Page 1 of 20
Table of Contents I. Program Overview.3 II. Onboarding Checklist.5 III. Tools and Terms.7 IV. Additional Resources 11 1. Participant Application..12 2. Positioning Recommendations 13 3. Overview of Video Curriculum.14 4. Participant Self-Assessment Survey.18 5. Tracker Baseline Worksheet..19 6. Briefcase Worksheet 20 Page 2 of 20
I. Program Overview Practice Boomers is an award-winning business development training ground with a proven track record from law firms around the world. The program uses a combination of online tools, materials, and regular group coaching sessions to provide a productive balance of instruction, discussion, and accountability. The program begins with an interactive Kickoff workshop, after which we schedule Masterminds twice monthly for a full year. These Masterminds cover topics that include: How to initiate contact with prospective clients How to influence prospective clients to engage you How to access the power players in your network How to nurture referral sources How to make time for business development How to define your personal brand How to use social media effectively as part of your business development strategy This program provides the tools and strategies necessary to develop a meaningful and sustainable book of business. While Practice Boomers provides efficient, practical strategies for developing business, its efficacy depends in large part on lawyer participation. The program itself requires approximately two hours of instructional time per month but lawyers are expected to invest additional time implementing what they learn (e.g. networking with contacts, writing articles, making presentations, etc.). This guide will set your expectations for the style and structure of the program, provide a roadmap for the onboarding process, and offer best practices for ensuring a successful rollout at your firm. Page 3 of 20
II. Onboarding Checklist 1. Identify which lawyers will participate. The lawyers who have the most success with this program are those who already have an inclination toward business development, but perhaps don t have the structure or oversight needed to realize their BD potential. Rather than positioning this as a mandatory program, obtain buy-in from your lawyers so you know how many users will participate in the program. An application process can help you identify interested lawyers and increase their commitment to the program. We have prepared a Participant Application which you can find in the Additional Resources section on page 12. or you can create your own, or simply have an intake conversation with your lawyers. Once you have finalized the group of participants please send us biographies and contact information for each lawyer, as well as contact information for the Marketing/BD staff who will be supporting the program. 2. Commit to a launch date. When would you like your lawyers to begin using the program? A general time frame such as early March is sufficient to initiate the process. The program begins with a Kickoff session, presented inperson or via webinar to your lawyers in a lunch & learn setting. Set your expected launch date far enough in advance that you are able to coordinate with all of your lawyers schedules and arrange for them to attend. 3. Sign the licensing agreement and submit payment. We will provide you with an invoice and license agreement, which you can process through the appropriate persons at your firm. Page 4 of 20
II. Onboarding Checklist (continued) 4. Schedule the Kickoff. Once you have coordinated with your lawyers schedules, contact us to schedule the Kickoff. The presentation takes 90 minutes. Try to ensure that most or all of your lawyers are able to attend, as well as the Marketing/BD staff who will be supporting them throughout the program. In the event that some lawyers are unable to attend the Kickoff, we will provide a recording of the program. 5. Complete the Train-the-Trainer session. Once you select the Marketing and BD staff who will be interfacing with the Practice Boomers team and supporting the lawyers through the program, we will provide a series of on-demand virtual training modules via the Train-the-Trainer Portal. The modules provide fundamental business development strategies and techniques, insights on coaching lawyers effectively, measuring progress with Key Performance Indicators, and encouraging proactive business development behaviors. 6. Establish expectations on how ROI will be measured. Marketing metrics can be difficult to compile and turn into meaningful intelligence. Instead, we recommend establishing a performance baseline during the Kickoff and measuring how your KPIs have advanced by the end of the program. It will be easier to track proactive behaviors like pitch meetings per month or number of BD touch-points per week than reactive indicators like RFPs received or matters won. Over time, an increase in meaningful proactive behaviors will result in new business. accountability, and support. Page 5 of 20
