Growing Relationships for CRM Success

CRM Success by the Numbers - Part 3: Proxies for Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:00 +0000

There are also some good numbers that can be used as proxies for CRM success and progress, especially during the initial stages of a rollout. This is a time when it can be a bit premature to try to count actual Clients or dollars in the door. But, at the same time, we may also have to deal with the reality that sometimes the people who just wrote that big check for the system may have slightly less-than-reasonable expectations – like thinking that once the system has been installed, money...

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CRM Success by the Numbers - Part 2: Let Me Count the Ways – and Dollars

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:49:00 +0000

So what kind of CRM numbers or metrics might make sense? Ideally, you want to find ones that are particularly relevant to the attorneys and the firm. Often these will be the numbers that are frequently preceded by a dollar sign – ones that relate directly to top line revenue or enhanced growth opportunities, like: Increased opportunities for business development Increases in revenue from key Clients Increases in newly discovered relationships Increases in cross selling opportunities...

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Winning the Business Development Battle Part 14: The Enemy

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:17:00 +0000

While it’s easy to portray business development as a battle – with the Clients as targets to be won over and your competition as the enemy standing in the way, this is a simplistic outlook. In reality, sometimes the enemy is us. We let our own issues or shortcomings limit our business development potential. For instance, we may make excuses for not committing the necessary time to developing business. We tell ourselves we are just too busy. Well guess what: while you are busy being busy,...

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CRM Success by the Numbers - Part 1: As Easy as 1, 2, 3

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:26:00 +0000

When people who are tasked with responsibilities for CRM systems are asked to define success, many words come to mind - words like challenging, demanding, difficult, stressful, time-consuming… painful, impossible, unattainable… changing jobs, retiring, quitting, outa here... It can be enough to have you contemplating the view from you office ledge. Come down off that ledge. With just a little help, you may find yourself jumping for joy instead. Realistically, CRM success shouldn't evoke...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 13: The General

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

While there are many people who can aid and assist your troops in their business development battles, it is imperative to have the support of strong and effective 'generals'. This is why it is crucial that the managing partners, chairmen and other firm leaders be actively involved in any business development campaign. Their leadership roles may involve many facets. Great leaders should be unwavering in their support for business development and the troops. They should measure and...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 6 - A Second Bite at the Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:02:00 +0000

If at first you don't succeed at CRM... so then what? Should you just give up? Throw in the proverbial technology towel? Admit defeat and go look for a job doing something easier - like maybe becoming a lion tamer or a crash test dummy? No, don't even think about it. You should never give up, because it's never too late for CRM success. Besides, you are not alone. There are plenty of firms who have had failed CRM rollout attempts. In fact, research suggests that 50% to 80% of CRM...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 12: Counterintelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Business development battles cannot be won without dedicated and motivated troops. But motivating attorneys to develop business can sometimes be challenging. Many attorneys went to law school specifically because they didn’t want to ‘sell.’ Just the mention of selling can evoke thoughts of a loud used-car salesman in a bad plaid jacket trying to overcome objections and ‘close’ a deal. That is not a motivator, by any means. Sometimes the best way motivate your attorneys to develop business...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 5 - Slicing the Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:37:00 +0000

When it comes to CRM success, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There are, however, some almost universal ways to fail. Trying to roll out the software to everyone in the firm all at once is one good way. Trying to get the lawyers to sit through point-and-click classroom training is another. Also good: trying to deploy every bell and whistle, feature and function during the initial rollout. These are some sure-fire ways to create frustration - and maybe even cause a minor mutiny among the...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 11: Purple Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:58:00 +0000

Alas, you are not going to win every business development battle. It can be daunting to put yourself out there in the field, face-to-face with Clients and prospects, who may either accept or reject your advances. While most of them will not be outright hostile, it's a fact that some of them are going to say ‘no.’ And when this happens, it can be tempting to retreat… to pull back and set up camp in your office, safely barricaded behind your desk. But that is the wrong battle strategy. As...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 4 - The Golden Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:20:00 +0000

Arguably, the most important thing a CRM system can help a law firm with is business development – attracting and retaining top Clients. This is the reason a lot of firms invest in CRM systems in the first place. Actually, this is the reason a lot of firms do a lot of the things they do. The problem is that, after the fact, those same firms often complain that their CRM systems are not providing a return on their investments. The reason has less to do with the CRM technology and more to do...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 10: Air Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:20:00 +0000

No matter how great an army of seasoned business development veterans you may have at your firm, they will always be more effective when they have reinforcements. In the law firm, the group that is tasked with backing up the business development troops is the Marketing Department. They provide the air cover to help ensure that the business development battles on the ground are successful. These loyal and dedicated members of your business development army can help to provide whatever the...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 3 - The Apple of Our Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Sure, there are plenty of stories about CRM failures. But in reality, when rolled out successfully, CRM has tremendous potential. It can actually help a firm to improve communication, coordination and Client service. If you think long and hard about it, I bet you’ll have trouble coming up with too long a list of really important stuff we do in a law firm that don't involve at least one of those things. That’s because law firms are relationship businesses and relationships take a lot of all of...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 9: On Targets

