An ABC of Sales and Marketing for Law Firms

Why is it that for some legal practices ‘selling’ is seen as a bad word? Why do many firms still worry more about acquiring new clients rather than keeping the ones that they have?

This session is suitable for anyone within a legal firm dealing with the public or with an interest in the sales and marketing process. We will look at some common issues for every business and some of the solutions that have been applied successfully and are current best practice. We will consider what ‘selling’ is and how we can do it better and better and without selling. We will look at the ‘value’ of our existing clients and how to maximise this for their and our benefit. Finally we will consider some of the challenges that prevent organisations adopting change and how to address it.

CPD 2 Hours

Registration and Coffee 1:30pm

PEAT Outcome – Relevant legal knowledge

OBJECTIVES

Seminar Topics:

• The importance of selling
• What selling actually is in a legal context
• Developing the whole practice with marketing in mind
• The importance of existing clients
• Overcoming barriers to change

Learning Outcomes:

• The importance of marketing within a legal business
• How to develop meaningful client relationships
• The value of our existing clients
• The importance of the whole organisation in marketing efforts
• The barriers to change and how to address them

PARTICIPANTS

This seminar will be of interest to anyone in a legal firm who deals with the public or has an interest in sales and marketing.

SPEAKER

Stephen Vallance, Harper Macleod. Stephen works within the HM Connect team and in particular is responsible for the operation in the West of Scotland. He is actively involved in developing existing relationship with member firms and fostering new connections with firms interested in learning more about the benefits that HM Connect can offer them. HM Connect (formerly Connect2Law) is a referral and support network for high street and rural law firms which operates via Harper Macleod offering its full complement of legal services and expertise to such law firms on a fee-sharing, non-client poaching basis. HM Connect has over 275 member firms throughout Scotland.

Stephen has over 25 years experience in legal practice. A partner previously in several law firms, he successfully sold his own practice in 2008. Since then Stephen has taught on the Diploma in Legal Practice at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities as well as having been a producer and presenter of PEAT 2 seminars. He is the author of several Journal articles, as well as a convener and speaker at Law Society seminars.

He has also been involved in several other projects including on line automation of legal processes, internet and social media marketing and a new business startup.