II. Onboarding Checklist (continued) 7. Populate and Schedule the Mastermind Calls. Select the members of Mastermind groups (12-lawyer coaching pods) with lawyers at compatible levels for example, don t put 7th year associates in the same group as 3rd year partners. We also recommend that you group Masterminds according to the firm s strategic priorities (e.g. cross-selling between practice groups, teambuilding across offices). In order to ensure high adoption and minimal attrition, isolate training programs from one another as much as possible so that results are clear (i.e. don t put these 24 lawyers through multiple business development training programs at the same time). 8. Attend the kickoff. During the Kickoff we will provide your lawyers with their login information, instruct them in how to use the software, and provide best practices for utilizing the software. We will instruct participating lawyers to fill out the Participant Self-Assessment Survey, which can be found in the Additional Resources section on page 18. This will serve as a baseline of your lawyers confidence, knowledge and behaviors around business development. We will conduct the same survey at the end of the program to measure the lawyers self-reported improvement. Lawyers will also fill out the Tracker Baseline Worksheet (pg. 19) and the Briefcase Worksheet (pg. 20) to set some initial metrics and goals for the program. It is highly encouraged that one of the senior partners at the firm open the Kickoff with a strong message about the investment the firm is making in the participating lawyers. It is important that the pilot group understands that the firm expects them to take the program very seriously. The program s success is contingent on a high level of commitment on the part of the participants. 9. Stay engaged. Establish accountability measures, such as rewards for excellence (e.g. public acknowledgement from a senior partner) and repercussions for non-participation (e.g. lose your seat in the program to someone on the waitlist). Establish these measures at the outset to set your participants expectations. Page 6 of 20
III. Tools and Terms Action Steps Takeaways participants and/or facilitators assign to participants during sessions. Briefcase A snapshot of participants business development plan. It includes goals, strategies, next steps etc. It also lists the videos and interviews that have been tagged as favorites. Curriculum All of the video lessons available on the Practice Boomers website. Documents Page Each institutional account is assigned a documents page or docs page. This is a password-protected page that archives the institution s Mastermind Report Summaries and monthly Progress Reports. Lessons These are the numbered and titled videos underneath the navigation bar on the Practice Boomers dashboard. There are 52 lessons total. Management Reports - These restricted-access reports allow the firm s marketing staff to view the lawyers Pipelines, oversee the group s productivity trends, and manage lawyers follow-up activities with their key relationships. Mastermind Sessions These are the monthly meetings with the facilitator(s) and the members of the Practice Boomers group. Mastermind Summary Reports An online form where facilitators track mastermind attendance and enter the notes and action steps of each participant. These reports are distributed to the lawyers between Masterminds as a PDF. Page 7 of 20
III. Tools and Terms (continued) Modules These are collections of lessons that focus on a specific theme. There are 7 different modules: Assessment, Branding, Sales, Networking, Time Management, Social Media, and Client Service. Below is a breakdown of how the lessons are grouped within one of these 7 modules. They are formatted Title (Lesson #). Assessment - Rainmaker Habits (1), SMART Goals (2), Leverage Points (3), Referral Sources (4), Mentors (5), Warm Market Connectors (6), Mid-Term Review (25), and Accountability Structures (26). Branding Your Market Niche (7), Establishing Credibility (8), Personal Branding (9), The Elevator Pitch (10), Self-Promotion (11). Sales Institutional Targeting (12), Individual Profiling (13), Initiating Contact (14), Sales: Rapport (15), Sales: Pain (16), Sales: Solution (17), Sales: Objections (18), Sales: The Close (19), Sales: The Follow-Up (20), Cross Selling (21), Client Teams (22), Referral Generators (23), Client Advisory Boards (24). Networking Networking Groups (27), Trade Shows (28), Roundtables (29), Social Groups (30), Community Service (31), The Rules of Referring (32), The Ally Portfolio (33), The Referral Log (34), Triggers and Assists (35). Time Management Motivation (36), Improve Your Efficiency (37), Email Management (38), Overcome Procrastination (39). Social Media Social Media Marketing (40), Social Media Prospecting (41), Use Your Blog to Prospect (42), LinkedIn (43), LinkedIn 2.0 (44). Client Service Client Connections (45), Effective Presentations (46), Integrity (47), Client Negotiation (48), Courage (49), Influence (50), How to Inspire Loyalty (51). Page 8 of 20
III. Tools and Terms (continued) Practice Boomers Alumni Lawyers who have completed the Practice Boomers curriculum. Practice Boomers Participants Lawyers who are currently working through the Practice Boomers program. Progress Reports These reports are for the marketing team to review only. They provide a snapshot of the participants activity for a given month (e.g., videos watched, tracker information completed, Briefcase goals, etc.). Quick Tips Library of takeaways in the form of a concise weekly blog. Pipeline A software platform for prospecting. Pipeline provides regular reminders, tracks progress, incorporates coaching for accountability, and delivers metrics to firm management so that procrastination doesn t thwart business opportunities. Rainmakers and Experts Interviews Short Q&As with business originators and in-house counsel from across North America. These interviews serve as case studies for many of the techniques taught in the video lessons. Page 9 of 20
III. Tools and Terms (continued) Tracker Represents participants current business development activity. On a weekly basis they enter the time spent for BD activities (i.e., pitch meetings, forwarded existing alliances, etc.). Tracker Baseline The business development activities that participants indicate at the beginning of the program. We compare this baseline to their progress as they advance through the program. Videos See Lessons. Page 10 of 20
IV. Additional Resources 1. Participant Application 12 2. Positioning Recommendations. 13 3. Overview of Video Curriculum.. 14 4. Participant Self-Assessment Survey.. 18 5. Tracker Baseline Worksheet...19 6. Briefcase Worksheet....20 Page 11 of 20
