It can be really useful to see how those with client contact respond to possible real-life scenarios, and discussing these can lead to some real insights both for marketers and fee earners alike.
A colleague of mine in The Winning Alliance (Phil Gott of Peopleism, see www.peopleism.com ) have been using scenarios like this in training programmes we’ve been running for fee earners, to improve client development and business development performance. See what you make of the following:
“During a meeting with a member of the client’s in-house legal team, they describe how they are dissatisfied with turnaround times for work. They say that this is becoming an increasing problem, given the range of current and upcoming matters that are pressing on their time.”
Try it out with your fee earners (for those not in the legal sector, you can substitute any different but relevant function for the in-house legal team). What elements do they focus on? What actions do they decide to take? Do they determine the real nub of the issue and its level of severity by asking the client, or do they just assume?
Indeed, do they pick up the final words about the range of matters that are pressing on their time? These nuggets can make the difference between successfully developing a relationship and not…