two fundamental categories: subject-matter experts, and liaisons to our practices, offices, industries and client service teams. The subject-matter experts hone their craft, the way lawyers do, to ensure they are masters of their domain. These specialties include event management, public relations, Internet marketing, database administration, graphics, RFP/pitch support, and competitive intelligence. The liaisons partner with their attorney groups to develop and execute their strategies. This structure frequently leads to request-handoffs between liaisons and the requisite subject-matter experts. These handoffs can take a variety of shapes and sizes. When handoffs are performed successfully, colleagues are set up for success and our lawyers leave happy, and tell others. When handled poorly, “marketing” doesn't have its act together.

When fielding requests, we aim for clarity on the desired goals, timelines, and deliverables. Gathering this information at the outset helps our group members deliver more effective service and manage expectations. I've included several scenarios to illustrate potential options and how I'd recommend the interactions be handled.

Public Relations

A phone call to a marketing staffer from a lawyer: “I just got AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. Can we please send out a press release?” There are a variety of potential responses here:

1. Sure, I'd be happy to help.
2. That's not my job. I don't do press releases.
3. We don't do press releases for that kind of stuff.
4. My colleagues will do it, and get you on the front page of The Business Journal .

I actually wouldn't recommend any of these responses, even though some of them may be correct. At our firm, we don't do press releases for an AV rating, given that we don't deem it to be newsworthy enough to warrant a release. Based on our experience, we also know that it is highly unlikely to get any sort of meaningful coverage. And promising front-page coverage for anything is a no-no. This interaction provides us with a teaching moment with the requesting attorney.

Recommendation: “Congratulations! This is certainly something we can add to your biography. Based on our experience, this type of accolade rarely receives the type of coverage we might hope for, as the media doesn't consider it to be incredibly newsworthy. So, we don't send out press releases for this. I will, however, have my colleague update your bio.”

Advertising

The head of your office catches you in the hallway with a copy of a recent business publication. She shows you the advertisement from a competing firm and asks, “Why aren't we doing ads like this?” There are a variety of potential responses here:

1. I'll get with graphics and have them create an ad like that one.
2. I'm pretty sure we recently modified our advertising strategy, but call our Director of Marketing. He made all of those decisions.
3. I know, we should totally advertise more, I'm not sure what my boss is thinking.
4. We don't have the budget to do that.

This issue presents itself from time to time as our competitive spirit can lead to a desire to take a copycat approach. I've joked in the past that law firms are always in a race to be second. Each of the responses above doesn't really provide the appropriate context and rationale behind an effective advertising campaign. Again, this provides us with an opportunity to more completely describe our strategic approach.

Recommendation: “Based on our experience, we've found that the cost-benefit analysis of advertising doesn't yield the same kind of results as other, more hands-on efforts like client visits or industry participation. We've worked hard to modify our advertising approach to ensure that we're getting the maximum impressions with the necessary frequency to be worthwhile. We also don't want to advertise simply because others are doing it.”

Forwarding E-mails

One of your partners sends an e-mail to inquire about the status of speakers and RSVPs for an upcoming program. You proceed to get into an e-mail exchange with your colleague on the events team. This discussion leads to some comments about weekend plans, perceptions of the partner's condescending tone in his e-mail, and what you plan to have for lunch. There are a few possibilities in crafting a response:

1. Forward the e-mail chain with the requisite attachments.
2. Call the partner to give him a verbal update on the speakers, and separately send the RSVP list.
3. Stop by the partner's office to give him a verbal update on the speakers, and arrive with a printout of the RSVP list.
4. Create a clean e-mail that includes the update and the RSVP list with recommended next steps to gain additional interest in the program.

We all routinely find ourselves inundated with a deluge of e-mails and we are very quick to respond so we can file them away and move on to the next task. This inbox challenge has led to pretty sloppy habits over the years, and can frequently land a team member in a bad spot. It is important to be incredibly mindful of what's occurring throughout an entire e-mail chain prior to simply forwarding. Also, as a courtesy to your partner, it is best to respond with the information requested (along with other value-added recommendations).

Recommendation: Option 1 is an absolute no go. Your choice among the other alternatives will vary based on your understanding of the lawyer's communication preferences. Since I recommend that our marketing team deliver service in person, it may be a nice touch to visit the lawyer's office. However, he may reside in another office, or the simplicity of this request may not warrant a personal visit.

Need it ASAP

A management committee member calls and says she needs a client alert, competitive intelligence report, and just about anything else as soon as possible. While this example is vague, below are a few potential responses to help get her what she needs:

1. Respond by saying, “Poor planning on your part does not create an emergency on mine.”
2. Ignore the e-mail altogether in the hope that the issue will resolve itself.
3. Attempt to clarify the desired deliverable and the true deadline.
4. Jump through all the hoops in the world and meet the demand.

Urgency is a frequent demand in our profession. We often find ourselves responding to requests where the deliverable was desired yesterday. Ensuring that “key clients” (aka firm leaders) are satisfied consumers of your services is key to ensuring your success. You should work hard to honor the request, but also share how the work product could be improved with a longer lead time.

Recommendation: Pick up the phone or go to his/her office to more completely understand the request. Has this already been requested and we missed a deadline? How complicated is the request? What's involved in delivering on the request? It is important to break down the request and determine what can be delivered quickly and what may need to be provided at a later time. Then, work to make it happen.

Conclusion

This theme of communicating in the moment applies equally to the client service our lawyers provide our clients. It is also critical that the team have a collegial, trusting work environment. Knowing that everyone is on the hook for these interactions ensures that each individual wants to deliver for his or her colleagues. This approach does not work well when all team members don't carry their weight. Make sure that your interactions provide context for the request and you deliver quality work product with a smile!

Adam Severson is Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Baker Donelson, and President-Elect of the Legal Marketing Association. He is a frequent speaker and author on business development, marketing, and the business of law. Reach him at [email protected].