Participant Application Name: Firm: Title: Department: What is motivating you to participate in this program? What do you plan to accomplish through this program? How do you envision participating in this program so as to impact your business development goals? How can the firm support you throughout the course of this program and following its conclusion? I,, acknowledge this is a significant investment on my behalf from the firm. I understand that the results of this program are contingent on my full participation. I agree to participate fully, review assigned materials, and attend a majority if not all of the designated sessions. I also agree to dedicate the time necessary to achieve my intended goals. If I become aware of any concerns that might impede my full participation, I will communicate them to the program facilitator immediately. Signature Date Page 12 of 20
Positioning Recommendations The following provides an overview of how to position Practice Boomers for optimal results based on our experience with over 25 firms. Because every firm culture is unique, these recommendations should be treated as guidelines, not gospel. Firm-Wide Message to Lawyers: The firm is piloting a new business development training program called Practice Boomers. This program is a unique hybrid of e-learning and group coaching that has been successfully implemented at other firms. Here are some of the features of the program: Short training videos (5-10 minutes in length) delivered weekly Regular facilitated discussion groups with other lawyers at the firm Podcast interviews with rainmakers from firms across the US and Canada Online tracking tools that help you retain a consistent focus on business development We are compiling a group of lawyers in our pilot of this program. Once we have determined that it will be successful at our firm, we will consider expanding to a broader audience. Those not included in the pilot will be waitlisted and given priority consideration should we launch additional groups. Ideally, there will be a surplus of lawyers who express interest. The firm should choose lawyers who are eager to develop business and have a coachable nature. This will ensure a positive return on the firm s investment in Practice Boomers. It will also create a positive buzz when the lawyers share their positive experiences with those who are not yet in the pilot. The waitlist will provide incentive for the lawyers in the pilot program to make the most of the opportunity, especially when they learn that some of their colleagues are eager for an open seat. Page 13 of 20
Overview of Video Curriculum Lesson # Title Summary Module 1 Rainmaker Habits 2 SMART Goals 3 Leverage Points 4 Referral Sources 5 Mentors 6 Warm Market Connectors 7 Your Market Niche 8 Establishing Credibility 9 Personal Branding 10 Your Elevator Pitch 11 Self-Promotion 14 Initiating Contact 15 Sales: Rapport Build business development activities into your day so that client matters don t dominate all your time Learn how to set reasonable, achievable business development goals. Identify your strengths so your BD strategy is appropriate to your personality and interests. Divide your clients into categories based on their likelihood to refer new opportunities and manage your outreach accordingly. Identify leaders who can shepherd your career and open doors. Build relationships with the key influencers in your professional and personal communities. Target market verticals so you can more easily corner a niche and increase your marketability at the firm and in your network. Bolster your reputation as a thought-leader using these strategies. Develop a personal branding message so that your prospects can find you, remember you, and refer you more easily. Learn how to articulate what you do so you don t sound like every other lawyer in your practice area. Get over the stigma of promoting yourself. Use these strategies to cheerlead your strengths into the firm and the marketplace. Use these strategies to begin a dialogue with key client contacts. Lawyers don t always like the word, but learning sales techniques will improve your effectiveness at pitching. This lesson shows you how to build the foundation to a good pitch. Assessment Assessment Assessment Assessment Assessment Assessment Branding Branding Branding Branding Branding Sales Sales Page 14 of 20
Overview of Video Curriculum Lesson # Title Summary Module 16 Sales: Pain 17 Sales: The Solution 18 Sales: Objections Ask the questions that identify the emotional drivers behind your prospect s need for legal work. Pitch a solution that goes beyond the generic so that you truly address the client s needs. Your pitch will likely be met with resistance. Know how to overcome objections. Sales Sales Sales 19 Sales: The Close Be proactive. Ask for the business. Sales 20 Sales: The Follow- Up Use these techniques to close the follow-up loop. Sales 21 Cross-Selling Seize untapped opportunities at the firm. Sales 22 Client Teams 23 24 Referral Generators Client Advisory Boards These strategies will help you work within client teams more effectively. These strategies generate referrals and opportunities from your allies and prospects. This strategy deepens relationships with your top clients and introduces you to new prospects and referral sources. Sales Sales Sales 25 Mid-Term Review A summary of lessons 1-24 Review 26 27 Accountability Structures Networking Groups 28 Trade Shows 29 Roundtables 30 Social Groups A good strategy is only as good as its implementation. Learn how to sustain your focus through accountability. Learn how to identify potential allies in networking groups. A good forum for meeting prospective clients and allies. Learn three group structures that deepen your contact with prospects and referral sources. Social time provides an excellent opportunity for client development. Learn how to make the most of it. Assessment Networking Networking Networking Networking Page 15 of 20
