Sales Speak: Grow Your Clients: MLF's Challenge

AR: Three come to mind.

1. Process improvement training with our law firms and other company stakeholders at the same time, to eliminate inefficiencies in processes between the law firm and the client. This is one of the Aon law department's initiatives. It is unique, and we are proud of it. We are expanding it to as many of our law firms as possible.

2. Implementing global pricing with a preferred firm. We at Aon are also doing this. Other law departments seek and obtain alternative pricing globally from a preferred law firm. This allows clients to avoid the time otherwise consumed going from country leader to country leader of a particular firm, in order to obtain pricing for a cross-border matter.

3. Meeting with the Diversity & Inclusion directors of our go-to law firms. By doing this, we can learn about any successful methods that they use to improve long-term diversity in the profession, and — as importantly — we can assess the status of the firms' diversity. This is another activity that our law department undertakes. And, we are not only looking for diverse numbers of lawyers at a firm. We are looking for diversity on hiring, compensation and management committees. We are looking to improve diversity on the teams that service us. Moreover, we are also beginning to investigate whether hourly billing rates are at parity from a diversity standpoint.

MLF: You are also known for your views on the relationship between law firm and client. Please share a few examples of creative collaboration at your company or in the industry, generally?

AHR: The process improvement initiative above is a key example of working together to develop relationships and solve joint problems.

A firm that provides secondees [people who are transferred temporarily to alternative employment] wins all the way around. Most law departments need secondees for special projects or when there is a temporary leave in the department. A secondee is very valuable to us, and greatly appreciated. And, the secondee learns about our business in depth, making her or him important to us for future matters. From the firms' perspective, their lawyer gets inside practical knowledge of our business and our department. Plus, if the client has to pay something for the secondee, the firm can at least break even while cementing the relationship.

A truly innovative law firm proactively comes to us with an annual scorecard of their work for us. The scorecard would include fees, successes and losses, diversity statistics, and ideas for overall improvement, including ideas for our own company and department.

MLF: MLF readers are attorneys and marketing executives in law firms. Share with us your most successful law firm relationships. What do they do differently?

AHR: In addition to the obvious need that they provide excellent lawyering, the firms with which we have the most successful relationships bring ideas to us on cost reduction. The more a firm truly acts as an extension of our law department, the better the relationship.

Other examples of appreciated partnering include the support of initiatives as training and presentations, and the provision of secondees. They are reliably responsive, teaching their teams how to find them at off hours if a good client such as Aon needs to reach them. They promote and support the business of Aon. They work hard to improve sustainable D&I and share their results with us. The best, most innovative firms also proactively give us an annual report on how they did, financially and otherwise, on our matters for the year.

MLF: When you interview a new law firm or attorney, what questions do you ask them?

AHR: We ask the obvious questions about expertise in the area of need. We also ask about creative fee structures and discounts. We inquire about diversity throughout the firm and on our teams. We also ask about other value-add practices that they can offer us.

MLF: What advice do you have for the readers about the future of legal marketing?

AHR: Marketing a law firm used to mean publishing an ad or an article in a magazine, but much more is needed now.

For example, immediate and concise electronic blasts on new legislation or decisions is a huge marketing value add to companies such as Aon. Offering to partner with us in myriad ways, including presentations, obtaining CLE credit, providing us with less expensive talent whether it be through secondees, staff in a lower cost location, or a contract with a reduced rate supplier, are hugely beneficial.

Firms can also partner with us on process improvement training, as well as shared pro bono work. The more we work together, and the better the people from the law firm and the Aon law department know each other and Aon's business, the more successful we all will be. It is counter-intuitive perhaps, but in this day of technological communications, some of the best law firm marketing still involves getting to know your client, and insight and trust developed through personal relationships.

Conclusion

As you approach your clients during the upcoming holidays and new year, think creatively. Audrey and Aon have given us more than a dozen examples of ways to add value and build stronger relationships with our clients. The MLF team challenges you to undertake one or two of these in your next go-to-market strategies.

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A member of the MLF Board, Beth Cuzzone is Chief Business Growth Officer at Goulston & Storrs. She may be reached at [email protected].