Today I am finishing coaching the 9th group of lawyers (about 180 total) from a national law firm. Over the last 18 months I have coached a group of senior associates who have done extremely well. They did not go on a crash diet of client development activities. Instead they changed their lifestyle and made client development a focused habit.
Why did they do well in the coaching program? First and foremost they made and kept commitments to themselves, the firm and me.
If your lawyers want to be part of a client development coaching program, here are commitments they should make:
1.Take responsibility for their own success and hold themselves accountable.
2.Prepare for each coaching session and provide an agenda in advance to the coach.
3.Notify the coach if any coaching sessions must be rescheduled.
4.Prepare a business development plan with goals – for individual and group goals.
5.Monitor client development activities and results and communicate them monthly to __________.
6.Provide the coach with monthly/quarterly planned client development activities.
7.Advise all members of the coaching group of successes and best practices.
8.Keep an open mind to try new things.
9.Engage wholeheartedly in group and individual agreed-upon coaching action items.
10.Make efforts to find client opportunities for other members of the group and other members of the firm.
11.Integrate client development into everyday habits.
12.Commit to spend at least __ hours per month on client development and the coaching program.
Take responsibility for their own success and hold themselves accountable.- Prepare for each coaching session and provide an agenda in advance to the coach.
- Notify the coach if any coaching sessions must be rescheduled.
- Prepare a business development plan with goals – for individual and group goals.
- Monitor their client development activities and results and communicate them monthly.
- Provide the coach with monthly/quarterly planned client development activities.
- Advise all members of the coaching group of successes, best practices and challenges.
- Keep an open mind to try new things.
- Engage wholeheartedly in group and individual agreed-upon coaching action items.
- Make efforts to find client opportunities for other members of the group and other members of the firm.
- Integrate client development into everyday habits.
- Commit to spend at least __ hours per month on client development and the coaching program.
I bet your firm has lawyers eager to learn how to attract, retain and expand relationships with clients. If they will make the commitments described above, your firm will see a big ROI and the lawyers will enjoy their client development efforts.