Overview of Video Curriculum Lesson # Title Summary Module 31 32 Community Service The Rules of Referring An effective community service strategy goes far beyond pro-bono work. Learn give to get techniques that lead to new clients. Learn the best practices of networking so you give and receive meaningful referrals. Networking Networking 33 The Ally Portfolio Identify the Allies who will refer valid clients. Networking 34 The Referral Log 35 Triggers and Assists 36 Motivation 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 Improve Your Efficiency Email Management Overcome Procrastination Social Media Marketing Social Media Prospecting Using your Blog to Prospect LinkedIn Best Practices LinkedIn Goals & Strategies This system helps you track the investment of time and resources you put into your business network. Communicate your needs to your network effectively so that they produce client referrals. It s natural to become overwhelmed with client demands and allow BD to stall out. This lesson will turn things back around. Eliminate time-wasters and become a more efficient lawyer. Don t spend all day in the in-box. Gain effective workflow strategies that keep you from getting buried in email. Important activities (like BD) often get deferred when they don t come with a deadline. Learn how to avoid I ll get to it someday. For the modern lawyer, social media is not an option, it s a necessity. Develop your social media strategy so you don t waste time online. LinkedIn is one of the most powerful, and underutilized prospecting tools available to you. Learn how to use it effectively. This blogging strategy puts you in front of prospective clients and key influencers. Make sure your LinkedIn profile communicates an effective digital brand. Advanced LinkedIn strategies for prospecting specific contacts. Networking Networking Time Management Time Management Time Management Time Management Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Page 16 of 20
Overview of Video Curriculum Lesson # Title Summary Module 45 46 Client Connections Effective Presentations 47 Integrity 48 Client Negotiation 49 Courage Site visits are a critical component in your BD strategy. An important skill in your arsenal learn how to engage your audience and demonstrate your value. Understand how to promote your services without compromising your character. Learn how to navigate fee-sensitive clients while preserving the relationship. A lawyers risk-aversion can sabotage business development. Develop the ability to overcome the reservations that hold you back. Client Service Client Service Client Service Client Service Client Service 50 Influence Get prospects and Allies to see it your way. Client Service 51 How to Inspire Loyalty Loyalty is a critical element to both external and internal marketing. Find the champions who will go to bat for you. Client Service 52 Program Review A summary of the curriculum. Review Page 17 of 20
Participant Self-Assessment Survey (To be completed during Kickoff) Name: Date: Please rate yourself in the following characteristics on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being needs serious improvement and 10 being excellent. The degree to which you have clear business development goals, strategies, and a sense of direction. The extent to which you have the time necessary to pursue business development opportunities. Your ability to turn networking into an effective, meaningful use of time. Your ability to articulate what you do in a memorable, compelling way such that it distinguishes you from competitors. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The quality and caliber of your professional network. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The degree to which you are capitalizing on the potential opportunities in your network. The frequency of opportunities you have to "pitch" your services to a prospective client. Your ability to persuade a prospective client to hire you over a competitor. The degree to which you believe your social media presence and profile is assisting your business development objectives. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page 18 of 20
Tracker Baseline Worksheet (To be completed during Kickoff) Name: Date: Please answer a few brief questions so we can customize your Progress Tracker. That way we can show you how you re progressing versus your current position. How many hours do you spend with clients in an average week discussing subjects unrelated to one of their matters (site visits, lunches, learning details about their business, etc.)? How many hours do you spend in an average week on business development (networking, social media, meetings with prospects, writing articles, etc.)? The video lessons and Masterminds conclude with action steps. These steps take approximately 30-60 minutes per week to complete. Can you free up that time consistently from week to week? (answer yes or no) How many new referral sources do you meet in an average week? How many of your existing referral sources do you nurture in an average week (call them to touch base, send them a thank you note, etc.)? How many referrals and introductions do you give to others in an average week? Page 19 of 20
Briefcase Worksheet (To be completed during Kickoff) 1 Themes: 2 Current Book: 3 Origination Goal (12 months): 4 Organizations to Join (or Leave): 5 Relationships to Build: 6 Skills to Improve: 7 Conferences/Trade Shows to Attend: Deadline: 8 Speeches/Presentations to Give: Deadline: 9 Articles, Blogs to Author: Deadline: 10 Community Service Goals: Deadline: 11 Pro Bono Goals: Deadline: Page 20 of 20