Make It Stick: Eight Strategies to Make Your Business Development Training More Effective

While there is a renewed focus on business development in general, there is not much of a focus on the training, learning and development required to assure the success of the training. A recent survey of 30 large law firms conducted by eLegal Training found a myriad of challenges and inefficiencies in the current state of business development training in law firms. We took those findings and our own experience reviewing and designing business development training programs to recommend a number of steps law firm leaders can take to improve the quality and effectiveness of their business development training and coaching programs.

Conduct a Training Needs Assessment Before Designing the Training Program

People are different, have different needs and learn in different ways. They have different styles of learning, preferences for learning, need to start at different levels and have different time constraints for learning. Before designing a training program, perform a needs assessment to identify the unique training requirements of each main practice area in the firm and the lawyers targeted for the learning. Identify and map out the practice area's unique business development methodology and processes and then design the training program to those specifications. Then, survey learners for how they want to learn, how they want to access the training and what mediums they prefer to be trained through as well as how best to reinforce the training throughout the workday. Deliver the training in the modalities that the various groups of learners prefer.

Focus on Skills, Not Just Knowledge

Telling is not training. Knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it. Just ask anyone who has been told how to parallel park but hasn't actually tried to parallel park. They learn quickly that knowing what to do in theory doesn't mean you're able to do it in practice. It takes practice to learn to parallel park well. The same is true of business development.

Training that gets results builds knowledge and skills. Knowledge tells you what to do but skills tell you how to do it. Knowledge can be tested but skills must be observed. Practice, role playing, exercises, group discussions and other techniques can provide skill-building opportunities to hone the skills of business development. Coaches and mentoring can also be good ways to provide, not only post-training reinforcement, but also the forum to practice applying the knowledge the lawyer gained in the training.

Understand the Differences in Methodology Between Practices

One size fits all training doesn't fit all. Practice areas are different and tend to emphasize different strategies that work best to attract clients or win engagements. The litigator's marketing dilemma, the idea that 'you can't encourage a company to get itself sued' is an example of how the marketing of a litigation practice is different from the marketing of a transactional practice. The urgency of the need for legal services and whether or not the solution is optional for the company affects the business development process.