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:30:00 +0000

To win the business development battle, you first have to make sure you are aiming at the right targets. Each one you miss wastes valuable, and limited, business development time and resources. As a result, the most effective targeting involves aiming at the targets that you have the best chance of hitting. Start with your current Clients. Presumably they are already your allies, since they are currently writing you checks. To effectively develop more business with existing Clients,...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 2 - A Bad Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:39:00 +0000

In the past, you may have heard stories about CRM failures and disasters. CRM has been branded as an over-hyped, overpriced technology with poor adoption and little or no ROI. It’s rotten to the core. In fact, some people have even proclaimed that CRM is dead. In reality, CRM success is more of an apple and tree issue. It’s way too easy to blame CRM failure on the technology. Usually when CRM fails to meet expectations, the problem is not about the technology at all. It’s about...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 8: Marching Orders

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:32:00 +0000

To be relevant for business development, the skills learned in basic training must be put into action. This is why it is crucial that well trained troops be deployed to the field as soon as possible. In other words, they need to get out from behind their desks and go see the Clients. These are the marching orders for any successful business developer. Let’s face it: we all know that we didn’t really learn to practice law in law school. So why would anyone expect to be a natural born...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

An Apple A Day Keeps CRM Failure Away

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:03:00 +0000

Everyone has heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. OK, now I know some of you are wondering what the heck that has to do with CRM success. Well, sometimes it is the little things you do each day that really contribute to CRM success: taking a half hour to train new users at their desks, working with an assistant on formatting a letter, attending a practice group meeting to better understand how CRM could help the attorneys achieve their business development...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 7: Corps Competencies

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:03:00 +0000

Basic training should focus on the ‘corps’ business development skills and information that will help to prepare all recruits to win their personal business development battles. The troops should also be put through drills that will help to make all of this information actionable. Typical drills may include things like 'ammunition loading' – gathering and analyzing information to prepare for Client meetings, 'targeting practice' – making sure to aim at the best business development...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

So Many CRM Categories... So Now What?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:05:00 +0000

So now that we’ve identified so many ways to use CRM categories, your head may be spinning as you try to figure out what to do next. On the one hand, the great thing about CRM is that it can do so many things. On the other hand, the challenge with CRM is… that it can do so many things. In fact, there are so many things that CRM can do that it really can be challenging to figure out what it should do. You also need to be careful not to try to do too much because you may actually end up not...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 6: The Drill Instructor

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:18:00 +0000

Basic training focuses on general business development skills and information that is essential for all recruits to understand before moving into the field. However, as with any type of training, up to 75% of this knowledge can be lost without the addition of regular one-on-one follow up coaching. This is where the individual battles are won or lost. Finding the right instructor can enhance individual business development results exponentially. A good drill instructor or coach can help...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

So Many CRM Categories, So Little Time

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Since categories make it easier to segment and reach key Clients, it would seem like the more categories you have, the better, right? Not necessarily. With categories, sometimes less really is more. You don't want to give people too many choices. In fact, one firm decided to make it mandatory that before a new matter was opened, the assistant had to pick from a huge list of NAICS industry codes when entering a Client into the CRM. They were later amazed to discover that they were...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 5: Basic Training

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:38:00 +0000

Business development basic training for your troops should be done early and often. While it’s almost never too soon to begin training in the basics of business development, attorneys who have been practicing 4 years or more tend to make excellent recruits. The first element of basic training should involve getting the attorneys ‘over the wall.’ In other words, they need to know that business development begins by getting out of the building and getting face-to -face with Clients and...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Categorizing CRM Contacts - 'Status' Symbols

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Another way you may want to categorize CRM contacts is by contact ‘status’ or ‘type.’ This will allow you to better keep track of key individuals, segment your lists and target the audiences that you want to reach – and the ones that you don't. Status categories may include a number of different types of classifications. For instance, you might want to track types of Clients such as current Clients, former Clients, top Clients or at risk Clients. You might also want to keep up with prospects...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 4:The Troops

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Of course, the most important factor when it comes to winning or losing the business development battle is your troops. They must be loyal, courageous, dedicated and prepared. You also must be careful to select the right troops. Different battles require different deployments. For some, you may need a small army of foot soldiers. For instance, when responding to an RFP or when a potential Client has a project that requires attorneys from multiple practices or specialties, you may want to send...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Categorizing CRM Contacts - Location, Location, Location

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:11:00 +0000

Another type of category you may want to include is location. A location category can help to ensure that the right messages reach the right contacts. For instance, some firms like to include categories for the offices that a particular contact works with most frequently. That way, when the office has an event, they can be sure to invite those Clients. This is also important because sometimes you may deal with contacts who live in one place, but work for a company that is in another. You...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 3: Intel

noreply@blogger.com (Christina R. Fritsch, JD) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Planning for the business development battle starts by gathering intel. You need to do your homework to gain a keen understanding your Clients and prospects, your adversaries – and even your own troops. One way to begin gathering intel is to do research. Find out all you can about your Clients' and prospects’ businesses and industries. Are they expanding or contracting? Are they hiring employees or laying them off. Are they adding new locations or closing them? Are they moving forward or...

(To read the full article and learn more about CRM and BD success, please visit our blog by clicking this link)