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Business development may
be about common sense, but it is often hard
to know how to apply it! Most of my clients
have a pretty good idea of where they want
to go. They are just not sure about how
to get there.
I have been advising the
legal profession about business development
and marketing for over 20 years. I have
worked with:
- Slaughter and May
- Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer
- Gide Loyrette Nouel
- Manches
- Dorsey & Whitney
- 39 Essex Street
- Henderson Chambers
- 3 Stone Buildings
- 5 Raymond Buildings
- Queen Elizabeth Buildings
- 1 Hare Court
The areas in which I have
particular expertise and experience are:
Strategy and Business
Planning
I develop business strategies and plans
that are realistic, achievable and measurable.
I do not belong to the school of “cut-and-paste”
consultants who write a report for one client,
then simply produce variations on the theme
for subsequent clients. Instead, I work
closely with you to understand your unique
culture, people and values so that any plan
will be specifically suited to what will
work for your business.
Marketing Plans
I help to design, implement and monitor
marketing plans which reflect your business
plan and suit your budget. My aim is to
help you achieve the best return on your
marketing investment. I also offer advice
and training on how to follow-up marketing
initiatives, a process which is crucial
to the success of any marketing plan, but
which is often underestimated or ignored.
Client Surveys
There is no point spending time and energy
chasing new work if your current clients
are not completely satisfied with the service
you provide. The best way to find out if
they are happy is to ask them!
I have conducted dozens of client satisfaction
surveys, contacting and talking to hundreds
of clients. The information gleaned from
these surveys is invaluable. Not only do
you find out how well you are meeting your
client’s needs, but you also obtain
general information about the market that
can help you with your future planning.
Business Development
and Marketing Audits
Sometimes circumstances arise that require
you to pause and reflect on your business
strategy. It may be new legislation which
will have an impact on the provision of
legal services. It may be the recent downturn
in the economy. You may be reviewing your
recruitment strategy or your marketing spend.
Or, unfortunately, you may be experiencing
some sort of business or management crisis.
Sometimes it helps to have an objective
and independent view at this stage to help
you plan your next move, or even to reassure
you that you are moving in the right direction.
My business development audits are conducted
over the course of 3-5 days and review such
things as your marketing and strategic plans,
staff and management issues, client care
programmes and training needs. The audit
helps you to identify issues that need to
be addressed, including suggestions as to
when and how to address them.
A business, to be successful, needs an
effective infrastructure to support it.
Consequently, my business development consulting
is often combined with coaching and bespoke
training for individuals and/or teams. |
