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Improving performance

16 September 2010 / Mike Jones
Issue: 7433 / Categories: Features , Profession , Marketing
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Activity, ability & focus: Mike Jones discusses the key steps to increasing market share

Lawyers do not like the term “sales”. In recent years they have accommodated—in some cases embraced—business development and marketing. But, please, don’t mention the “s” word. This prejudice towards sales has meant that firms and individuals have been slow to grasp the concept of sales, sales performance, and sales management. As a result much of the “prep” work done via business development and marketing is wasted.

A different art

Selling is not marketing. It is not “business development” either—this label simply adds to the confusion. The role of marketing in law firms is to create goodwill. The role of selling is to convert that goodwill into fees. The term “business development” is often used to avoid the dreaded “s” word, however it is also used to describe the entire sales and marketing continuum, and therein lies the confusion. This lack of clear definition leads to misunderstandings and misplaced strategies.

Most law firms focus time and money on just one

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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